Triumphal entry

This past Sunday we meditated upon the 1st triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He was triumphant in that He entered the city in order to give His life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) Of course the people who witnessed His entry and His subsequent crucifixion did not consider Him much of a victor. Three days later it was evidenced that He was victorious by rising from the dead. So, that was a summary of the first triumphal entry. The second triumphal entry is yet to happen but we look forward to His second coming to gather His chosen unto Himself and crush those who oppose Him. (Matthew 24:29-31; etc.) What a day that will be. Even so, come Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)

Hell

It's a strong word and rightly so. It is profane to those who deny its existence. It is terrible to those who acknowledge its existence.
On Sunday I was listening to a message online (solagrace.com) by Donald Whitney on the reality of Hell. The message was quite edifying, check it out if you get the chance. Hell is "out of style", not many people want to talk about it or its implications. But it is clearly stated in the Scriptures that there will be judgement for everyone, and all who do not place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Saviour will spend eternity in Hell. (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15) We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone (John 3:16-17; 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9) and based upon that alone we escape the punishment that our sin deserves. (Romans 3:23; 6:23a) He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2nd Corinthians 5:21) Hell is a place for rebels, for lawbreakers. Everyone has broken God's law and deserves punishment. Praise be to God that His gift to us is eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord. (Romans 6:23b) Justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) There is only one way to escape the fires of Hell and it is through faith in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. (John 1:29; 19:30) Jesus paid it all, all to Him I do, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Aleluyah!
So, what to do? Share the truth of the entire Word of God. Preach the one true gospel. Pray for those who do not know Christ that they would come to know Him, and by so doing escape the fires of Hell and receive the promise of everlasting joy in the presence of our God.

Normalcy

Things seem to be almost back to normal around here after our harrowing end to the month of February. Maybe that's why I haven't written in several days. But here I am.
We had a wonderful time of worship last Sunday at Grace Baptist. Praising the Lord through the preaching of His Word, through prayer, and through song. We are one week from completing our series in the epistle of James. What a blessing this has been to my soul and thankfully to many more.
Hasta luego.

More Aftershocks

Today we had three more strong aftershocks from the February 27th earthquake. Again they happened north of us, about 450 miles up into the 6th region. (we live in the southern 10th region) However this time there was a tsunami warning in effect from the 4th region to the 10th region. The children were taken out of school in Achao and literally "ran to the hills". As soon as I found out, I set out to find them. It was like a scene out of a movie as I weaved in and out of traffic to rescue my kids. (maybe a little hyperbole there) Once I had them in tow, we went back to our town of Curaco to get Ruth, Grace and Ruth's aunt, Tia Monica. In Curaco things were similar to Achao. The people were nervous and there were rumors in the air that the tsunami was drawing nearer by the moment. After assessing the situation we decided to observe calmly the goings on and from there make our decision to stay at home or go into the hills as well. We currently are at home, have had lunch and are watching the news and getting in contact with our loved ones. In Iquique, the northernmost part of Chile, they have just issued an evacuation warning. Apparently the entire country (with the exception of the far south) are being affected by this. Please pray and we'll keep you posted as we have more news.

Rebekah and Tabitha in their classroom

Elizabeth's classroom

Daniel's classroom

First day of school

Elizabeth's first day of 4th grade

Daniel's first day of 2nd grade

Rebekah's first day of Kindergarten

Back to School!

Today was the first day of school for four of the Kennison kids; Elizabeth, Daniel, Rebekah and Tabitha. The school year was supposed to begin last week but due to the earthquake on February 27th, the start date was pushed back a little. Some of the areas most heavily affected are planning on starting in April.
All of the kids were excited to go this morning, but probably the most excited was Rebekah. She was all smiles when she tried on the uniform last night and was even happier when she put it on this morning. Today was her first day of kindergarten. Elizabeth is starting the 4th grade. Daniel is starting the 2nd grade. Tabitha is "hanging out" with Rebekah in her class. We will see how this goes the first couple of days and decide from there if she will continue or not. Grace is at home for now as there is no particular place for her to go. As mentioned before,even though she doesn't go to school (we are her teachers) she has advanced in many ways and we hopefully anticipate what she'll learn and do next.
Please pray along with us for the kids' adaption to school and that they would be lights shining for Christ. Ruth as well is back to school, working several days as a music teacher. We also hope that through her contact with the students, faculty, and parents that the Lord would be glorified.

Chalk Artist

Three of the girls (Elizabeth, Rebekah and Tabitha) spent some of the day yesterday playing with chalk out on the front porch area. Grace observed her sisters at the time and just today decided that she wanted in on the action. She grabbed some chalk that was on the floor and started to draw on the floor. Then she started to draw on the walls. Then she started to draw on the chalkboard. Then she started to draw on the couch. Then she started to draw on the radio. And so on and so on. She likes to draw with chalk! From her exhibition today I would have to say that she is an abstract artist. She draws with passion and enjoys it greatly. Ruth and I talked today about signing her up for some lessons with a local artist. Maybe this will be an area of interest that will help her communicate herself. We are very thankful for our little "chalk artist."

Thankful

The past two days have been difficult as we see many of our fellow citizens suffering through the aftermath of one of history's worst recorded earthquakes. Over 700 lives have been lost and many, many people have lost a great deal or all of their material possessions.
In my last post, I mentioned the fact that two of our church families had not heard from their loved ones who were very close to the epicenter of the quake. This morning (Monday) both families received the good news that their families were safe and sound. We had lifted many prayers to the Lord on their behalf and we lifted one more of thanks for His gracious working in their lives.
Many people are still unaccounted for. One of the areas hardest hit was my old hometown where I lived back in the late 1990's. The people are without water and electricity for the third day now. Please join with us in prayer for the family of Jose and Luisa and the many more who are being and/or have been affected by this catastrophe.
Yesterday in our Sunday worship service we read Psalm 46 as it seemed so appropriate for our situation. To paraphrase, "even though the Earth trembles and the mountains fall into the sea, I have One in whom I can trust. Be still and know that He is the Lord. " The situation in the country is critical, but there is hope in Christ. Of course we are thankful for His watchcare over us, but we are most thankful for our relationship with Him. (1st John 3:1; 1st Thessalonians 5:18)