Urgent Prayer Request

Several posts ago I mentioned a young man (12 years old) from Grace Baptist. His name is Jesús. The last time that I wrote, I asked people to pray for Jesús and his mom, Marichen. As was the case last time, Jesús is in the hospital. This time however his situation is much more delicate. Supposedly he has a virus and due to his limited immune system, his body is being ravaged. The doctors had his mom sign a waiver tonight allowing them to do anything necessary to keep him alive. Fortunately, Ruth and I were able to visit them at the hospital this morning and remind them of the Lord's grace and love. Please pray along with us for this dear family. May the Lord be glorified.

Spring Cleaning

Well, spring is in the air down here. Literally. It is raining. Again. But yesterday it didn't. That gave me a good opportunity to do some much needed yard work. The grass in the back yard had gotten out of control and it wasn't going to be cut by my teensy-weensy lawn mower. I had to hire the job out to a local with an industrial-strength weedwipper. The yard looks much better now.
Whenever I take on (or think of taking on) a cleanup project, my mind draws the parallel to the spiritual realm. In our lives weeds can grow quickly and need to be cut down. Although we cannot call upon our neighbor to do the clean up for us, we have One who is much more capable. (1st John 1:8-2:1) And not only does it make us feel better, but it prepares us to be much more fruitful and pleasing to the One who has called us unto Himself. (Hebrews 12:1; John 15:8; Eph 2:10; Matthew 5:16) So, let the cleanup begin.
p.s.
For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, don't wait until next spring to start cleaning!

Resurrection Sunday

The term is often reserved for the date on the calendar when people are directed to observe the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. But of course for us as believers, every Sunday (and every day for that matter) is a time to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord. Tomorrow we will continue on our journey through the gospel of Mark and find ourselves in chapter 12:18-27. I love the way that Jesus responds to the religious leaders, especially His words in verse 27: "God is not the God of the dead, but God of the living". Of course these religious leaders are not alone in their error, many people in our day and age doubt and/or flatly deny the resurrection. May we be bold in joyfully proclaiming to them the promise of the resurrection: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even though he be dead, will rise again. And whoever lives and believes in me, will not eternally die. Do you believe this?"(John 11:25-26) By the grace of God, I do believe and I do rejoice in Christ Jesus. Celebrate Jesus in this day and every one to come. He is risen, He is risen indeed!

School uniforms

Elizabeth, Daniel and Rebekah are attending what could best be described in U.S. terms as a charter school. They all enjoy their studies and especially the new friends that they have made. Here Elizabeth is sporting her nifty school uniform along with her friend, Paulina. Elizabeth has a different colored collar because she couldn't find the "official" shirt on this particular day. As a matter of fact I still think that the shirt is missing in action. Not a big deal though. The uniforms are basically a tool for "uniformity" and identification with the particular educational institution. One bonus that we have seen is that the use of these uniforms cuts down on the wear and tear of their regular clothes. It also is nice to not hear "I don't have anything to wear today....." (that is unless they lose part, or all, of their uniform)

Sisters

Chilean Independence Day!

This past September 18th, the country of Chile celebrated birthday number 199. Yes, next year will be the big bicentennial. I was just four years old back when that number came around in the U.S.A. I don't remember much about that year's celebration but I vaguely recall that it was quite an important event.
Independence Day down here is celebrated by all, in one way or another. Everyone is obligated to fly a flag or face a fine for not having done so. Barbacues, parades, and traditional dancing are the norm. It is quite a festive time. This year we had the opportunity to go to a traditional party at the school that Elizabeth, Daniel and Rebekah are attending. It just so happened that the first dancers called out were our two oldest, Elizabeth and Daniel. They surprised us with both their bravery to dance a "not-so-familiar-to-them" number and to do it with such skill. I shouldn't be so surprised though, after all they are Chileans, it is their country and their culture. So in other words, they must have gotten the skills from their mom.

Trouble in Paradise

Please pray for a serious situation that has recently developed down here. Two church families are involved in a dispute that could bring shame to the testimony of the gospel. We have encouraged them to seek peace, forgiveness and reconciliation; remembering that the Father has offered us the same through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. So again, please pray that our God would somehow be glorified through the outcome of this situation. Thanks, and I'll keep you posted.

