Well, after 3100 kms and 5 days, we have arrived at home! We got home a few days ago and I have been trying to figure out which way is up since! The twins did ok on the trip home all things considered.
As I sit in my office on this end of the trip a few thoughts come to mind. I think about our oldest three kiddos who were with us on this trip. I think about things I heard them say and expressions on their faces while they were back "home" in Mexico. I loved seeing how they jumped back into life down there and how they were accepted back right away by the Mexican Youth who know them and those who didn't know them until now. They were invited out a lot and it was great to see! They loved it too! They miss the culture down there. They miss hanging out with friends a lot and experiencing the fellowship we are supposed to have in the Body of Christ.
I think about the ministry, specifically the Evangelism in the Vineyards. I pray that the church there would rise up and keep doing this ministry. I told them they didn't need me to do it, so I pray they took that to heart and get after it! Pray with me about that please! I think about a young man I met out there in the Vineyards who had so many questions. He had doubts about the teaching he received in his home church in Southern Mexico (Catholic). The Catholic Church down there is much different than the Catholic Church in the English Speaking West. I did my best to explain everything to him and he did give me his cell phone, so I pray he will get my messages!
All in all, it was a great trip and we loved our time there! We would love to go back actually and live there again but for now we are called here. So it is time to dig back into life and ministry here and see what God does!
Keep serving!
Have a look at what the Elliott's are up to in Northern Mexico
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Monday, April 29, 2019
The Long Way Home
Well, tomorrow begins the long journey home. With the little guys, I don't think we will be able to drive more than about 6 or 7 hours per day. So it will take a while to get there! By the weekend we should arrive! I have be assured that our vehicle which broke down in Helena Montana is fixed and paid for by the original mechanic who did the work that failed. So that is a huge blessing! We will pick it up Friday if all goes according to plan.
We have enjoyed a great trip to say the least! Our older 3 have had a great time doing ministry with the High School Team and then connecting more intentionally with their Mexican friends the last few days. It has been good for their hearts to come back "home".
The twins have also done quite well! Judeson has struggled some for sure but all in all they have done well! They even sat and listened to children's church upstairs doing the regular church service (Lane preached). They have NEVER done that in their lives. They are always to hyper! But they sat and listened and were the only boys who received a "you behaved well" sticker at the end! Jackson even understood that there was going to be a surprise at the end of their lesson and that he needed to behave well etc! Sheri hadn't heard that there was going to be this surprise so she certainly didn't tell him! I asked him later at home how he knew and he said "mommy told me." So it is pretty obvious that he understood it from the Spanish that was spoken! Incredible! They had a great time playing and running with new friends down here and they even loved the food here too! Maybe it is a sign we should move back! Ha!
Please pray with us that someone at our church will take up the torch and lead the way to continue Evangelizing at the Vineyards! We have talked to a number who are interested but follow through can be light. Please pray!
All in all we have enjoyed this trip immensely and thank each one who has contributed in some way for us to come, be it financially or via prayer or encouragement.
Please continue to pray us home! Especially for the long hours for the twins in the vehicle that are ahead of us!
Grateful,
Lane for all of us
We have enjoyed a great trip to say the least! Our older 3 have had a great time doing ministry with the High School Team and then connecting more intentionally with their Mexican friends the last few days. It has been good for their hearts to come back "home".
The twins have also done quite well! Judeson has struggled some for sure but all in all they have done well! They even sat and listened to children's church upstairs doing the regular church service (Lane preached). They have NEVER done that in their lives. They are always to hyper! But they sat and listened and were the only boys who received a "you behaved well" sticker at the end! Jackson even understood that there was going to be a surprise at the end of their lesson and that he needed to behave well etc! Sheri hadn't heard that there was going to be this surprise so she certainly didn't tell him! I asked him later at home how he knew and he said "mommy told me." So it is pretty obvious that he understood it from the Spanish that was spoken! Incredible! They had a great time playing and running with new friends down here and they even loved the food here too! Maybe it is a sign we should move back! Ha!
