Author Archives: Becky Pliego

About Becky Pliego

I am grateful because God, in His grace, called me out of darkness and into his admirable light. When I did not look for Him, He found me. When I was in a pit of sin, He rescued me. I am not walking this road alone, my family is always with me, and we love Him, because He loved us first.

A Borrowed Prayer -A Prayer for the God-exalting Blessing of Unity by Scotty Smith

Posted on by
2

After yesterday’s post, I thought this prayer is what should come next.

Would you join me in prayer?

 

Katie Lloyd Photography © Used with permission

 

A Prayer for the God-exalting Blessing of Unity

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. Psalm133

Dear Lord Jesus, “good and pleasant” feels like an understatement—a woefully inadequate description of what happens when you show up and begin to thaw the tensions, deconstruct the divisions, and enable your people to move forward together in unity. I’d add words like, miraculous and beautiful; profound and magnetic; all-too-rare and so-very-needed.

It’s clearly obvious that where believers dwell in unity you bestow your presence and blessing. For unity is a revelation of life within the Godhead—the eternal life into we have been called, birthed and secured. It’s equally obvious that where there’s disunity, Satan bestows his darkness and evil; suspicion and distrust; cynicism and gossip; disintegration and separation. God have mercy on all of us…

Boldly and shamelessly, we ask you for a fresh outpouring of your Spirit on our churches—a downpour of humility, repentance and healing; a deluge of the sane-making power of your presence. Jesus, drench us with the humbling and unifying dew of the gospel. We want to be sopping wet, not merely damp. Saturate and satiate us with the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

We don’t look to Aaron and his beard, but to you and your enthronement at the right hand of the Father. Jesus, you are our great High Priest who has received the Spirit without measure, so you can pour forth the Spirit without reservation. Do so without delay, we ask, for the glory of God and the fame of your Name.

As we think of our church families, we also pray for new church plants in their infancy and older church families needing renewal; for missionary teams under fire and in duress; for para-church ministries—even whole denominations. Jesus, bring the grace and truth of the gospel to bear in observable, unmistakable and transforming ways.

No one has done more to secure our unity than you, Lord Jesus (Eph. 2:14-22). No one is praying more for our unity than you (John 17:20-21). No one is more glorified by our unity than you (John 17:22-26). Continue to heal us, reconcile us, and deploy us into your ripened harvest and broken creation together. So very Amen we pray, in your glorious and gracious name.

A Prayer by Scotty Smith

Becky

Find Scotty Smith book, Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith, here.

 

 

On Disagreeing with Spurgeon

Posted on by
23

I have been thinking and praying for weeks (maybe months now?), trying to find an easy way to write what is in my heart. This is a sensitive post, I know. I know many will agree and many will not, but it is burning deep within me, and I have decided to click the “publish button”.

I will use a few examples of one of the men who has been a very important and strong influence not only in my life, but in the lives of many of us, to try to explain what is in my heart, the man is Charles Spurgeon.

What would you think of a preacher today whose chief project at a certain time in his ministry would be raising money for a new church building? Well, Spurgeon did this. The estimated cost to build the new Tabernacle was very high, so he started to accept more invitations to preach in many different places to receive more offerings.(1)

“Just before the building was ready to be opened, since the entire costs had not yet been met, a great bazaar was held to raise the remaining amount. This action caused questioning in many evangelical minds then, and it will do the same today.” (2)

I am sure, that if this were happening today, the next day we would see many, many bloggers pointing harshly at him.

The Tabernacle was a huge building with seating for about 3,600 people.(3) Yes, that is the number; a big one, right? Please, just imagine what many of us (and me too, probably) would be thinking of this today. We love the local church and most of us do not believe in mega-churches. Spurgeon, the man we all love to quote, however, pastored one.