God is good! (obviously)

I can hardly believe that it has been four weeks since I posted something on this blog. What is that they say about time flying when you are having fun? Well, this month has had some fun times but for the most part it has been rather challenging. However as we are now at the end of it, we are seeing the Lord bringing out beauty from the ashes.
Several prayer requests that we shared in our last newsletter (went out at the beginning of the month) have been heavy on our hearts. We trust that you have been praying along with us for the people and the situations mentioned. Why? Because the Lord is graciously answering the prayers of His people! I cannot go into detail at the moment of each and every way that the Lord has responded to prayer, but He has definitely shown us His goodness and faithfulness. We are so thankful! Please continue to pray for us and the people of southern Chile, in particular the people of Curaco de Velez. Our prayer is that our God would be glorified as He draws men and women, boys and girls to Himself for the sole purpose of magnifying His Name on the Earth!
God is good!

Rain is Good

Ruth, Elizabeth, Daniel and I were able to spend a week of the winter break up north in Iquique. It was nice to go up to the desert and enjoy a different climate for a few days. Although it seemed a bit chilly for the locals, the 65 degree days and 55 degree nights were alright for us. We are in our cold, rainy season down here in Chiloe and sometimes it just doesn't appear to be coming to an end. But it will. Hopefully soon.
The landscape of Iquique is very brown. Brown sand on the beach, brown sand on the dunes/mountains. Brown. Why is it so brown? Because it hardly ever rains. In contrast, Chiloe is green, green, green. Why is it so green? Because it rains a lot. It was so nice to be back and see all of the vegetation around here.
So I say "rain is good". I don't like to get wet, I would prefer to be dry. But I do prefer the green over the brown. And the rain, such as we had last night, helps protect against extremely cold temperatures. One drawback of the rain is that people tend to stay holed up inside on rainy days, so we always hope and pray for sunny Sundays. Today is a rainy Sunday. Hopefully people will value the fellowship of believers and join together with us as we worship the Lord. May we all praise the Lord for the many good things that He has given us. The most precious being His Son Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) Rejoice in God's goodness!

Pictures from Iquique

Hello

For whoever takes the time to check the blog today, I just thought that I should at least say "hello". Unfortunately I don't have much more time at the moment, but I will try to be a little more expressive soon. Chao!

Prayer for Marichen and Jesus

Marichen is one of the most faithful women of the Grace Baptist family. She has four biological children and one (unofficially)adopted child named Jesus (please note that "Jesus" is a common name in Latin American countries. In order to distinguish between "normal" people and the Son of God, we use "Jesucristo".) Jesus was physically abused as an infant and dropped off at the local hospital for someone else to take care of him. Marichen took charge of him and has been taking care of him for the last 10+ years. Given the special needs of Jesus, Marichen has her hands full.
Early Monday morning Jesus was taken to the local hospital with an advanced case of bronchial pneumonia. The x-rays showed one of his lungs completely filled up and the second on its way. Today I was able to visit him at the hospital and speak with him and Marichen, and pray and believe it or not, even sing! For those of you who have heard my "beautiful" voice, you would know that I am not often invited for special music. However, Jesus actually likes to hear me sing. Well, truth be told, Ruth and I recorded a children's music cd (her singing, me preaching) and he has listened to it probably a 1000+ times. So he probably just gets excited about me singing in hopes that Ruth will join in soon. Ok, back to Jesus. It was a blessing for me to be able to share with him and Marichen. Another example of seeking to minister to others and being the one who is really ministered to. (by the people and the Lord) Jesus is on antibiotics and will be in the hospital for another 4 or 5 days. Please pray for him and for Marichen. May the Lord continue to minister to them and through them for His glory.
Thanks for your prayers!

Prayer and Fasting

Today we were back in Mark chapter 9 and reflecting upon Jesus' healing of the boy with an evil spirit. As the story goes, the disciples were given the first shot at it but to no avail. Jesus said it pretty much boiled down to a lack of faith on their part and emphasized the fact that this was something beyond any earthly powers, this kind of help could only come from above.
We were encouraged to consider the reality of the battle in which we find ourselves; it is a spiritual one and it must be fought with spiritual weaponry. The stakes are high; we fight (spiritually) for the glory of God and for the souls of men and women and boys and girls.
Would you please link arms with us in prayer to see these battles won? Thank you and may the Lord grant you victory in the battles that you are surely facing on a day-to-day basis.
A Dios sea la gloria!

