Do we see the work that we do for the Lord as a special, mega important mission? We certainly should see it as such. (1st Cor 15:58; 2nd Tim 2:3-4) And so cool to think that the Lord has also promised to reward us for the work that we do in His name. (Matt 25:34-40; 1st Cor 3:12-15). It definitely is a privilege for us to be serving the Lord here in the harvest field called Curaco de Velez. (John 4:35)
The past couple of weeks have been a flurry of special opportunities that the Lord has given us to serve Him and to make His grace known to the people of this small and remote island. We hope that the Lord has found us faithful in the opportunities that He has given us and that we would be found faithful in the opportunities to come.
We received a special visit the week of April 1 thru 8 as a five person group from our sending church at North Casnovia Baptist came down and ministered unto us and the people of Curaco. The group was busy throughout the week, seeing the ladies put on cooking classes and crafting. Intertweaved into these times were Bible studies and the sharing of testimonies of the Lord's working in our ladies lives. The ladies of the community really liked these times and we were glad to see at least one of the ladies in our Sunday service following the team's departure. We look forward to seeing how the Lord will use His Word in the lives of the ladies and of course the lives of their husbands and children. Please pray for these people and the ongoing contact that we hope to have with them.
We have been encouraged by the response that we have received from the community in regards to our Sunday services. With the children we have seen a high of 35 for our Sunday School, and for the adults we have had a high of 11 for our worship service. Please pray for these people and that the Word of the Lord would grow deeper and deeper into their hearts.
We look forward to having a special time of sharing and reflection as we celebrate the Lord's Supper with our brothers this evening. We will be taking some special time to remember what the Lord Jesus did for us some 1,975 years ago. (approximately) And then on Sunday we will have our service when we will of course be emphasizing the rescurrection of the Lord Jesus and its implications for our lives.
We are seeing our time here in Curaco winding down as we will be returning to the States for a time in order to broaden our base of support with the hope of being able to return shortly to continue the work that has begun here in Curaco. If you would like to hear more about the ministry or if you would like us to come and speak to your church about what's going on down here, please drop us a e-mail at danruthyliz@yahoo.com
Please be praying for our co-workers, Jorge and Viviana. They are Chilean believers who have been with us here for the past several months and they plan on holding the spiritual ropes as we are gone for a time. Pray specifically for wisdom and for our brothers to keep their focus upon the Lord Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of their (and our) faith. (Heb 12:2)
So, there you have a short note on what's been going on here. Lots of people hearing the Word of the Lord and hopefully lots of people seeing it lived out before them. May the Lord's blessing be evident in your lives and ministries as you along with us seek to be found faithful to the One who has called you into His service.
For the King alone,
Daniel (for Ruth, the kids, and the rest at Grace Baptist Church)
Friday, April 14, 2006
Sunday, March 19, 2006
The little children came!
We read in the gospel of Luke and chapter 18 the Lord Jesus admonishing the disciples to "let the little children come to me for of such is the Kingdom of God." On the invitations that we passed out in the community, making known to the people of our first "official" service, we included this verse. And so of course it was great to see the little children come out and hear the gospel. (it appears that their parents took that verse seriously) What a privilege to tell them about the wonderful news that God the Father has sent His Son Jesus to pay the price for our sins. Our little room was almost filled to capacity with little ones. (Good thing that they are little!) Please pray along with us that the Lord would draw them to Himself and that they would keep coming and hear the gospel again and again.
The building in which we are meeting is quite interesting. There is no electricity. There is no water. No bathroom. Nor an outhouse for that matter. But it is a place where we can openly invite people to hear the gospel. And that is what we consider the most important thing of all. We are currently praying for a piece of land on which to build a ministry center. Please help us pray for the Lord's will to be done. Seeing this dream become a reality would be a real testimony to the grace of the Lord.
Whereas we had a really good number of children in our first "Sunday School hour", the number of adults was significantly less. However we were encouraged by those who came out and look forward to following up with them and would ask that you especially be praying for a couple of people: Juan, Jasmina, Anita, and Omar. Pray for their eyes to be opened to the truth of the gospel.
We are already looking forward to next Sunday's services. Over lunch we discussed some of the things that seemed to have went well and some things that potentially we will do differently. We want to make sure that we conduct ourselves as a solid New Testament style church: orderly and passionately praising the Savior and His our Heavenly Father.
Before I sign off I will include some more prayer requests. Please pray for a woman named Maria and her numerous children and grandchildren. They are some real needy people. Spiritually, emotionally, and financially. May they encounter what they need in the Lord and may we as His people have compassion and discernment in how we minister unto them. Please pray for the relationships that we are cultivating with the people down here. It has been cool to get to know them more and for them to see that we are committed to them and to seeing a gospel church established here in Curaco. Please pray for some ideas that we are considering on how to have more contact with the people here; may the Lord illuminate our minds. Also please pray for the group from North Casnovia Baptist in Bailey (our sending church) that will be coming down to minister with us in the next couple of weeks. May the Lord be greatly glorified both in and through their lives.
So again we say thank you for your friendship and for your interest in the gospel ministry here in Curaco de Velez. We greatly appreciate your prayers and we are encouraged as we see God answering them for His glory. May you and may we keep it clear that God's glory is the reason that we do what we do. (1st Cor 10:31; Col 3:16-17; Ps 115:1)
Grace to you all,
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
The building in which we are meeting is quite interesting. There is no electricity. There is no water. No bathroom. Nor an outhouse for that matter. But it is a place where we can openly invite people to hear the gospel. And that is what we consider the most important thing of all. We are currently praying for a piece of land on which to build a ministry center. Please help us pray for the Lord's will to be done. Seeing this dream become a reality would be a real testimony to the grace of the Lord.
Whereas we had a really good number of children in our first "Sunday School hour", the number of adults was significantly less. However we were encouraged by those who came out and look forward to following up with them and would ask that you especially be praying for a couple of people: Juan, Jasmina, Anita, and Omar. Pray for their eyes to be opened to the truth of the gospel.