OK, if by now you are surprised, read the next:

“People who wished to attend regularly paid for a seat on a three-months’ basis and were admitted by ticket. Others remained outside till five minutes before the beginning of the service, at which time the restriction was removed and the crowd rushed in and filled the rest of the building.” (4)

I dare to say I don’t agree at all with Spurgeon on these practices. However, I must also admit that he has been a man that through his written word has influenced my life tremendously. I have learned so much from him, his teachings have been, without a doubt, a blessing to the Church of Christ.

So what is it that is in my heart?

I want to be free in this space to say, for example, that John Piper’s teachings have been (and still are) a strong pillar in my faith. Do I agree with everything he does and with all the friends he has? No. But I would never dare to say that he is not a godly man. God forbid.

Mac Arthur, Carson, Horton, Tim Challies, The Pyro-Team, The Gospel Coalition, The Resurgence, my beautiful friends on the blogsphere, the Puritans, my dearest friends in another country, my sister, all of them have taught me something, and no, I don’t always agree with every one of their words; but I am willing to learn from them, and even change my points of view when Truth demands so.

My family has been blessed greatly by Douglas and Nancy Wilson, by their ministry, their books, and the Church he pastors. We have not seen, anywhere, a church that practices the gospel in such a vivid way as theirs. They are an example to us on how to live the Christian life in obedience to the Word, with joy, practicing hospitality and living in community. Do we agree then with every single word we have read in their books/blogs? No, not necessarily; but we count it as a wonderful gift of the Divine Providence that our son is a member of their church.

I love Ann Voskamp, she is my friend, and has been a blessing to me many times; I always give thanks to God for her. I don’t agree with some of the things she has written, but again, I cannot, no matter what, dare to say that she is not a child of God. Each one of us is still short-sighted; each one of us is still in the process of Sanctification, and each one of us will give account of our own words before the Lord.

I have a few friends who are passionate about contending for the truth, and I love them and respect them very much. I too was in the wrong church under false teaching for many years, but I do not always agree with their tone of voice. Does that mean that I love them less? Not at all; I need them as part of the body of Christ in which we belong together.

Let me come back to our dear Spurgeon again. He knew that none of us in infallible, and he dared to say,

“I am a great lover of John Bunyan, but I do not believe him infallible…” (you may read the rest here)

Note please, that I am NOT, NOT, NOT (yes, I want to make this clear) advocating for pluralism or relativism. Certainly not. I love doctrine very much and I believe in contending for the faith. At the same time, I pray I will grow in discernment every day, because the Bible says that the days in which we are living are evil. I read the Word, study it, memorize it in order to have the Truth well planted in my heart; I long to live by it and be obedient to it. Borrowing the words of Erik Raymond I say: “While I believe that in some cases controversy is not only helpful but essential (see the recent Rob Bell firestorm), I don’t believe a steady diet of it is.” (emphasis mine)

Friends, I, too, once read the wrong books. I, too, listened wrong teachings for many years, but God had mercy on me when I did not expect  it. His grace reached my stubborn and prideful heart and granted me the gift of repentance. It is my prayer that God will reach deep into my heart even now, and change me more and more. I pray I will always have a teachable heart, humble enough to say, “I am still learning, I do not have it all right.”

We are still of this fallen world, and that is one of the reasons I long for Jesus to come. I long for the New Creation, because on that day, the children of God will be sharing one table. We will be able to see clearly, and we will feast and rejoice in the One who is the Author of our Faith. And those wolves who have deceived many while hiding among the sheep will be judged by the Only One worthy to open the seal of the Book, and He will cast them out into the eternal fire.

Meanwhile, let us be ready, abiding in the Word, spending more time in the Word than anywhere else; the only book that is infallible is God’s Word.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” I Timothy 3:16- 17

God help us,

Becky

(1) Spurgeon, A New Biography by Arnold Dallimore, Banner of Truth p.94
(2) ibid. p.97
(3) ibid. p.98
(4) ibid p.98

Lessons Learned in the Quiet

Posted on by
1

The morning has come, and with it the first frost on our yard. The pretty, gay green will soon perish. Seasons come and go,  and the only thing than can sustain us through all these inevitable changes is the Word of God.

Shiloh Photography @ Used with permission

I am still meditating on Psalm 4, the Psalm I prayed this past Lord’s Day, but specially on verses 3-5:

“But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.

Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
Selah

Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the LORD.”

It seems to me that sometimes, the hardest lessons to learn are the ones God teaches us when we are lying on our beds at night, pondering in our hearts in silence; when the Spirit speaks to us by string our consciences, and bringing back to our hearts His Word that pierces deep into our soul.

Becky

Grace as Gift

Posted on by
5

“What we do with a gift afterward is simply show our gratitude, our thanksgiving…”

And that is what I do today, publicly give thanks to God who has given me grace upon grace….

(#1397- 1415)

Gifts to bless others

My books

My girl’s beautiful heart, music, and wonderful photography!

Having a son who makes our days more interesting and is always up to something new, like making chainmail.

My son in a faraway land, seeing him so happy; and for the wonderful community of believers  in which he is immersed, who lives the gospel in such a vivid way.

Pictures and words that travel thousands of kilometers through the space to meet those that I love so much, in less than a second!

Having had our pretty Saint Bernard, Kima, for four years. She was a wonderful dog, and we will miss her very much. (She died last Friday)

Diligent students

The gift of being able to teach

A pretty wedding

Deep blue skies

A new coffee maker

The book of James in the Bible

Art on my window

Small verses that have me thinking, praying and mediating.

“Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another”. Mark 9: 50

The Holy Spirit dwelling in me.

The Lord speaking to my heart through His Word.

These words:

“I doubt that there is such a thing as a measure of spirituality, but if there is, gratitude would be it. Only the grateful are paying attention. They are grateful because they pay attention, and they pay attention because they are so grateful” (Barnes, The Pastor as Minor Poet, quoted by Douglas Wilson).

I pray I will live every day paying attention…

Becky

Endless Gifts, the Way of Contentment

Praying the Psalms -Psalm 4-

Posted on by
Reply

 

Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

 

God of my righteousness, God of all grace and mercy,
you have heard my prayers,
and it has pleased you to answer them.
Father, I can say as David said,
“You have given me relief when I was in distress”,
You Father, you alone, are the God of all comfort,
only in You is my soul relieved.
Father, once more I come to you in prayer,
through Jesus Christ, who is my righteousness;
and once more, I plead before the throne of Grace,
Hear my prayer, O LORD!
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

 

2 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?
Selah

3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.

 

Father, today I intercede for those who love vain words,
for those who seek after lies,
for those who who dishonor the title that we must bear
with all dignity: “Christian”,
who live professing one faith,
but denying it with their deeds.
O Lord, God of my righteousness,
You alone are the Judge on the throne and not me,
You alone know the hearts of men, and not me.
You alone know whom you have set apart for you,
and LORD, you alone can answer the prayers of your own.
Father, I pray that I will be wise and quick to discern
good from evil,
lie from Truth,
vain words from those that bring life.
But at the same time,
I pray, asking you to deliver me from the temptation of spiritual pride;
remind me every day of the days,
when I too…
loved vain words and sought after lies,
when I was reading the wrong books,
and following false doctrine.
Remind me on how there is always hope in you,
do not let me forget that your Grace,
can reach and transform the hearts of men.

4 Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
Selah

5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the LORD.

 

Father, forgive me,
forgive me because many times,
seeing those who are walking against you,
I have sinned against them by judging them.
Help me to be bold,
but never sin.
O God of my righteous,
tonight, as I go to bed,
in the quiet  and stilness,
bring all this to my heart,
that I may ponder,
be silent,
and trust in You for their salvation.

 

6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

 

Lord of lords, show us today,
as we go and worship you in the company of all the saints,
the light of your face.
That as we hear the Scriptures preached,
we’ll see your light shining upon us.
Fill us with your joy,
fill us with that joy that comes as we see
how mighty is your arm to save the lost!
And when the night comes, LORD,
I pray I will lie down to sleep in peace,
for you alone make dwell in safety.
In Jesus name’
Amen

 

Becky

Awaiting a Savior – A Christian Response to Poverty-

Posted on by
6
A Cruciform Press book

I am Mexican. My country is a country of contrasts, a country in which you can find the richest man on earth, as well as people living in extreme poverty not so far from the richest neighborhoods in the most important cities.

I drive to my parents’ home once a week to have lunch with them, and every week, in the same corner, I see a poor family selling candy or some times just reaching their hand to beg for some money. The mom is always holding a baby in her “rebozo”, while the “big kids” (around seven years old) are most of the time selling gum to the car drivers when the stop light is on. But my eyes always look for the little one, a toddler. He is always in a corner playing happily with empty milk cartons, or old toys. Every week, my heart aches. Many times we have brought food for them, or clothes, but there are always these questions in my heart, how can we really help those in need when you see them every where? Is there a real solution to all this poverty around me? Whom do we help? The family on the street, the friends that are going through hard (real hard) times, the children in a far away land with no drinking water? What is the Christian response to poverty?

Aaron Armstrong has written a book, Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, The New Creation and The End of Poverty,  that has spoken directly to my heart. He has in few pages, answered many of these questions.

Armstrong says,

“Resources and awareness and policies are important, but poverty is not fundamentally about any of these things. The root of poverty is sin.” (p.9)

The author understands the gospel’s message well. He knows that the bad news always precede the good, so he keeps on saying,

“¨[O]ur good faith efforts to address legitimate questions of poverty and injustice must never lose sight of the fact that poverty will persist as long as the heart of man is ruled by sin.”. (p.10)

This book is one that reminds us of the hope that should keep us pursuing biblical solutions to poverty. Armstrong says,  

“our only hope for an ultimate solution to poverty is in the return of Christ, when he will put an end once and for all to sin, suffering and death, and bring out the New Creation.” (p.11)

And that is when I take a deep breath and keep on reading. Armstrong takes us back to Genesis, the Paradise, the Fall, and the curse that came as a result of it.

“Whereas the curse upon Eve is primarily about interpersonal relationships, Adam’s curse spreads outward to all economic life… Prosperity will always be challenging and elusive. The very materials and processes we work with to try to create prosperity will resist us. And it will continue like this until the day we die.” (p.18)

But physical poverty, as terrible as it is,  is not the ultimate poverty. Armstrong says,

“A fallen world inhabited exclusively by sinners; that is the essence of poverty. Sin, and the effects of sin throughout creation, is the Poverty from which all other poverty flows” (p.23)

This is the heart of the book, this is what makes this book so important;  Awaiting a Savior goes to the root of the problem of poverty that surrounds us.

This is a book that I greatly recommend as a tool to train the young people who want to come and do missions to poor countries. In Latin America, sadly to say, we receive many missionaries, many youth groups that come every summer to help build churches, and paint walls, and sing children’s songs in poor areas; but we need to go deeper, we need to go to the root of poverty: sin in the heart man.

Armstrong deals, then, with the root of poverty, but also with the root of our inability to respond in a God-glorifying way towards poverty.

“Sin thus not only causes poverty but also poisons our attitude toward those suffering within it.”

We try to help, but very often we loose sight of our real aim:

“Ultimately, poverty can only be addressed at the heart level, one person at a time, s salvation through the shed blood of Christ pushes back against the fall of man.  The ultimate answer to poverty is circumcised hearts that know the God who forms and keeps covenant with poor and undeserving sinners.” (p.47)

Chapter Five, was probably my favorite. Armstrong reminds us of the Sermon of the Mountain and how “The gifts of love always precede the demands of love”. Oh yes, Grace, amazing Grace that reaches to the poor effectively.

“That is what is so devastating about the Sermon on the Mount. It starts with grace…”

And as the paragraph continued, it brought me to my knees in prayer, conviction and thanksgiving. Grace is the starting point; it was there where Jesus found me. It is there where we should start if we want to effectively help the poor among us until the day we see Jesus.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Becky

*I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book by the author for the purpose of this review. I was asked to write an honest review.