Cheering them on

Today was a big day for Elizabeth and Daniel. They had a basketball game. For those of you who know that we homeschool, you would also realize that even though we have five children, they aren't all old enough to make up a basketball team. But with things as they are, the local school invites Elizabeth and Daniel to play with them. (Kinda like back in the States, right?) Anyway, it was the day of the game and of course I forgot to bring the camera! So please use your imagination. A lot of kids (10) running around, not completely sure of what they are supposed to be doing, but definitely having a great time. In the stands were Rebekah and I (Ruth stayed home with Grace and Tabitha) cheering on our little stars. Of course I tried not to cheer too loud, I didn't want to be like one of those stereotypical way-too-into-it sports parents. I really had to contain myself. Especially since I stand out as the one dad who isn't from around here, I wanted to blend in a bit with the other parents. It was fun cheering them on.
This makes me think of the passage in the book of Hebrews, chapter 12:1 to be exact. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (NIV) In chapter 11 we read about the heroes of the faith and how they served the Lord. And then the idea in verse 1 of chapter 12 that this great cloud of witnesses that has went before us (into the presence of God) is cheering us on to the finish line. That we would press on as the Apostle Paul desired to (Philippians 3:12-14) and as we read later, ultimately did. (2nd Timothy 4:6-8) And I am sure that just as the angels rejoice when an unbeliever puts his or her faith in Christ (Luke 15:7), they rejoice when the believer walks faithfully with the Lord. They are cheering us on too. And then we have the opportunity in the here and now to cheer each other on. We can drop each other a good word like "press on brother/press on sister", "in the power of the Lord you can (and will) make it to the finish line", or just a simple "I'm cheering for you." What a blessing it can be to know that we are being cheered for. Sometimes we may need to put aside our timidity and cheer really loud. Maybe we do need to stand out some and by so doing encourage those around us that the race or the battle is worth winning and to press on to victory.
Please know that I am praying in general for all of you who will read this blog and those to come. By so doing I am cheering for you that you would be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. I pray that you would know who you are in Christ, if you are in Him, and if you are not that you would come to know who He is and who He can transform you into.
Cheering for you.
Daniel

So much for New Year's Resolutions!

Well I'm back at the blogging thing again. It was my New Year's Resolution to blog each and every day throughout the year. Obviously that didn't happen, given that my last post was to wish all the moms out there a Happy Mother's Day. I really did have in mind to at least wish the dads out there a Happy Father's Day. Didn't happen. But why didn't it happen? At least this time I have a decent excuse. Computer problems really have had me down. The envidia card on the laptop went out, and that essentially means that the computer cannot be used. No video. No visual. Can't see anything. Warranty is expired. I am currently using a third-stringer.
The Kennison family is doing well. The family of faith at Iglesia Bautista Gracia is doing well. I will sincerely try to be more consistent with this blog. I really do struggle with how consistent I should be. How often should I post. How many details should I include. I of course don't want to turn our lives into some sort of weird reality show. But at the same time I do appreciate those of you who are interested in our lives and want to know how to pray for us and those around us. So I will be seeking the right balance. Maybe everyday is not a realistic goal or not even a needed one. I will however try to get the next post out before Labor Day. And oh yeah, by the way, Happy 4th of July!

Happy Mother's Day

To all of you moms out there: Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Birthday!

Daniel turned six years old on April 18th, 2009 and Grace turned five years old on May 8th, 2009. We had a nice time of celebrating each birthday. Daniel's party was bigger and held down at the church, whereas Grace's was more low-key and held at home. Maybe next year some of you could come down and celebrate with us?

John the Baptizer

Today we continued on in our journey through the gospel according to Mark. What an adventure it has been so far; and we have ten whole chapters to go! What a blessing it was for us to assemble together as a family of faith and worship the One True God, through His Son Jesus Christ.
After having a time of praise through prayer and singing, along came a time to praise God through the reading of His Word. Our main text was Mark 6:14-29 and along with that we also read Matthew 11:1-11. What an encouragement it was to read about the faithfulness of God in and through the life of John the Baptizer. Even though this guy did not have "His Best Life Now" during his days on the Earth, we can definitely see that he was blessed by God. Obviously there were times when he felt lonely, defeated, and didn't have all the answers. But what he did have was an unwavering trust in the Living God. He knew what he had been sent to do. He had completed his mission. He was faithful to the end. We as a body of believers were encouraged, exhorted, and confronted by the example of John. May we through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit be faithful to the end of the task(s) that the Lord has given to us. I am sure that moments after his beheading John heard "well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord." At that moment of his death, he truly began to experience "His Best Life Now". Press on brothers and sisters until the end. The finish line may or not be in sight, but the important thing is that we are in the race and each of us has been given a mission to accomplish for the glory of God. Be strong in the Lord! Be a hero (or heroine) of the faith!