We are already looking forward to next Sunday's services. Over lunch we discussed some of the things that seemed to have went well and some things that potentially we will do differently. We want to make sure that we conduct ourselves as a solid New Testament style church: orderly and passionately praising the Savior and His our Heavenly Father.
Before I sign off I will include some more prayer requests. Please pray for a woman named Maria and her numerous children and grandchildren. They are some real needy people. Spiritually, emotionally, and financially. May they encounter what they need in the Lord and may we as His people have compassion and discernment in how we minister unto them. Please pray for the relationships that we are cultivating with the people down here. It has been cool to get to know them more and for them to see that we are committed to them and to seeing a gospel church established here in Curaco. Please pray for some ideas that we are considering on how to have more contact with the people here; may the Lord illuminate our minds. Also please pray for the group from North Casnovia Baptist in Bailey (our sending church) that will be coming down to minister with us in the next couple of weeks. May the Lord be greatly glorified both in and through their lives.
So again we say thank you for your friendship and for your interest in the gospel ministry here in Curaco de Velez. We greatly appreciate your prayers and we are encouraged as we see God answering them for His glory. May you and may we keep it clear that God's glory is the reason that we do what we do. (1st Cor 10:31; Col 3:16-17; Ps 115:1)
Grace to you all,
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Quick update
Greetings to you all. Here is a quick update from your friends down here in southern Chile. It has been about two weeks since I last wrote. Not due to the fact that I haven't had anything to say, just been busy with other things. No excuse for not having added to this sooner, so for those who actually read this in order to be more informed about the ministry down here: sorry!
Now, when I titled this blog "Quick update" I wasn't joking. I am actually going to sign off after a couple of more lines. We have our "launch service" tomorrow morning and I want to go get some ZZZZZ's. I will write tomorrow in the late afternoon/early evening with a more thorough report on what's been going on. Until then, (and after for that matter) may the Lord's grace be evident in your life and ministry.
Daniel
Now, when I titled this blog "Quick update" I wasn't joking. I am actually going to sign off after a couple of more lines. We have our "launch service" tomorrow morning and I want to go get some ZZZZZ's. I will write tomorrow in the late afternoon/early evening with a more thorough report on what's been going on. Until then, (and after for that matter) may the Lord's grace be evident in your life and ministry.
Daniel
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Prayer Team: Activate
I remember back to when I was a kid. A long time ago for those of you who are younger than me and not so long ago for those who are a bit older. One of my favorite cartoons to watch was called the "Superfriends". There was of course Superman, Wonderwoman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash, and many more. But some of the more interesting to me were the ones called the "Wonder Twins". (They had this monkey along named "Gleek" but I was never too impressed by him) These two, a brother and sister, had the abilities to transform into different forms. If I remember correctly the sister had the ability to transform to any kind of solid substance i.e. animal, bridge, garbage truck, etc. And the brother was able to occupy any form and shape of liquid i.e. ice, lava, snow, etc. Needless to say it was pretty cool some of the things that they pulled off. Obviously a bit farfetched, but hey it was a cartoon. What else should one expect. But anyway, when they wanted to do some of these cool things it was necessary for them to somehow touch hands with one another and say "Wonder Twins' Powers: Activate." If they didn't touch their hands together and if they didn't say those words, nothing would happen. So, why do I bring all of this up today? Well, just to illustrate that we need each other and the help that each one can give to accomplish the tasks that lie before us.
The task at hand is prayer. We have been facing some interesting challenges the last couple of days. We are noticing that there is some real opposition to the spread of the gospel here in Curaco de Velez. We know that ultimately behind this opposition is our enemy at work, using human pawns to complete with his dastardly plans. As the Scripture says, we are not unaware of his attacks. So what we are asking from you all is that you would hold your hands out with ours and call out to the Lord on behalf of the people of Curaco de Velez. This way we can activate the power that is available from the Lord if we His people will only ask Him for it. (Matt 7:7-11; Eph 6:18-20) And of course we do this that He might be greatly glorified through the demonstration of His glorious grace. (Eph 1:6)
One of the greatest challenges that we have been facing is the hardness of the people's hearts to the gospel. Maybe this is also seen where you are living but I imagine that what we see here is a bit different. The people are very hardened in their religion and do not want to hear about the gospel. But to the point that they have not been willing to rent us a building in which to worship due to the fact that we are evangelicals. Just yesterday we were told that renting a facility to us would bring problems upon the owner and problems for us. Of course we are willing to be persecuted for the Lord's sake (John 15:18-25; 17:14; 1st Peter 4:12-19) , but understandably so the unbeliever is not. So, we are still looking for a place to hold services. Today Ruth spoke with someone about the possibility of renting out another place in the town. She was told that the request would be passed onto someone else and that we would have an answer on Thursday. Please pray for these people who are making these decisions. May the Lord move them to make the decisions that seem best to Him. (Prov 21:1) We have come to realize that there are some real strongholds up in this town. Please also pray that the Lord would tear those down and that this town would become a true "city of refuge". A place where people could find peace and forgiveness for their sins. A town in which the gospel would be clearly preached, openly and in an area accessible to all. May God be glorified in Curaco de Velez!
So, Prayer Team, please activate on behalf of the people of Curaco. And also upon our behalf. As mentioned earlier in Eph 6:18-20, please pray that we would share the gospel as we should and of course that the Holy Spirit would work through the preaching of the Word and convict people of sin and that these people would be regenerated and become worshipers of the One True God through His Son Jesus Christ.