Please pray with us that someone at our church will take up the torch and lead the way to continue Evangelizing at the Vineyards! We have talked to a number who are interested but follow through can be light. Please pray!
All in all we have enjoyed this trip immensely and thank each one who has contributed in some way for us to come, be it financially or via prayer or encouragement.
Please continue to pray us home! Especially for the long hours for the twins in the vehicle that are ahead of us!
Grateful,
Lane for all of us
Friday, April 26, 2019
Last Night at the Vineyards
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| Jackson and Judeson with their new friend Miguel |
We did get the boys out to a town about an hour from here where the High School team was doing kids and women's ministry as well as putting the roof on a house for a family. That is what you see pictured in the background. Miguel (pictured with the twins) and his family will move into that house once it is finished. They played and played in the dirt and dust! We threw them in the water trough to clean them off once we were ready to leave!
Last night I was out at the Vineyards again with a team of 7 from our church. Some new folks came along who haven't been out there before. This time they gave the message rather than me. My hearts desire is that the local church here would take up the amazing opportunity that this ministry represents! They can totally do it! I have trained them in years past, they have also carried on this ministry without me in the past for a season. However currently no one is going out there to tell these people the truth. There are so many young men who want to know the truth! Let me tell you a quick story.
A few nights ago a young man approached me by the name of Neftali. He is from the South like everyone else and he had a question for me. I had just finished preaching and he wanted to know if I could interpret a dream for him that he had. I gave it my best effort telling him not to trust my interpretation as the ultimate truth but then I directed things toward the message I had just preached. I wanted to know what he thought about it, what he believed etc. He proceeded to tell me that he had a Catholic Church back home where he had heard some of the things I mentioned, but there was much he hadn't heard before and he had never understood the bible as a comprehensive story (that is how I had explained it in my message). So we continued to talk and I could see that he was very interested in the Word of God and knowing more. I made sure he got a Bible Tract that I had brought from home and encouraged him to read it and cross reference the bible verses in the tract with the verses in his bible at home when he returned there. Well last night he approached me again, this time with his phone in his hand and his sister on the other end, back home which was about 5 states away. He was asking that I pray for them as a family. So after getting some more info on his family, I prayed for them so that his sister could hear. Afterwards, he and I talked some more and he had read through the tract and was so excited about what he was reading! I proceeded to get his phone number and connected him to a leader in our local church down here. I also have kept his number and through WhatsApp, I will be able to continue to encourage him and disciple him in God's word! Technology is amazing when used properly for good!
Please pray with me that this ministry would continue once we leave. There is no reason it couldn't. Last night we had about 130 mostly young men watching the Christian movie we showed and listening to the preaching afterward. And this is one of the smaller Vineyards that we go to!
Today we are off to the Children's Home with the High School team. Looking forward to another day of ministry!
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Easter Weekend
So yesterday we went out to the third Vineyard, one that I had never visited before. It was another half hour further north of the city. We were blessed to be able to put up the table and projector etc in the dining hall and project onto a wall. There were about 50 or so present. They were so attentive!
Today was Easter Sunday and it kicked off with a 6am service at the church! I was asked to translate the sermon into English from up front. I am honestly not a big fan of translating as it takes so much concentration! And my mind tends to wander! Once I started to translate, I realized that the Pastor had his sermon written out word for word! I thought it would be a huge advantage to see his notes and just translate on the fly by reading his notes! Wow was I wrong! For the first 10 minutes, it was brutal! I was terrible! I seriously wanted to find a corner and run and hide! Then finally I realized it might go better if I didn't read his notes and once I just listened to him speak, it went quite a bit better thankfully. But wow, that was a rough experience!
Tomorrow is the first full day of ministry for the team. They have a lot going on. I am looking forward to doing some ministry out at the Children's Home whom I run the sponsorship program back home for. Then back to the Vineyards tomorrow night after a break today. I will be taking my friend Greg who I served with in Paraguay with me. I am looking forward to showing him the openness of the people to the gospel!
My allergies are hitting me again and the heat is getting to my skin as well........familiar hardships that I used to have to deal with full time. My energy is sapped by these allergies and so I think it is time for bed!
Till next time!
Today was Easter Sunday and it kicked off with a 6am service at the church! I was asked to translate the sermon into English from up front. I am honestly not a big fan of translating as it takes so much concentration! And my mind tends to wander! Once I started to translate, I realized that the Pastor had his sermon written out word for word! I thought it would be a huge advantage to see his notes and just translate on the fly by reading his notes! Wow was I wrong! For the first 10 minutes, it was brutal! I was terrible! I seriously wanted to find a corner and run and hide! Then finally I realized it might go better if I didn't read his notes and once I just listened to him speak, it went quite a bit better thankfully. But wow, that was a rough experience!
Tomorrow is the first full day of ministry for the team. They have a lot going on. I am looking forward to doing some ministry out at the Children's Home whom I run the sponsorship program back home for. Then back to the Vineyards tomorrow night after a break today. I will be taking my friend Greg who I served with in Paraguay with me. I am looking forward to showing him the openness of the people to the gospel!
My allergies are hitting me again and the heat is getting to my skin as well........familiar hardships that I used to have to deal with full time. My energy is sapped by these allergies and so I think it is time for bed!
Till next time!
Saturday, April 20, 2019
2nd Vineyard
So last night a team of 7 from the church and myself went to a neighbouring Vineyard. This one was smaller. We had about 80 people watching and listening. Again once the movie was over hardly anyone left! So there were nearly 80 who stayed and listened as I explained the panorama of scripture.
I started with Creation and explained the main points of the Bible all the way through to Jesus' resurrection. Being that it is Easter I asked them why we were celebrating, why most of the businesses here are closed etc. People don't really understand why. So in order to someone to understand not just THAT Jesus died on the cross, but WHY He died on the cross and even what it MEANS for us, that takes some time to explain.
So after a quick explanation that took about half an hour, I invited them to come up and get a booklet that explains it all as well. Not all of the booklets were given out which is actually a good thing I think. It shows that they weren't just grabbing them because they were free. I told them not to take one if they weren't really interested, to leave them so others who were interested could get one. And it seems like they did. Most of the booklets were given out though.
I also asked one other thing of them. At the end of my message I invited them to put their trust in Jesus, realizing that only by His sacrifice for us and our surrendering to Him can we be saved. I put a lot of emphasis on the fact that we cannot be saved by our own works (many think they can be saved that way down here). Then I asked them to tell someone who came with me if they had believed the message and put their trust in Jesus for the first time last night. I made it clear that it was not an expectation, that it wasn't obligatory, but that if they had sincerely trusted Christ last night for the first time, to let us know.
About 10 people told us individually that they had indeed trusted Christ for the first time last night!
Glory to God for what He is doing! Each of the folks from the church who came with me said in one way or another that the harvest is huge and the workers are few.
Please pray that the church here will take up the work once we leave!
Thanks for praying with us! Off to another Vineyard tonight! Not sure which one yet.
Lane
I started with Creation and explained the main points of the Bible all the way through to Jesus' resurrection. Being that it is Easter I asked them why we were celebrating, why most of the businesses here are closed etc. People don't really understand why. So in order to someone to understand not just THAT Jesus died on the cross, but WHY He died on the cross and even what it MEANS for us, that takes some time to explain.
So after a quick explanation that took about half an hour, I invited them to come up and get a booklet that explains it all as well. Not all of the booklets were given out which is actually a good thing I think. It shows that they weren't just grabbing them because they were free. I told them not to take one if they weren't really interested, to leave them so others who were interested could get one. And it seems like they did. Most of the booklets were given out though.
I also asked one other thing of them. At the end of my message I invited them to put their trust in Jesus, realizing that only by His sacrifice for us and our surrendering to Him can we be saved. I put a lot of emphasis on the fact that we cannot be saved by our own works (many think they can be saved that way down here). Then I asked them to tell someone who came with me if they had believed the message and put their trust in Jesus for the first time last night. I made it clear that it was not an expectation, that it wasn't obligatory, but that if they had sincerely trusted Christ last night for the first time, to let us know.
About 10 people told us individually that they had indeed trusted Christ for the first time last night!
Glory to God for what He is doing! Each of the folks from the church who came with me said in one way or another that the harvest is huge and the workers are few.
Please pray that the church here will take up the work once we leave!
Thanks for praying with us! Off to another Vineyard tonight! Not sure which one yet.
Lane
Friday, April 19, 2019
First Night of Ministry
Last night went great! I had the biggest turnout from the church that I can ever remember! There had to have been 15 or so people there helping me along with Alexis Jemma and Noah! Remember that a big part of this is that hopefully there will be some at the church who will carry this ministry on once I leave. Pray for that please!
Anyway there were about 200 Migrant Workers who came to watch the short movie called "The Road to Emmaus" which does a great job of explaining the central message of the Bible and the way unto Salvation. Then after the movie I preached for about 25 mins. Something happened last night that has never happened before. Each time after the movie ends, about half of those watching leave and head back to their rooms. Last night however, almost no one left after the movie ended! After I did my best at giving a panorama of the whole Bible all of the Bible Tracts that we had were handed out in about a minute! The folks from the church helped with that and then some prayed for small groups of the Migrant Workers who asked for prayer.
All in all it was a great evening and we are going to repeat the same thing tonight at a different Vineyard! The openness to the word of God down here always surprises me. The harvest is truly huge and the workers are few, but with God's help He will bring in the harvest of souls to His Kingdom!
Here is a picture of last nights ministry. You are only seeing less than half of those who were present. There are many more to my left. I am standing near the table with the microphone in hand. Thanks for praying! We need you standing with us!
On another unrelated note, the High School team shows up in a few hours so I am off to the airport to pick them up!
Anyway there were about 200 Migrant Workers who came to watch the short movie called "The Road to Emmaus" which does a great job of explaining the central message of the Bible and the way unto Salvation. Then after the movie I preached for about 25 mins. Something happened last night that has never happened before. Each time after the movie ends, about half of those watching leave and head back to their rooms. Last night however, almost no one left after the movie ended! After I did my best at giving a panorama of the whole Bible all of the Bible Tracts that we had were handed out in about a minute! The folks from the church helped with that and then some prayed for small groups of the Migrant Workers who asked for prayer.
All in all it was a great evening and we are going to repeat the same thing tonight at a different Vineyard! The openness to the word of God down here always surprises me. The harvest is truly huge and the workers are few, but with God's help He will bring in the harvest of souls to His Kingdom!
Here is a picture of last nights ministry. You are only seeing less than half of those who were present. There are many more to my left. I am standing near the table with the microphone in hand. Thanks for praying! We need you standing with us!
On another unrelated note, the High School team shows up in a few hours so I am off to the airport to pick them up!
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Arrived!
Well we arrived at 6pm last night. We already had one of our favourite meals and things are going well! I just got off the phone with my contact who lets me into the Vineyards where the migrant workers are and he told me we have access into 3 Vineyards. They have from 400-600 workers each! So tonight is the first trip out there.
Please pray for us, for those who are going on this ministry trip. I'm not sure who exactly is coming yet so pray that the right people would come from the church to help. I am praying that a team would form from this and that after we leave they would continue the ministry! Please pray for that as well!
It is strange to be here at this time of year. The streets are basically empty. I knew that tomorrow that would be the case being Good Friday and all but already today? That surprised me. I expect to be able to shoot a canon down the streets tomorrow but I was surprised that so many businesses are closed already today. But it goes to show you how big of a celebration Easter is here. So it is a key time to tell people of the good news of Jesus Christ!
I'm so looking forward to tonight! Thanks for praying with us! The High School team arrives tomorrow. We will see them just after lunch.
Please pray for us, for those who are going on this ministry trip. I'm not sure who exactly is coming yet so pray that the right people would come from the church to help. I am praying that a team would form from this and that after we leave they would continue the ministry! Please pray for that as well!
It is strange to be here at this time of year. The streets are basically empty. I knew that tomorrow that would be the case being Good Friday and all but already today? That surprised me. I expect to be able to shoot a canon down the streets tomorrow but I was surprised that so many businesses are closed already today. But it goes to show you how big of a celebration Easter is here. So it is a key time to tell people of the good news of Jesus Christ!
I'm so looking forward to tonight! Thanks for praying with us! The High School team arrives tomorrow. We will see them just after lunch.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Almost There
I am writing this update from our hotel room in Tucson Wednesday morning. Today we travel down to where we used to live and do ministry! Everyone is excited to go!
For those of you who have been praying for us, thank you! The trip has gone quite well so far! The airport process in Calgary went very well, it wasn't busy in the least and the twins did very well! The flight was also very good, smoothest landing I think I have ever experienced! Sheri had lots of little toys and nicknacks ready to keep the twins busy and Momma knows best as it worked very well! There were a few tense moments but overall the twins did great!
We arrived in Tucson yesterday and it was raining of all things! Alexis Jemma and Noah were transported back to their childhood and stood there in the middle of the parking lot breathing deep the rain/desert air and loving it!
We ate at our favourite restaurant in Tucson (Zemam's Ethiopian Cuisine) and the teenagers and Sheri and I loved it! They have such good Ethiopian food! We used to eat there whenever we were in Tucson. However the twins (who had already eaten a burger as we knew they don't like the Ethiopian food) held their noses the whole meal and complained. Literally.........
Anyway yes we are doing well and looking forward to arriving at our destination tonight!
Sheri and Jackson and Judeson (and their Paw Patrol Pups) pictured below at the Calgary airport.
For those of you who have been praying for us, thank you! The trip has gone quite well so far! The airport process in Calgary went very well, it wasn't busy in the least and the twins did very well! The flight was also very good, smoothest landing I think I have ever experienced! Sheri had lots of little toys and nicknacks ready to keep the twins busy and Momma knows best as it worked very well! There were a few tense moments but overall the twins did great!
We arrived in Tucson yesterday and it was raining of all things! Alexis Jemma and Noah were transported back to their childhood and stood there in the middle of the parking lot breathing deep the rain/desert air and loving it!
We ate at our favourite restaurant in Tucson (Zemam's Ethiopian Cuisine) and the teenagers and Sheri and I loved it! They have such good Ethiopian food! We used to eat there whenever we were in Tucson. However the twins (who had already eaten a burger as we knew they don't like the Ethiopian food) held their noses the whole meal and complained. Literally.........
Anyway yes we are doing well and looking forward to arriving at our destination tonight!
Sheri and Jackson and Judeson (and their Paw Patrol Pups) pictured below at the Calgary airport.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Back to Mexico
Wow has it even been a long time since I have updated this blog! There is so much to tell! Lots has happened in the last 2+ years! Due to time however, for this post I am going to focus on what is coming up in the next few weeks here.
In a few days time, our whole family will be boarding a plane for Phoenix! We will then head for Tucson and down to Hermosillo! We will be down there for a couple weeks for a missions trip! For those of you who follow the goings on of our family, you will know that we used to live in Hermosillo and did ministry there for a number of years.
The teens' high school does a missions trip there every other year and this year it is Jemma's turn to participate as a member of the high school team! Alexis worked hard to finish up her second year of Bible College 3 weeks early so she could come on this trip as well! The team going down consists of 32 people. Plus our family is going to be there and a few others helping as well. The High School team will be carrying out many different ministries from building a house in a poor area of a town outside the city where we will be, to doing a kids VBS and helping at a Children's Home as well.
While I am down there I will be reigniting a ministry dear to my heart. It is a preaching ministry to the Migrant Workers of Southern Mexico that I used to do when we lived there. This ministry is such an amazing opportunity to explain the good news of Jesus to hundreds of young men who have likely never heard the truth about Jesus. So I count it a privilege of the highest level to go and serve in this manner, using the gifts God has given me to extend His kingdom in Mexico! I put on a Christian movie and after it is over I preach for 15 or 20 mins. And they respond. Wow do they ever! I also bring young men from the local church in Mexico with me and they take their turn preaching as well. So it is kind of a discipling ministry in that sense as well. Check out the video below to see what this ministry is all about!
On a family level we have had so many obstacles prior to going on this trip. Both our vehicles were broken down at the same time, fixed and one broke down again...............In Montana as our friends were driving it to Phoenix for us! There has also been sickness in our family, not everyone is well, so we are praying for them to be well before we leave. Also the Christian movie that explains they Gospel so well and the one that I am planning on using in the Vineyards showed up in the mail today, just in time before we leave! Also the twins have been having a hard go of it lately and so we are praying they will do well on this trip. Change is difficult for them.
Anyway, I do plan on continuing updating this blog during our trip, so make sure you come back often for updates! We are all looking so forward to this trip! We look forward to seeing what the Lord will do!
In a few days time, our whole family will be boarding a plane for Phoenix! We will then head for Tucson and down to Hermosillo! We will be down there for a couple weeks for a missions trip! For those of you who follow the goings on of our family, you will know that we used to live in Hermosillo and did ministry there for a number of years.
The teens' high school does a missions trip there every other year and this year it is Jemma's turn to participate as a member of the high school team! Alexis worked hard to finish up her second year of Bible College 3 weeks early so she could come on this trip as well! The team going down consists of 32 people. Plus our family is going to be there and a few others helping as well. The High School team will be carrying out many different ministries from building a house in a poor area of a town outside the city where we will be, to doing a kids VBS and helping at a Children's Home as well.
While I am down there I will be reigniting a ministry dear to my heart. It is a preaching ministry to the Migrant Workers of Southern Mexico that I used to do when we lived there. This ministry is such an amazing opportunity to explain the good news of Jesus to hundreds of young men who have likely never heard the truth about Jesus. So I count it a privilege of the highest level to go and serve in this manner, using the gifts God has given me to extend His kingdom in Mexico! I put on a Christian movie and after it is over I preach for 15 or 20 mins. And they respond. Wow do they ever! I also bring young men from the local church in Mexico with me and they take their turn preaching as well. So it is kind of a discipling ministry in that sense as well. Check out the video below to see what this ministry is all about!
Anyway, I do plan on continuing updating this blog during our trip, so make sure you come back often for updates! We are all looking so forward to this trip! We look forward to seeing what the Lord will do!
Friday, December 23, 2016
Christmas means something different this year
With Christmas upon us, the familiar sound of Christmas carols fill the air waves. They are songs we all know, have heard since we were kids. One can easily sing along to almost any of them as they are so well known. Often we sing the songs without giving much thought to the words. This Christmas however, it seems that whenever I hear a song that has to do with Jesus coming to the earth, I well up with tears. I wondered why this was the case, I have heard the songs many times, they haven't changed. What did change?
I came to the realization that my increased sensitivity to Jesus' arrival on the earth and the emotion that surrounds it has to do with holiness. What does holiness have to do with Jesus coming to save us?
Before I answer that, this past year I have done a fair bit of study around the topic of holiness. What it means and why it is important. I have a better grasp of the term now than before but I still have a long way to go! However what it has done is that understanding holiness a bit better has helped me to understand a bit better the extreme sacrifice of God to come "down" to us in the God man, Jesus. Before we even talk about His death on the cross, to realize that this Holy Holy Holy God would come down to live with us, like us, as one of us is hard to believe. The fact that He was born in a manger, not even in a home just is beyond my comprehension. There really are no words. This is what makes me emotional. Now that I have a bit better of an understanding of Holiness, it helps me appreciate so much more the sacrifice God made in coming to us. The name Emmanuel "God with us" means so much more to me now. This Holy Holy Holy God humbled Himself and stooped to our level in order to save us and show us His love for us! Wow! No words.
This improved understanding is why I am so so so against what Andy Stanley has said recently. Here is a quote from him, “If somebody can predict their own death and their own resurrection, I’m not all that concerned about how they got into the world, because the whole resurrection thing is so amazing,” he said. "Christianity doesn’t hinge on the truth or even the stories around the birth of Jesus … It really hinges on the resurrection of Jesus.”
Of course I am not going to minimize the resurrection of Jesus, without it we are dead in our sins. However in the same way I am not going to minimize the virgin birth of Christ either and neither should Mr. Stanley!
We better be concerned about how Jesus came into this world! I mean if it wasn't a virgin birth, then it had to be a natural conception that came from the union between a man and a woman. If that were the case, then Jesus was born from Joseph's seed. If the man Jesus came to be because of sexual relations between Mary and Joseph, then Jesus was a sinner. Does that sound like a leap? It isn't and here is why.
In Psalm 51:5 King David writes this, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me...." If it is true that David was sinful from the time he was conceived, then it is also true that we were all sinful in our mothers' womb. How could a baby not yet born, sin inside of a their mother? Only one way, if the nature of that child was sinful. It isn't that David was committing sins inside of his mothers womb, he is saying that he is sinful, in his nature! So the same would be true of us. Think of it, you don't need to teach your 1 yr old how to be covetous of another child's toy, or how to be mean to them or how to be selfish. Kids are just born that way! And it starts from the time they are conceived.
Ok, back to Jesus. If the virgin birth isn't important (according to Mr. Stanley), then so what if his life was the result of sexual relations between Mary and Joseph? Why does that matter? It matters because if Jesus was not born of a miracle of God that we come to call the virgin birth, then Jesus was sinful! And if Jesus was sinful, then he could not have saved us from our sins. His death on the cross would have only paid for His sins! If Jesus was born due to the coming together of a sperm and an egg, then we are all headed to hell!
I have to vehemently disagree with you Mr. Stanley, how Jesus got into the world is of the utmost importance! If Jesus was not born of a virgin, the entire Christian faith fall apart and we are still lost in our sins with no way to be reconciled to God!
I am shocked that a mainline evangelical preacher doesn't see this! Those who know me know I am not about splitting the kingdom and arguing over grey matters in scripture. I think unity in the Body of Christ is very important. However there are times when we must draw a line and not cross it. Another way to say it is there are a few hills we must be prepared to die on and for me this is one. I hope it is one for all who call Jesus Lord.
God went to extreme lengths to preserve His holiness. He went so far as to do a miracle and be born as a human without a human father being part of the picture! The reason He did it is because if Jesus had been born of Joseph, then Jesus would be sinful. The Bible says that "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Rom.3:23. It also says this, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." Heb. 4:15
So there you have it, we are all sinners, all of us......except Jesus. Our High Priest who can sympathize with us because He walked in our shoes. But He never sinned, unlike every other human being who ever lived. And it is a good thing He didn't sin because if He had, He would not have been able to save us from our sins!
I am so disappointed that Mr. Stanley is casting doubt on the virgin birth of Christ. He must not realize it but in so doing, he is casting doubt on the fact that Christ was our sufficient substitute, the only one who could save us from our sins. He is casting doubt on the entire Bible and the Christian Faith.
Jesus was born of a miraculous birth. God did it to preserve His holiness in the person of Jesus Christ. He went to extreme lengths to do it because only perfection can create perfection. The saying goes, "no one is perfect" and humanly speaking that is true. So that is why no baby born of a natural birth (from sinful parents) can be born anything but imperfect (sinful). Only imperfection could come from imperfect people. In the same way, only perfection could come from a Holy perfect God.
Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Take some time this Christmas to just be with Him. He wants to commune with you, for you to seek Him. Take some time to consider the unbelievable yet real sacrifice of God to come to this earth, to save us.
While you are at it, have a listen to my favorite Christmas song and think about that amazing sacrifice. https://vimeo.com/113628297
Friday, November 18, 2016
Being with Him
I know that this "routine" kind of life that we are living is good
for the twins as well as the rest of the kids. I knew that it would be a
challenge for me but I also knew that it is what the kids needed,
especially the little guys. God is healing them, bit by bit and making
the rest of the family more and more like Him, again bit by bit. That
is what His purpose in our lives is, to make us more and more like Jesus
(Rom. 8:29). He will use anything at His disposal to fulfill that
purpose of making each one of us more like Jesus. So the key is to let
Him do it, to seek Him through the hardship, through the difficult
circumstances, through the suffering. It is easy to say but not so easy
to do sometimes.
I have been thinking about something lately and preaching it as well when I have opportunity. Why did God do all that He did when you look at Genesis through to Jesus's death on the cross? Starting with the fall of man, the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden God then put in motion His rescue plan. He would teach mankind who He was, that He was holy, before anything else, His Holiness would come first. He taught us more through the story of Abraham and Isaac, the passover, the parting of the red sea, wandering 40 years in the wilderness, the arrival of Jesus- God in the flesh, His amazing life and horrible death, the darkening of the earth at mid-day, the earth quake and finally the tearing of the temple veil.
He went to some pretty extreme lengths that is for sure! Why did He do that? Was it to save us from an eternity without Him, an eternity in Hell? Yes. But it was more than that. Did He do all He did so that we could go to church every Sunday? No. So that we could listen to the Pastor each Sunday? No. So that we could read our Bibles? No. So that we could memorize scripture? No. These are all good and important things to do, but they aren't why God did all that He did.
The answer lies in Jn. 10:10. Jesus said - "I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." The "they" is us. The word "life" doesn't just refer to eternal life. It can mean eternal life in Greek but it also means life here and now. My point? God did all that He did so that we could have life right now! And where is life found? IN HIS PRESENCE. So here is the question, we know that God is everywhere all the time, but are we conscious of it? Do we consciously go into the Holy of Hollies now that the temple veil is torn? He did an amazing miracle in tearing that veil that was huge and thick! He was speaking very loudly that He wants us to come in, to commune with Him, to abide in Him! Do you? Do I?
We can read our bibles, we can listen to sermons, we can pray and make no mistake, they are all vital things that Christ followers should do on a regular basis and they are designed to guide us in our time in His presence, but none of them on their own are guaranteed to change us! There is only one thing that is guaranteed to change us, His presence.
I have known people who read their bibles and leave unchanged. I have known people who listen to sermons and leave unchanged. I have know people who have prayed and have left unchanged but I have never known anyone who has truly been in God's presence and has left unchanged. It doesn't happen. We will find life in His presence and we will be changed!
So please make it a practice of consciously going into the "holy of hollies" and realize who you are communing with. The Holy God of Israel! Be reverent, be serious and be quiet! If He is the master and we are the servant, we should do more listening than talking.
I have been thinking about something lately and preaching it as well when I have opportunity. Why did God do all that He did when you look at Genesis through to Jesus's death on the cross? Starting with the fall of man, the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden God then put in motion His rescue plan. He would teach mankind who He was, that He was holy, before anything else, His Holiness would come first. He taught us more through the story of Abraham and Isaac, the passover, the parting of the red sea, wandering 40 years in the wilderness, the arrival of Jesus- God in the flesh, His amazing life and horrible death, the darkening of the earth at mid-day, the earth quake and finally the tearing of the temple veil.
He went to some pretty extreme lengths that is for sure! Why did He do that? