Wednesday, January 18, 2006
A "new" home
Interesting word. New. I believe that it has been said that the true meaning of a word is "all in the way that one uses it." We plan on moving into our new home within the next couple of weeks. This new home is not new in the sense that it has recently been constructed. I would guess that the home is at least 50 or more years old. But in that we have never lived in it before, it is new to us.
You may ask for what reason we decided to leave the "old" home (7 years old) for the "new" home (50 plus years old). Well, as they say in real estate "Three important factors: location, location, location." The house that we currently live in is about a mile and a half from town. Honestly, the distance isn't great but it's location does make it a little more difficult for people to stop by and visit us. So, we have been praying and looking for something in town. And just when we felt that it didn't seem to be in the Lord's plans for us, this "new" house made itself available. We see this as an excellent opportunity to get to know more of the people in town and for them to be able to hear the good news that salvation is available through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
Please be praying for us and for our testimony in the community. We are glad that we have been getting to know more people and we pray that each contact would bear fruit and fruit that would last. May the Lord be glorified in and through our lives.
We currently have a couple of Bible studies going and a couple of new ones on the horizon. Please pray for us, that the Lord would give us opportunities to speak as to His glorious grace, and that the Holy Spirit would powerfully work through the preaching of the Word. (Rom 10:17)
Thank you all again for your love, friendship, and partnership in the gospel.
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
You may ask for what reason we decided to leave the "old" home (7 years old) for the "new" home (50 plus years old). Well, as they say in real estate "Three important factors: location, location, location." The house that we currently live in is about a mile and a half from town. Honestly, the distance isn't great but it's location does make it a little more difficult for people to stop by and visit us. So, we have been praying and looking for something in town. And just when we felt that it didn't seem to be in the Lord's plans for us, this "new" house made itself available. We see this as an excellent opportunity to get to know more of the people in town and for them to be able to hear the good news that salvation is available through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
Please be praying for us and for our testimony in the community. We are glad that we have been getting to know more people and we pray that each contact would bear fruit and fruit that would last. May the Lord be glorified in and through our lives.
We currently have a couple of Bible studies going and a couple of new ones on the horizon. Please pray for us, that the Lord would give us opportunities to speak as to His glorious grace, and that the Holy Spirit would powerfully work through the preaching of the Word. (Rom 10:17)
Thank you all again for your love, friendship, and partnership in the gospel.
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
Thursday, January 12, 2006
A house of worship
Greetings to you all in the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We pray that this letter finds you doing well, basking in the Lord's glorious grace. As has been said before (in anterior blogging), all that we have is a benefit derived from the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. If it weren't for Him and what He has done for us, what would we have? We would be cursed instead of blessed. We would be poor instead of rich. (I'm talking in spiritual terms here. Please don't post comments accusing me of preaching a health and wealth gospel.) We should be constantly thanking the Father for His Son Jesus Christ. And thanking Jesus for His humility in coming to this earth that He had created in order to die for those that He had created. Those that showed their scorn for Him. Those who showed their scorn for His Father and His Word. Those who like us, all went their own way as seemed best to them. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank you Father. Thank you Jesus. Instead of pouring wrath out upon us, you shower us with blessings.
So, what should our response be? How about worship? Recognizing the Lord for who He is and for what He has done. How beautiful is the song "My Tribute". And I am not referring to the melody. I am referring to the words. What do we have that we could ever give Him in order to repay Him for what He has done for us? Obviously, nothing. Well, almost nothing. What we can give to Him already pertains to Him, so it actually doesn't pertain to us. As the song says, "To God be the glory, great things He has done." All we can give to Him that is worthy of His receiving is the glory due His name. (Psalm 29:1)
I often think about the "heroes of the faith". I believe that it is good to look at their lives and the examples that they have left us to follow. Obviously the best example to follow is that of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can also see that others such as Paul were able to tell others to follow their example as they followed the example of Christ. (1st Cor 11:1) One of the Old Testament examples that really speaks to me is the life of Joshua. I find his life fascinating. As he was "discipled" by Moses, as he was one of the two faithful spies, and then as he valiantly believed the Lord and led the people into the Promised Land. But then to see him stay faithful throughout his life and at the end be able to say to the people in Joshua 24:15 (Kennison paraphrase) "You need to decide whom you are going to serve (or who you are going to worship), but you know what I have already decided. Me and my house, we will serve the Lord." For him, for Joshua, it was a done deal. He wasn't waiting for the masses to make up his mind. His mind was already made up. He and his family were going to serve the Lord. What resolution. What dedication. What steadfastness. His eyes were firmly fixed upon the Lord, as ours should be also. (Heb 12:1-2) He, like Abraham before him, had believed in the promise of the One who called him into His service. He had seen the Lord faithful all throughout his life. So, what about us? If we believe the promise of the One who has called us into His service, and we can look back (and forward in faith) and see His faithfulness displayed in our lives, what should our reaction be? Worship. Praise You, O Lord for your goodness to me, a sinner. I will bring into Your courts a sacrifice of praise, because You know what (of course you do, because you are omniscient), that's all that I can give You that You really want. Please help Me Lord to worship You in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24) and as such honor You with this life that You have "gift-ed" me. How important it is for us to remember that we don't belong to ourselves, but to the One who has called us unto Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. (1st Cor 6:19-20)
I am but a man. I am a sinner. I have been gloriously saved by grace through my faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. (Eph 2) What I want to give to the Lord is a life of worship. I want to have my home be a house of worship. I want those who come under "my" roof to know that we are a family who worship the One True God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Our desire to see a church planted and established in Curaco de Velez, Chile is due to the fact that we want to see the Lord receive the glory due His Name. We want to see others grasp ahold of the realization of who God is, and the wonderful fact that He offers sinners reconciliation with Himself through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Ruth and I have profited greatly from our recent study of the letter to the Hebrews. What a powerful book it is. Raising up the Lord Jesus Christ to the place that He alone deserves. It is through Him alone that we may receive access into the very presence of God the Father. (John 14:6; 1st Tim 2-5) But you know what, there are many people who have still not gotten a clear teaching on this truth. And as we read in Romans 10:14-15, it is up to us to share it with them. May we be found faithful and may the Holy Spirit do the work in their hearts that He alone can do. (John 3:3-8)
We have asked many of you to pray for a place in the town of Curaco de Velez that we could use as a place of worship. It would be so nice to have a place in town where the people could know that the Word of God is preached. Just yesterday (Wednesday) we stopped by and checked out a place for rent. The location is ideal and it is big enough to house a small group of worshipers. I write that word "worshipers" in faith believing that the Lord has appointed some "Curacanos" unto salvation. He knows those who belong to Him. However, we don't so we go on preaching the gospel to all that salvation is available by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. (John 19:30) May many not only hear this glorious message, but may they believe and thus be saved giving great glory to our great God.
Once again, I want to say that the Lord alone is worthy to receive worship. Not giving to Him is equivalent to robbery. It is equivalent to treason. Let us not be found guilty of such crimes. Let us give Him the glory due His name. May our lives, may our homes, and may our churches be true houses of worship for our glorious God.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel and Ruth (and the kids)
So, what should our response be? How about worship? Recognizing the Lord for who He is and for what He has done. How beautiful is the song "My Tribute". And I am not referring to the melody. I am referring to the words. What do we have that we could ever give Him in order to repay Him for what He has done for us? Obviously, nothing. Well, almost nothing. What we can give to Him already pertains to Him, so it actually doesn't pertain to us. As the song says, "To God be the glory, great things He has done." All we can give to Him that is worthy of His receiving is the glory due His name. (Psalm 29:1)
I often think about the "heroes of the faith". I believe that it is good to look at their lives and the examples that they have left us to follow. Obviously the best example to follow is that of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can also see that others such as Paul were able to tell others to follow their example as they followed the example of Christ. (1st Cor 11:1) One of the Old Testament examples that really speaks to me is the life of Joshua. I find his life fascinating. As he was "discipled" by Moses, as he was one of the two faithful spies, and then as he valiantly believed the Lord and led the people into the Promised Land. But then to see him stay faithful throughout his life and at the end be able to say to the people in Joshua 24:15 (Kennison paraphrase) "You need to decide whom you are going to serve (or who you are going to worship), but you know what I have already decided. Me and my house, we will serve the Lord." For him, for Joshua, it was a done deal. He wasn't waiting for the masses to make up his mind. His mind was already made up. He and his family were going to serve the Lord. What resolution. What dedication. What steadfastness. His eyes were firmly fixed upon the Lord, as ours should be also. (Heb 12:1-2) He, like Abraham before him, had believed in the promise of the One who called him into His service. He had seen the Lord faithful all throughout his life. So, what about us? If we believe the promise of the One who has called us into His service, and we can look back (and forward in faith) and see His faithfulness displayed in our lives, what should our reaction be? Worship. Praise You, O Lord for your goodness to me, a sinner. I will bring into Your courts a sacrifice of praise, because You know what (of course you do, because you are omniscient), that's all that I can give You that You really want. Please help Me Lord to worship You in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24) and as such honor You with this life that You have "gift-ed" me. How important it is for us to remember that we don't belong to ourselves, but to the One who has called us unto Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. (1st Cor 6:19-20)
I am but a man. I am a sinner. I have been gloriously saved by grace through my faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. (Eph 2) What I want to give to the Lord is a life of worship. I want to have my home be a house of worship. I want those who come under "my" roof to know that we are a family who worship the One True God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Our desire to see a church planted and established in Curaco de Velez, Chile is due to the fact that we want to see the Lord receive the glory due His Name. We want to see others grasp ahold of the realization of who God is, and the wonderful fact that He offers sinners reconciliation with Himself through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Ruth and I have profited greatly from our recent study of the letter to the Hebrews. What a powerful book it is. Raising up the Lord Jesus Christ to the place that He alone deserves. It is through Him alone that we may receive access into the very presence of God the Father. (John 14:6; 1st Tim 2-5) But you know what, there are many people who have still not gotten a clear teaching on this truth. And as we read in Romans 10:14-15, it is up to us to share it with them. May we be found faithful and may the Holy Spirit do the work in their hearts that He alone can do. (John 3:3-8)
We have asked many of you to pray for a place in the town of Curaco de Velez that we could use as a place of worship. It would be so nice to have a place in town where the people could know that the Word of God is preached. Just yesterday (Wednesday) we stopped by and checked out a place for rent. The location is ideal and it is big enough to house a small group of worshipers. I write that word "worshipers" in faith believing that the Lord has appointed some "Curacanos" unto salvation. He knows those who belong to Him. However, we don't so we go on preaching the gospel to all that salvation is available by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. (John 19:30) May many not only hear this glorious message, but may they believe and thus be saved giving great glory to our great God.
Once again, I want to say that the Lord alone is worthy to receive worship. Not giving to Him is equivalent to robbery. It is equivalent to treason. Let us not be found guilty of such crimes. Let us give Him the glory due His name. May our lives, may our homes, and may our churches be true houses of worship for our glorious God.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel and Ruth (and the kids)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)