May the grace of the Lord be extremely evident in your lives as you seek to be found faithful to the One who has called you into His service.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel and Ruth
The task at hand is prayer. We have been facing some interesting challenges the last couple of days. We are noticing that there is some real opposition to the spread of the gospel here in Curaco de Velez. We know that ultimately behind this opposition is our enemy at work, using human pawns to complete with his dastardly plans. As the Scripture says, we are not unaware of his attacks. So what we are asking from you all is that you would hold your hands out with ours and call out to the Lord on behalf of the people of Curaco de Velez. This way we can activate the power that is available from the Lord if we His people will only ask Him for it. (Matt 7:7-11; Eph 6:18-20) And of course we do this that He might be greatly glorified through the demonstration of His glorious grace. (Eph 1:6)
One of the greatest challenges that we have been facing is the hardness of the people's hearts to the gospel. Maybe this is also seen where you are living but I imagine that what we see here is a bit different. The people are very hardened in their religion and do not want to hear about the gospel. But to the point that they have not been willing to rent us a building in which to worship due to the fact that we are evangelicals. Just yesterday we were told that renting a facility to us would bring problems upon the owner and problems for us. Of course we are willing to be persecuted for the Lord's sake (John 15:18-25; 17:14; 1st Peter 4:12-19) , but understandably so the unbeliever is not. So, we are still looking for a place to hold services. Today Ruth spoke with someone about the possibility of renting out another place in the town. She was told that the request would be passed onto someone else and that we would have an answer on Thursday. Please pray for these people who are making these decisions. May the Lord move them to make the decisions that seem best to Him. (Prov 21:1) We have come to realize that there are some real strongholds up in this town. Please also pray that the Lord would tear those down and that this town would become a true "city of refuge". A place where people could find peace and forgiveness for their sins. A town in which the gospel would be clearly preached, openly and in an area accessible to all. May God be glorified in Curaco de Velez!
So, Prayer Team, please activate on behalf of the people of Curaco. And also upon our behalf. As mentioned earlier in Eph 6:18-20, please pray that we would share the gospel as we should and of course that the Holy Spirit would work through the preaching of the Word and convict people of sin and that these people would be regenerated and become worshipers of the One True God through His Son Jesus Christ.
May the grace of the Lord be extremely evident in your lives as you seek to be found faithful to the One who has called you into His service.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel and Ruth
Sunday, March 05, 2006
A little update from Curaco
Wow. It has been a long time since I sat down to blog. Maybe that is because I felt that I didn't have anything worth blogging or maybe it is because I have felt overwhelmed with all that has been going on as of late. I think it is more of the latter. Busy, busy has been our theme. Not that that is bad; just sometimes things get pushed onto the back burner. This has been one of those times.
We have been busy getting into touch with and staying in touch with the people of Curaco. It has been a real help living here in the "big town". Of course there are some disadvantages of living in town compared to living in the country. It's louder. It's more crowded. There isn't much privacy. But the benefits greatly outweigh the drawbacks. Come on. Our idea of coming was to have contact with the people. To get to know the people. To live with and among the people. (John 1:14; 1st Cor 9:19-23) What a privilege we have to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. That's what our goal is. We want to be a beacon of light. (Matt 5:16) We want the people to see Christ living in and through us. We want the townfolk to know that our God is great!
There has been some new goings on here in our home. We started a couple of weeks ago with Bible studies in the home. We meet on Sunday mornings from 11 am onward and have services for adults and for the little ones. Our meeting area is currently our home. It is a little problematic since we are not specifically allowed to use the home for a church. However we are able to use the home for Bible studies. So, without much advertisement (there is no sign out front) we meet in order to worship the Lord through prayer, song, and the study of His Word. Please pray with us as we seek a place where we can designate to our friends and neighbors as the place (i.e. the church building, the temple, etc.) where we meet together for worship. And then of course pray that they would show up, hear the Word, and worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth as they are saved by grace through faith.
This summer (we're saying adios to nice weather, and you're saying hola to it) we have had the privilege to receive many people into our home. This has been a real blessing to us. Some of our guests have been Christians, but the majority have not been. Some of our non-Christian guests have shown some real interest in the things of the Lord whereas some of them have shown no interest or even disdain for the things of the Lord. But what we seek to do is be faithful to the Lord in sharing with those that He has graciously placed in our path and pray for them, trusting that the result lies in the hands of the Lord.
So, I realize that this letter has been quite general. Not too many detailed details. But let me give you a quick couple of examples of what we have seen the Lord doing. The other day I was coming back from Achao, a town that is about 6 miles from where we live here in Curaco. As I was leaving town I saw some young people with backpacks hitch-hiking. I stopped to pick them up and we started to talk. Where are you from, what are you doing, and the like. They told me how the people in Achao hadn't treated them very well and that they (the young people) had not been very impressed with the hospitality in Achao. So, as we are going to Curaco I am sharing with the youth about the Lord and we get to town and I invite them over to have a bite to eat. They enthusiastically say "yes" because they hadn't eaten in quite a while. We get to the house and it's obvious that the youth are a little bit uncomfortable. We ask them why and they say "You people don't even know us and you are treating us like family." And we tell them that we seek to live as our Master lived and as He teaches us to follow His example. They got some good grub (Ruth made it, so it's gotta be good) and we started to talk more about the things of the Lord. The youth (16,17, and 18 respectively) had lots of questions which I (Daniel) tried my best to answer based upon my understanding of the Scriptures. Christopher, Vanessa, and Yoselin were very interested in the conversation and we pray that the Lord would continue to draw them to Himself according to His holy will. The next day I, Elizabeth, and Daniel were able to help them out with a ride to a good hitch-hiking spot. They quickly got a ride and made it to their homes that same day. Vanessa called and expressed that her parents were very thankful that their daughter had had the "good fortune" of finding nice people to help her on the way. And you know what, that's what we want to be known for. We want to help people on the way (Matt 7:13-14) and to tell them about eternal life offered through Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17; 14:6; 17:3) We do not know if those young people will or have made a decision to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, but we do know that they have heard the message and that they have seen it lived out before them. May we be found faithful to serve the Lord as we should.
Another quick example. The kids and I had helped out some hitch-hikers along the way and were returning with a couple more towards the metropolis of Curaco. When along the way I see the silhouette of a man along the side of the road. The guy is laid out and has his head almost in the road. I stopped the truck and got out and went to this guy. He was blind drunk and passed out along the side of the road. Worse yet is the fact that he had his three year old son with him. The boy was sitting in the grass holding his dad's jug of wine. I got the guy and his son into the truck and fortunately the kid was able to tell us where he lived because his dad was totally plastered. We find the home and get the guy out and walking towards his house (he wouldn't let me take him directly to the door) It turns out that some days prior I had helped out this guy's wife. She had a mountain of groceries that she was trying to carry up to her house. I offered to give her a ride. When we got to her the entrance to her home I offered to drive up the hill in order to leave her at the door. She said that this wouldn't be good because her husband is very jealous. I thought that was a sad commentary on the guy, and thought to pray for her and the situation there in the home. Then the Lord gives me the opportunity to help the guy out. I tell you the truth, the guys head could have gotten split open like a watermelon. Please pray for this family and others like it who are suffering from the consequences of living in the darkness instead of in the light. (2nd Cor 4:3-4)
So, there you have a "little" update. There is so much more that I could write about. So many more prayer requests that could be made. But ultimately I will ask you to pray that the Lord would continue to glorify Himself in and through our lives. May we be found faithful to worship the One who has called us out of darkness and into His glorious light. (1st Peter 2:9) Thanks again for all of your prayers and concern for us and for the people of Curaco de Velez. May the grace of the Lord be evident in your lives.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel
We have been busy getting into touch with and staying in touch with the people of Curaco. It has been a real help living here in the "big town". Of course there are some disadvantages of living in town compared to living in the country. It's louder. It's more crowded. There isn't much privacy. But the benefits greatly outweigh the drawbacks. Come on. Our idea of coming was to have contact with the people. To get to know the people. To live with and among the people. (John 1:14; 1st Cor 9:19-23) What a privilege we have to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. That's what our goal is. We want to be a beacon of light. (Matt 5:16) We want the people to see Christ living in and through us. We want the townfolk to know that our God is great!
There has been some new goings on here in our home. We started a couple of weeks ago with Bible studies in the home. We meet on Sunday mornings from 11 am onward and have services for adults and for the little ones. Our meeting area is currently our home. It is a little problematic since we are not specifically allowed to use the home for a church. However we are able to use the home for Bible studies. So, without much advertisement (there is no sign out front) we meet in order to worship the Lord through prayer, song, and the study of His Word. Please pray with us as we seek a place where we can designate to our friends and neighbors as the place (i.e. the church building, the temple, etc.) where we meet together for worship. And then of course pray that they would show up, hear the Word, and worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth as they are saved by grace through faith.
This summer (we're saying adios to nice weather, and you're saying hola to it) we have had the privilege to receive many people into our home. This has been a real blessing to us. Some of our guests have been Christians, but the majority have not been. Some of our non-Christian guests have shown some real interest in the things of the Lord whereas some of them have shown no interest or even disdain for the things of the Lord. But what we seek to do is be faithful to the Lord in sharing with those that He has graciously placed in our path and pray for them, trusting that the result lies in the hands of the Lord.
So, I realize that this letter has been quite general. Not too many detailed details. But let me give you a quick couple of examples of what we have seen the Lord doing. The other day I was coming back from Achao, a town that is about 6 miles from where we live here in Curaco. As I was leaving town I saw some young people with backpacks hitch-hiking. I stopped to pick them up and we started to talk. Where are you from, what are you doing, and the like. They told me how the people in Achao hadn't treated them very well and that they (the young people) had not been very impressed with the hospitality in Achao. So, as we are going to Curaco I am sharing with the youth about the Lord and we get to town and I invite them over to have a bite to eat. They enthusiastically say "yes" because they hadn't eaten in quite a while. We get to the house and it's obvious that the youth are a little bit uncomfortable. We ask them why and they say "You people don't even know us and you are treating us like family." And we tell them that we seek to live as our Master lived and as He teaches us to follow His example. They got some good grub (Ruth made it, so it's gotta be good) and we started to talk more about the things of the Lord. The youth (16,17, and 18 respectively) had lots of questions which I (Daniel) tried my best to answer based upon my understanding of the Scriptures. Christopher, Vanessa, and Yoselin were very interested in the conversation and we pray that the Lord would continue to draw them to Himself according to His holy will. The next day I, Elizabeth, and Daniel were able to help them out with a ride to a good hitch-hiking spot. They quickly got a ride and made it to their homes that same day. Vanessa called and expressed that her parents were very thankful that their daughter had had the "good fortune" of finding nice people to help her on the way. And you know what, that's what we want to be known for. We want to help people on the way (Matt 7:13-14) and to tell them about eternal life offered through Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17; 14:6; 17:3) We do not know if those young people will or have made a decision to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, but we do know that they have heard the message and that they have seen it lived out before them. May we be found faithful to serve the Lord as we should.
Another quick example. The kids and I had helped out some hitch-hikers along the way and were returning with a couple more towards the metropolis of Curaco. When along the way I see the silhouette of a man along the side of the road. The guy is laid out and has his head almost in the road. I stopped the truck and got out and went to this guy. He was blind drunk and passed out along the side of the road. Worse yet is the fact that he had his three year old son with him. The boy was sitting in the grass holding his dad's jug of wine. I got the guy and his son into the truck and fortunately the kid was able to tell us where he lived because his dad was totally plastered. We find the home and get the guy out and walking towards his house (he wouldn't let me take him directly to the door) It turns out that some days prior I had helped out this guy's wife. She had a mountain of groceries that she was trying to carry up to her house. I offered to give her a ride. When we got to her the entrance to her home I offered to drive up the hill in order to leave her at the door. She said that this wouldn't be good because her husband is very jealous. I thought that was a sad commentary on the guy, and thought to pray for her and the situation there in the home. Then the Lord gives me the opportunity to help the guy out. I tell you the truth, the guys head could have gotten split open like a watermelon. Please pray for this family and others like it who are suffering from the consequences of living in the darkness instead of in the light. (2nd Cor 4:3-4)
So, there you have a "little" update. There is so much more that I could write about. So many more prayer requests that could be made. But ultimately I will ask you to pray that the Lord would continue to glorify Himself in and through our lives. May we be found faithful to worship the One who has called us out of darkness and into His glorious light. (1st Peter 2:9) Thanks again for all of your prayers and concern for us and for the people of Curaco de Velez. May the grace of the Lord be evident in your lives.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel
Friday, February 03, 2006
It's about time
Time. We seem to have so little of it. What we have seems to go by so quickly. We should be very careful how we use it.
Just this morning I was reminded of something that I did exactly one week ago. At first I found it hard to believe that a whole week, 7 days, 168 hours, a lot of minutes, and a lot of seconds had passed by. But it was the truth. I took a quick moment to think of all that went into the last week, and looking back on it it appeared to be more than a week. We have so many things come into our lives that consume the time that the Lord has given us "on commission". I use that phrase "on commission" recognizing that He is the owner of everything (1st Chronicles 29:14) and that one day we will give an account for how we have used the time and opportunities placed before us and consequently be rewarded; much or little based upon our faithfulness (2nd Corinthians 5:9-10) Let us be found faithful to the Lord in the administration of the time that He has lent us.
In John 4:35 Jesus tells the disciples to check out the fields and notice that they are white unto harvest. How important it is for us to remember that NOW is the time. NOW we are to be out in the harvest fields. NOW we should be bringing in the fruit.
It gives us great joy to be representing the Lord and you His people here in this harvest field called Curaco de Velez. We have been seeing the Lord's hand at work in and through our lives. It is so cool! How important it is for us to remember that it is He who receives the glory when it is weak creatures like us are "doing" the work (1st Corinthians 1:26-29)
In the past week we have made some new and some improved contacts. Last night we had an exceptional time with a couple from whom we had been renting our house. It was wonderful to see and feel the Lord working in and through the lives of His people.
So, my brothers never forget that your work done for the Lord, your time spent in His service is not done in vain (1st Cor 15:58) I mean, that's what it's all about. Redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:16) Glorifying the One who has brought us out of the darkness, and into His glorious light (1st Peter 2:9)
May the blessings of the Lord be evident in your lives as you along with us seek to maximize "your" time and "your" gifts for the glory of the Lord and the edification of His church.
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
Just this morning I was reminded of something that I did exactly one week ago. At first I found it hard to believe that a whole week, 7 days, 168 hours, a lot of minutes, and a lot of seconds had passed by. But it was the truth. I took a quick moment to think of all that went into the last week, and looking back on it it appeared to be more than a week. We have so many things come into our lives that consume the time that the Lord has given us "on commission". I use that phrase "on commission" recognizing that He is the owner of everything (1st Chronicles 29:14) and that one day we will give an account for how we have used the time and opportunities placed before us and consequently be rewarded; much or little based upon our faithfulness (2nd Corinthians 5:9-10) Let us be found faithful to the Lord in the administration of the time that He has lent us.
In John 4:35 Jesus tells the disciples to check out the fields and notice that they are white unto harvest. How important it is for us to remember that NOW is the time. NOW we are to be out in the harvest fields. NOW we should be bringing in the fruit.
It gives us great joy to be representing the Lord and you His people here in this harvest field called Curaco de Velez. We have been seeing the Lord's hand at work in and through our lives. It is so cool! How important it is for us to remember that it is He who receives the glory when it is weak creatures like us are "doing" the work (1st Corinthians 1:26-29)
In the past week we have made some new and some improved contacts. Last night we had an exceptional time with a couple from whom we had been renting our house. It was wonderful to see and feel the Lord working in and through the lives of His people.
So, my brothers never forget that your work done for the Lord, your time spent in His service is not done in vain (1st Cor 15:58) I mean, that's what it's all about. Redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:16) Glorifying the One who has brought us out of the darkness, and into His glorious light (1st Peter 2:9)
May the blessings of the Lord be evident in your lives as you along with us seek to maximize "your" time and "your" gifts for the glory of the Lord and the edification of His church.
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
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)
Friday, December 30, 2005
Happy New Year
We have so much to be thankful for. However at times we are quick to forget that anything "good" that we receive is only because of God and His great grace. How important it is for us to remember that we do not deserve God's favor. It is a gift. It is a demonstration of His glorious love. And it is all based upon the mediatorial work of His Son Jesus Christ.
Just these last couple of days, I have been rereading John Piper's book "Don't Waste Your Life!" What a novel idea he brings to the table. Our lives, if we are believers, have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ and anything that we do with our lives that isn't for Him and His glory is a waste of the gift that we have been given. The gift that we have been given is our life. We not only have received the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, but as we read in various portions of the Scripture we have been saved that we might live a life that brings glory to the One who has saved us. He (Christ) saved us from our vain way of living. He saved us from the path of destruction. He didn't have to do this. But He did. He did this "to the praise of His glory" Eph 1:6-7. Thanks be to God the Father for His indescribabe gift of His Son Jesus Christ 2nd Cor 9:15. We are now new creatures in Christ through our faith in Him 2nd Cor 5:17. For that we are very thankful. May we seek to live our lives in such a way that they are not being wasted but may they be used for the glory of our great God! Remembering that one day we will give an account to Him for how we have lived our lives. May we be not left with mere stubble!
So here in Curaco we have a passion to communicate the truth that we are all sinners and the only One who can reconcile us with the Holy God, is the Son of Man Jesus Christ 1st Tim 2:5-6. We are excited about the potential of the coming year. We are excited about what the Holy Spirit will do through the preaching of the Word. May many call upon the Name of the Lord and be saved! Please pray with us as we seek to be faithful to the One who called us out of the darkness and into His glorious light. Remembering that "such were some of you" 1st Cor 6:9-11 is talking about people such as you and me. We are no better than the rest. We are saved by grace, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. May we have opportunities to share the good news with those around us and may they respond to the gospel.
Thank you so much for those of you who partner with us in the preaching of the gospel. And thanks to those of you who although you might not yet be a Christ worshiper, you have taken the time to read this blog and show your concern and/or interest in what is going on down here in Curaco de Velez.
Again, we wish you all the best. Let us all recognize that what the best is......Jesus Christ. May He be your joy. May He be your passion. May He be your all in all.
Daniel and Ruth
Just these last couple of days, I have been rereading John Piper's book "Don't Waste Your Life!" What a novel idea he brings to the table. Our lives, if we are believers, have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ and anything that we do with our lives that isn't for Him and His glory is a waste of the gift that we have been given. The gift that we have been given is our life. We not only have received the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, but as we read in various portions of the Scripture we have been saved that we might live a life that brings glory to the One who has saved us. He (Christ) saved us from our vain way of living. He saved us from the path of destruction. He didn't have to do this. But He did. He did this "to the praise of His glory" Eph 1:6-7. Thanks be to God the Father for His indescribabe gift of His Son Jesus Christ 2nd Cor 9:15. We are now new creatures in Christ through our faith in Him 2nd Cor 5:17. For that we are very thankful. May we seek to live our lives in such a way that they are not being wasted but may they be used for the glory of our great God! Remembering that one day we will give an account to Him for how we have lived our lives. May we be not left with mere stubble!
So here in Curaco we have a passion to communicate the truth that we are all sinners and the only One who can reconcile us with the Holy God, is the Son of Man Jesus Christ 1st Tim 2:5-6. We are excited about the potential of the coming year. We are excited about what the Holy Spirit will do through the preaching of the Word. May many call upon the Name of the Lord and be saved! Please pray with us as we seek to be faithful to the One who called us out of the darkness and into His glorious light. Remembering that "such were some of you" 1st Cor 6:9-11 is talking about people such as you and me. We are no better than the rest. We are saved by grace, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. May we have opportunities to share the good news with those around us and may they respond to the gospel.
Thank you so much for those of you who partner with us in the preaching of the gospel. And thanks to those of you who although you might not yet be a Christ worshiper, you have taken the time to read this blog and show your concern and/or interest in what is going on down here in Curaco de Velez.
Again, we wish you all the best. Let us all recognize that what the best is......Jesus Christ. May He be your joy. May He be your passion. May He be your all in all.
Daniel and Ruth
Monday, December 26, 2005
Who's driving your boat?
On our Christmas day outing, it was little Captain Daniel. He sure got a kick out of driving the boat. What he really liked was pressing the accelerator. Where would he get that from? For those of you who know how I drive, he surely didn't get it from me!
But in all seriousness, what an important question that is. Who is driving your boat? Who is calling the shots in your life? Not because I am the one that has posed it, that's for sure. But I just as you need to make sure that the One who is on the throne is the One that is calling the shots. That He is the One driving the boat. I remember some time back when I had this awesome (well, I guess you could say terrible) 1980 Dodge Ram Van (and it wasn't in the year 1980 that I owned it) that blared its horn at every right turn. Probably the best thing about the van was the bumper sticker. It read, "If God is your co-pilot, you had better change seats." So many times in our lives we want to be the ones who call the shots. We want to be the ones who make the decisions. How important it is for us, rather to submit ourselves to the Lord and long to see His will done and not our own. As I read the Word of God, it is more and more evident to me that the Lord is sovereign over all His creation. Even when man thinks that he is in control, even when he thinks that he can make things happen as he wants, he is essentially incorrect. Reflecting on the sovereignty of God as displayed in the Scriptures, we can see that the Lord ultimately will see that His will is done. The question is will we be voluntarily submitting ourselves to Him and what He would have for us. We would be majorly foolish to think that we should be, or that we are the ones driving the boat. How much better it is when we submit ourselves to the Lord and His will for our lives. Would it not be better for us to do this and receive the Lord's blessing than to resist the Lord's will and lose the rewards reserved for His children?
How much we need to reflect on the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The passage in Philippians 2:5-11 speaks beautifully to His humbling of Himself while here on the earth. Thinking about His birth as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the Apostle John's words about the Savior taking on flesh and dwelling amongst His creation. Colossians 1 talks about this Jesus as the Creator of all things. Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us that although He humbled himself and suffered, that He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. To think of the Savior's submission to His Father needs to be a sobering thought for us all. We read in Matthew 26 as Jesus is praying in the garden of Gethsamane, two times Jesus says to His Father, "not My will, but Your will be done." May we have the same attitude. May we not seek our own, but may we seek what the Lord has for us. (Matthew 6:33)
Whatever our venture may be, may it be with the desire to give God the glory that He alone deserves! For that reason we were made! For that reason we are still here on this planet. May we be as jealous for the Lord's glory as He is for His glory. (Psalm 115:1)
Maybe it is time for us to take our hands off the wheel. Maybe it is time for us to move back in the boat and let Him do the driving. Time to say, "Lord, not my will, but may Yours be done."
But in all seriousness, what an important question that is. Who is driving your boat? Who is calling the shots in your life? Not because I am the one that has posed it, that's for sure. But I just as you need to make sure that the One who is on the throne is the One that is calling the shots. That He is the One driving the boat. I remember some time back when I had this awesome (well, I guess you could say terrible) 1980 Dodge Ram Van (and it wasn't in the year 1980 that I owned it) that blared its horn at every right turn. Probably the best thing about the van was the bumper sticker. It read, "If God is your co-pilot, you had better change seats." So many times in our lives we want to be the ones who call the shots. We want to be the ones who make the decisions. How important it is for us, rather to submit ourselves to the Lord and long to see His will done and not our own. As I read the Word of God, it is more and more evident to me that the Lord is sovereign over all His creation. Even when man thinks that he is in control, even when he thinks that he can make things happen as he wants, he is essentially incorrect. Reflecting on the sovereignty of God as displayed in the Scriptures, we can see that the Lord ultimately will see that His will is done. The question is will we be voluntarily submitting ourselves to Him and what He would have for us. We would be majorly foolish to think that we should be, or that we are the ones driving the boat. How much better it is when we submit ourselves to the Lord and His will for our lives. Would it not be better for us to do this and receive the Lord's blessing than to resist the Lord's will and lose the rewards reserved for His children?
How much we need to reflect on the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The passage in Philippians 2:5-11 speaks beautifully to His humbling of Himself while here on the earth. Thinking about His birth as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the Apostle John's words about the Savior taking on flesh and dwelling amongst His creation. Colossians 1 talks about this Jesus as the Creator of all things. Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us that although He humbled himself and suffered, that He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. To think of the Savior's submission to His Father needs to be a sobering thought for us all. We read in Matthew 26 as Jesus is praying in the garden of Gethsamane, two times Jesus says to His Father, "not My will, but Your will be done." May we have the same attitude. May we not seek our own, but may we seek what the Lord has for us. (Matthew 6:33)
Whatever our venture may be, may it be with the desire to give God the glory that He alone deserves! For that reason we were made! For that reason we are still here on this planet. May we be as jealous for the Lord's glory as He is for His glory. (Psalm 115:1)
Maybe it is time for us to take our hands off the wheel. Maybe it is time for us to move back in the boat and let Him do the driving. Time to say, "Lord, not my will, but may Yours be done."
Thursday, December 22, 2005
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and pray that you along with us will rejoice in God the Father's indescribable gift, His Son Jesus Christ. We will be out of contact for a couple of days due to the cyber-cafe's shutting down for the holiday. We will be seeking to reach out to our neighbors throughout these days and ask for your prayers as we do so. May the Lord God be glorified in what we say and do.
Daniel and Ruth
Daniel and Ruth
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
It's about time
After about a week, I have finally been able to get access to my blog. Of course I was able to read it just like anyone else, but I wasn't able to add anything to it. I was experiencing a problem with the login. Most likely it was my fault. I think I told y'all before that I'm not much of a technological genius (nor of any kind for that matter). Anyway, here's some words on what has been happening with us.
Obviously like many of you we have been reflecting quite a bit on the significance of the upcoming date of December 25th. Of course we don't believe that on the exact day of December 25 that our Savior was born here on the earth that He had already created. But we do see it as a point of reference for sharing just why He came, and what He accomplished during His stay here, and what He has promised to ultimately do. It still has me in awe contemplating just what the King of Glory was willing to do for us. What amazing love! What amazing mercy! What amazing grace! Thank you, Jesus! So having the opportunity to share just what this "holiday" symbolizes may we do it with passion and love. May we not share in a way that is dry and sterile, but may those who hear our words also feel our excitement and gratitude in who our Savior is and what He has done, is doing, and ultimately will do.
I wrote some time back about Ruth and the kids being a little under the weather. They seem to be doing a bit better. One of the problems is that the weather here changes quite dramatically (kinda sounds like Michigan, eh?) Are you reading this Dave Carpenter? Anyway, one moment the sun will be out then it will rain. The sun comes back out and then it rains. So what we have here is a lot of humidity and temperature changes. And this is known here to cause a lot of colds and respiratory infections. However we are trusting in the Lord of all and we know that He knows where we are and what we stand in need of.
This last Sunday night I (Daniel) had the opportunity to share the gospel in the Bible Center Church of Achao. It was a special service geared towards the parents of the children who attend Sunday School. Many of these kids have parents who have not professed faith in Christ as their one and only Savior. So it was a privilege for me to speak to them about the greatest gift of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of the texts that I spoke from were 2nd Cor 9:15; John 3:16; Romans 3:23;6:23; Mark 10:45; 1st Timothy 2:5-6. My prayer is that the Lord would graciously choose to save some who were in earshot of the message. As the Word says about itself, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17. May God be glorified as people respond to His offer of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:6,7
We are praying about a place in Curaco de Velez that we might be able to rent in order to hold Bible studies, prayer meetings, and weekly services. Properties are at a real premium here and there is some real competition for the "good ones." Please pray along with us that the Lord would lead us to the property that He has for us to rent. And for the people that will rent it to us. May the Lord be working in each one of our hearts.
Please pray for Ruth and I as we build bridges with the people in our community. We are upfront with them that we are evangelical believers and that our desire is to establish an evangelical church in the city of Curaco de Velez. Some are more excited about this than others. (obviously, kinda like at home) Again, please pray along with us that we might find good reception from the people and more importantly that the Holy Spirit of God would touch the hearts of the people as they hear the Word of our great God.
We thank you all for your prayers and all other support that you have passed on to us. We appreciate you all and your partnership in the gospel. May we all rejoice in the Lord's goodness toward us. May we rejoice in the birth, the death, the resurrection, and the victorious coming (which we are looking forward to) of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
Obviously like many of you we have been reflecting quite a bit on the significance of the upcoming date of December 25th. Of course we don't believe that on the exact day of December 25 that our Savior was born here on the earth that He had already created. But we do see it as a point of reference for sharing just why He came, and what He accomplished during His stay here, and what He has promised to ultimately do. It still has me in awe contemplating just what the King of Glory was willing to do for us. What amazing love! What amazing mercy! What amazing grace! Thank you, Jesus! So having the opportunity to share just what this "holiday" symbolizes may we do it with passion and love. May we not share in a way that is dry and sterile, but may those who hear our words also feel our excitement and gratitude in who our Savior is and what He has done, is doing, and ultimately will do.
I wrote some time back about Ruth and the kids being a little under the weather. They seem to be doing a bit better. One of the problems is that the weather here changes quite dramatically (kinda sounds like Michigan, eh?) Are you reading this Dave Carpenter? Anyway, one moment the sun will be out then it will rain. The sun comes back out and then it rains. So what we have here is a lot of humidity and temperature changes. And this is known here to cause a lot of colds and respiratory infections. However we are trusting in the Lord of all and we know that He knows where we are and what we stand in need of.
This last Sunday night I (Daniel) had the opportunity to share the gospel in the Bible Center Church of Achao. It was a special service geared towards the parents of the children who attend Sunday School. Many of these kids have parents who have not professed faith in Christ as their one and only Savior. So it was a privilege for me to speak to them about the greatest gift of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of the texts that I spoke from were 2nd Cor 9:15; John 3:16; Romans 3:23;6:23; Mark 10:45; 1st Timothy 2:5-6. My prayer is that the Lord would graciously choose to save some who were in earshot of the message. As the Word says about itself, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17. May God be glorified as people respond to His offer of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:6,7
We are praying about a place in Curaco de Velez that we might be able to rent in order to hold Bible studies, prayer meetings, and weekly services. Properties are at a real premium here and there is some real competition for the "good ones." Please pray along with us that the Lord would lead us to the property that He has for us to rent. And for the people that will rent it to us. May the Lord be working in each one of our hearts.
Please pray for Ruth and I as we build bridges with the people in our community. We are upfront with them that we are evangelical believers and that our desire is to establish an evangelical church in the city of Curaco de Velez. Some are more excited about this than others. (obviously, kinda like at home) Again, please pray along with us that we might find good reception from the people and more importantly that the Holy Spirit of God would touch the hearts of the people as they hear the Word of our great God.
We thank you all for your prayers and all other support that you have passed on to us. We appreciate you all and your partnership in the gospel. May we all rejoice in the Lord's goodness toward us. May we rejoice in the birth, the death, the resurrection, and the victorious coming (which we are looking forward to) of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
It is still sunny!
For those friends of ours who are in the northland this might sound a bit boastful. We have had quite a string of sunny days. Again I say that this is way out of the ordinary. However we are not complaining. It could be snowing.
The other day we started up this blog and I was thinking that I have not been a very good blogger. I haven't been adding new things as I should. So today I will jot down some new lines of info.
For us down here and for you up there, opportunities to serve the Lord and testify as to His grace are abundant. The question is, "Will we be found faithful to share as we should?" Unfortunately we often miss the mark. Praise the Lord that are relationship with Him is not based upon our performance, but in our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. This by no means excuses us from our obligation, but puts things in the proper perspective. We must not forget that He who has began the good work in us will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ's return.
We have been able to share with numerous people over the past couple of days about the One God and the One Mediator between Him and us, His Son Jesus Christ. Please pray for those who have been hearing the message, that they would understand that their religion and their good works will never be sufficient to save them. Please pray that the Lord would take off the blinders from their eyes, that they might see the light of the gospel (2nd Cor 4:4) And obviously for us that we would be found faithful to share the gospel as we ought.
When we came to the island of Quinchao, big island of Chiloe, we came with the impression that there was no evangelical work in the town of Curaco de Velez. However, the other day we came in contact with some individuals who are realizing a prayer service in the house of some believers. These brothers are from a Pentecostal splinter group and we as of yet have not been able to talk to them in detail about their doctrinal beliefs, but we rejoice in the fact that there is at least one more family in town who is calling on the Name of the Lord. Please pray for us so that we would know what level of fellowship that we are to have with these brethren. We obviously do not want to take part in some fleshly turf war, but we do want to hold forth the banner of Jesus Christ and sound doctrine that must accompany the preaching of the Holy Word. So, please pray for conversations that we hope to have soon with these brothers and sisters. Thanks.
The kids are all under the weather, to one degree or another. It is most likely due to the extreme changes in weather that we have down here. It is cold, then it is warm. It is bleak,then it is sunny. And there is a lot of humidity. They are taking some medication and we are ultimately trusting in the Lord for their well being. And for that reason we ask God's people to pray for our little ones.
So, in order to not obligate you to read more and more of my babblings, I will sign off for now. Thank you to those of you who have taken time to read this blog and pray for us. Please leave your comment so that we might hear of how the Lord is working in your lives. So that we might rejoice along with you in His goodness, and pray for you as we should.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
The other day we started up this blog and I was thinking that I have not been a very good blogger. I haven't been adding new things as I should. So today I will jot down some new lines of info.
For us down here and for you up there, opportunities to serve the Lord and testify as to His grace are abundant. The question is, "Will we be found faithful to share as we should?" Unfortunately we often miss the mark. Praise the Lord that are relationship with Him is not based upon our performance, but in our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. This by no means excuses us from our obligation, but puts things in the proper perspective. We must not forget that He who has began the good work in us will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ's return.
We have been able to share with numerous people over the past couple of days about the One God and the One Mediator between Him and us, His Son Jesus Christ. Please pray for those who have been hearing the message, that they would understand that their religion and their good works will never be sufficient to save them. Please pray that the Lord would take off the blinders from their eyes, that they might see the light of the gospel (2nd Cor 4:4) And obviously for us that we would be found faithful to share the gospel as we ought.
When we came to the island of Quinchao, big island of Chiloe, we came with the impression that there was no evangelical work in the town of Curaco de Velez. However, the other day we came in contact with some individuals who are realizing a prayer service in the house of some believers. These brothers are from a Pentecostal splinter group and we as of yet have not been able to talk to them in detail about their doctrinal beliefs, but we rejoice in the fact that there is at least one more family in town who is calling on the Name of the Lord. Please pray for us so that we would know what level of fellowship that we are to have with these brethren. We obviously do not want to take part in some fleshly turf war, but we do want to hold forth the banner of Jesus Christ and sound doctrine that must accompany the preaching of the Holy Word. So, please pray for conversations that we hope to have soon with these brothers and sisters. Thanks.
The kids are all under the weather, to one degree or another. It is most likely due to the extreme changes in weather that we have down here. It is cold, then it is warm. It is bleak,then it is sunny. And there is a lot of humidity. They are taking some medication and we are ultimately trusting in the Lord for their well being. And for that reason we ask God's people to pray for our little ones.
So, in order to not obligate you to read more and more of my babblings, I will sign off for now. Thank you to those of you who have taken time to read this blog and pray for us. Please leave your comment so that we might hear of how the Lord is working in your lives. So that we might rejoice along with you in His goodness, and pray for you as we should.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)
Saturday, December 10, 2005
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