Labor Day

Today feels like a Saturday. Why? The streets are relatively empty and the town is really quiet. Normally there is a lot of vehicle and foot traffic in front of our house, but not today.
Today is Labor Day here in Chile. It seems a little weird to celebrate Labor Day in May, and not in the end of August or the beginning of September. But that's what happens when you live south of the Equator. Fall is in full force, today is cold and rainy. Winter is on the way. Hopefully it will be a mild, fairly dry winter. We will see.
We all have reason to celebrate Labor Day. Whether one works outside the home or not, everyone does some kind of work. The important thing is that we do whatever we do for the glory of God. (1st Corinthians 10:31) And remember that we must redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16), recognizing that our work done for the Lord is not done in vain. (1st Corinthians 15:58)
So Godspeed and Happy Labor Day!

The Gift of New Life

This morning we got down to our meeting place early and prepared things for our Sunday worship gathering. Ruth and I were there but no one else was. We waited and waited a little longer and then we saw the first people arrive. Then more arrived. And more arrived until we had a nice number of people in attendance. Of course we know that the important thing is that no matter how many are gathered together, the Lord is present. (not taking Matthew 18:20 out of context)
So we sought to make the best use of our time by doing the most important thing that we can do; giving the Lord the worship that is due His Name. When it came to worship the Lord through the reading and exposition of His Word, our main text was Mark 5:1-20. The text speaks of Jesus healing a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gadarenes. It truly is a remarkable account of how Jesus sets this man free and gives him the gift of new life. We were all encouraged to consider the fact that the Lord has offered to do the same thing for us (John 3:16-17) and when His salvation becomes a reality in our lives it is no less of a miracle than when a legion of demons were cast out a man some 2,000 years ago. When one is in Christ, he or she becomes a new creation. (2nd Corinthians 5:17) New life and eternal life are our new realities. And what should we now do? We should do what the man in the text did. His first desire was to be with the Lord and not leave His side. And we can and are encouraged to do the same. (John 15:4-8; etc.) However you will note that the Lord told the man that "no" you can't come with me now (nor can we, see Philippians 1:23-24 etc.) because I have another mission for you. (Mark 5:18-19) So our mission, yours and mine, those of us who have been given this gift of new life in Christ have the privilege and responsibility of communicating to those around us, through word and deed the good news that their is new life available to them as well. And this new life is found in but one person, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12; 2nd Corinthians 5:21; 1st Timothy 2:5-6) Praise be to God for His gift of new life!

Sovereignty

The Lord is in control. Amen.
I could (and maybe should) stop here. The Lord knows what He is doing and we have the privilege of participating with Him in His endeavors; all for the glory of His Name.
We have witnessed over the last couple of days some very obvious examples that the Lord is at work in and through our lives. As the old hymn goes "we stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene". May we never forget that it is He who is on the throne (Hebrews 12:2; Revelation 3:21), it is He that holds the universe (and beyond) in its place (Colossians 1:16-17), it is He who never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3-4), and there is no one like Him! (Psalm 113:4-6)

I knew this was coming

Some things are just bound to happen. We have been here for about 16 months now and have done many of the things that a local body of Christ does: baptism, Lord's Supper, baby dedication, etc. While I still have not performed a wedding ceremony, tonight was my first opportunity to officiate a funeral here in Chile. I was given approximately an hours notice, but I believe that the Lord answered my prayer that the Name of and Person of Christ would be glorified. The funeral was for a dear sister named Miriam who had two inoperable (and growing) brain tumors. If she did not have them operated on she was given just a few months to live and if she did have them operated on she was told she might not make it through the operation. Well, as it turns out she did have them operated on and after a couple of weeks in a coma and then having shown some improvement she died suddenly yesterday afternoon. Ruth and I had spoken of the delicate nature of Miriam's condition and about how we as a church could minister to Miriam and her family. Many in her family are people who grew up with a knowledge of the gospel yet they appear to be far from the Lord. Please pray along with us that the Lord would do the necessary work in their hearts and that we would be able to minister to them the truth of the gospel, in both word and deed. And please pray as well for the chance we will have to minister in another funeral for Miriam that will be held at Grace Baptist on Monday morning. (tonight's funeral was held in the family's home) To God be the glory! Praise be to God for the victory that we have in Jesus Christ. (John 16:33)

Marching slowly

I realize that I have not started off the month of March blogging as I had hoped. With yesterday being Sunday (the 1st) and today being the 2nd I kinda got behind. However I will try to get back on track tomorrow. So I thought that I would at least put this up. Chao!

Inches from death!

Maybe you have heard it said before, or you have said it yourself, "I was this (fingers illustrating) close to dying. And of course there are the many times where we are so close to death that we don't even recognize it. For me today (already) has been an eye-opener as to the frailty of life.
Our church is located about a block from the town plaza. In order to get to the church you need to go down a small hill and across an even smaller bridge. So today as I was walking down the hill and about to cross the bridge, I found myself face to face with death. No joke. The small bridge can handle two-way traffic but only recommended at very slow velocity. It is a tight fit. When I looked over and saw a blue car crossing the bridge (towards the church) and nothing crossing en route to the plaza, I figured that it was time to step out into the "unoccupied" lane, wait for the blue car to pass and then finish crossing the bridge myself. Something (or better stated "Someone") detained me for what I believe was a millisecond. Praise God for that Someone. All of a sudden, just as I was to step into the "unoccupied" lane, a white van speeded past the blue car on "my" side of the bridge. If that "Someone" had not detained me for that millisecond I would have been dead. No doubt about it. I would have taken the hit full force in the back and would have been slammed to the pavement-instant death I am sure. So when this didn't happen I was of course very thankful and at the same time very startled with the gravity of the situation. I had only planned on going across a physical bridge down to the beachside but I almost ended up crossing over the river into the presence of the Lord. Although I concur with the Apostle Paul that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2nd Corinthians 5:8) and that is truly the best place to be (Philippians 1:23), I wasn't planning on it happening today. (Hebrews 9:27; Luke 12:20; James 4:13-16) The words of a plaque that I have hanging on the wall speak even louder to me at this moment, "Only one life and it will soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last." Praise be to God for the victory that we have in and through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37; 1st Corinthians 15:56-57). In Job 19:25-26 we read "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the Earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God." Please consider with me a part of the beautiful hymn 'O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing'
"He breaks the power of cancelled sin
He sets the captive free
His blood can make the foulest clean His blood
His blood availed for me."
And then this line from the beautiful hymn 'There is a Fountain'
"There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains
Lose all their guilty stains
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains."

Yes, inches from death but also inches from everlasting life in Christ. (1st Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 9:14-15; 10:11-14)

Turkey!

Yes it is a little early for Thanksgiving, but turkey always sounds good to me. Turkey breast, turkey casserole, turkey sandwich, turkey burger, etc. I like turkey. So what does that have to do with anything? Well, the other day I was playing a bowling game with the kids and I got a "turkey". For those of you who aren't bowling fans a "turkey" is when you get three strikes in a row. Needless to say I was quite pleased. So am I today. It has been three days in a row that I have written something on the blog! I realize that may not sound too impressive to everyone but I am quite pleased. This blog is a small way for us to give glory to God for His merciful working in and through our lives. May we (and may you) keep our (your) eyes focused on Jesus Christ and seek to emulate Him each and every day. (Hebrews 12:1-2; 1st John 2:6)

Go to the right person

The Apostle Paul was inspired to write down some beautiful words in his first letter to Timothy. In chapter 2 and verse 5 of that letter it states "for there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ." There is no other. As much as people would like to assume or pretend that there is, God's Word speaks differently. Similar to the words of the Lord Jesus in John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me." We must go to and through the right person. "In none other is there salvation, because there is no other name under heaven given to man in which we can be saved."(Acts 4:12) The One and only!
Today I asked my friend Jorge to take my ailing pick-up truck to the mechanic. He assured me that he knew of whom I was speaking when I detailed to him the directions to the shop of the mechanic who regularly fixes the truck. Jorge phoned me to tell me that the mechanic was out of town and potentially would be back later in the day. So when later in the day came around Jorge went back and "yes" the mechanic was there. Jorge began to explain to the mechanic to whom the truck belonged and that I had taken the truck to him for a similar situation, etc. The mechanic then told Jorge that he had never worked on the truck and that Jorge had mistakenly taken the truck to the wrong mechanic! "My" mechanic was just a little ways down the road. In this case Jorge thought that he knew the way to the mechanic but it turned out that although he did make it to "a" mechanic he just didn't make it to the "right" mechanic. And so it is with many people. They are so sure that they know the way to God. They may believe that there are many ways to God or they may believe that there is just one way, but that way is not Jesus. According to the Bible they will one day realize the same thing that Jorge did. They thought that they knew the way but they were wrong. There is only one God and there is only one way to Him; it is through His Son Jesus Christ. Whereas I have never heard Him referenced to as the "Great Mechanic", I have heard Him referenced to as the "Great Physician". "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."(Isaiah 53:5-6) As the old hymn writer penned "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, now it's white as snow." Not because of anything that we have done, do or ever could do. But because "It is finished!"(John 19:30) My hope is found in nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I have been spiritually repaired because I went to the right person. The only One who lived a perfect life and gave it as propitiation for my sin and for the sin of all those who would believe.(Mark 10:45) Alabado sea nuestro Señor!

A job well done

We needed to get a new water heater due to the fact that our old one decided to stop working. Of course this wasn't what we had hoped for but we were thankful that the Lord provided the funds to replace the old one. So we got the new one installed (on the wall,outside the bathroom) and it works very well. Due to the fact that we want to protect the heater from the elements, a little house needed to be made for the heater. So we contacted and contracted a carpenter to make the little dwelling place. He came over yesterday and got right to work. He appeared to be very competent and when he was done we thanked him for "a job well done". Shortly after the carpenter left, Ruth attempted to open the bathroom window. She was unsuccessful. The carpenter had not only built a little house for the water heater but he had also sealed shut our bathroom window. Apparently the job hadn't been so well done. At this point all I could do was laugh. And then I realized that it would be necessary to talk to the carpenter and tell him of his little error. I felt a little sheepish to tell him that his job wasn't entirely well done. But as it happened I met up with his boss and was able to tell him about our inconvenience. The boss man got quite a chuckle out of it and promised to send the carpenter back over to fix the problem. He hasn't made it over yet, but we are waiting for him. I have learned a lesson from all of this, that I should check things out thoroughly before I give the thumbs up and declare a job well done. This reminds me of the words of the Apostle Paul in 1st Thessalonians 5:21 "Examine everything, retain that which is good". We must not be so quick to say that things are good or that they are well done; we must take the time to observe and discern before we give affirmation. When we have done this, and only when we have done this, can we truly and wholeheartedly say "job well done". I have learned a valuable lesson from this and will seek to put it into practice: will you do the same?

Crown Him With Many Crowns

There are so many hymns that are near and dear to my heart. Many of you who have been close enough to hear my "not-so-melodious" voice know that I will never be invited to sing a solo in the church choir. Praise to the Lord that all He requires is that we "make a joyful noise to the Lord." Good.
Today "Crown Him With Many Crowns" was one of the songs that we had programmed to sing during our Sunday noon gathering. However there were some technical difficulties and the aforementioned song got pushed back to a later date. No matter. We still "crowned the Lord" with our praises through other songs, prayers, our giving, and through the preaching of His Word. As we read in the Scripture, we are to do all unto the glory of the Lord; (1st Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:16) and by so doing we "crown Him with many crowns".
What a privilege and a joy it is to gather together and worship with God's people. As we sang in another song, "Praise Him! Praise Him!", speaking of His excellent greatness and grace to save. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
The Lord Jesus is seated on His throne exalted and one day (soon) He will come back to the Earth that He created(along with His Father and the Holy Spirit) to defeat His enemies and to reign over the planet throughout the millennium. We as believers are not exempt from trials and tribulations, however we are assured of the victory that we already have in Christ (Romans 8:37) and look forward to the consummation that the Lord has promised. (Revelation 22:20)
So brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord and never cease to praise Him!

Year of discipleship, life of discipleship

I just noticed that it has been about 3 weeks since I have posted anything new on the blog. Way back in 2008 was the last time that I wrote about any of the "goings on" down here. Well, much has been going on and we thank the Lord for His faithfulness towards us.
At Grace Bapist Church(aka Iglesia Bautista Gracia) we have proclaimed 2009 to be a "Year of Discipleship". I put it within quotes as I fully recognize that for the Christian every day of every year is about being a faithful disciple of Christ. Just a couple of Sundays ago we started a journey through the gospel of Mark. It is exciting for me to look out and see the people engaged with the text and for them (and me) to be learning to appreciate more of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. And when we look at how He lived, how He ministered to others, it makes our pathway so much clearer. "If we say we abide in Him, we must walk as He walked." (1st John 2:6) "If we love Him we will obey His commandments." (John 14:15) Please pray that the Lord would be glorified in and through His church here in Curaco and throughout the world.
May the year 2009 be a time where you (and I) grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. To God be the glory!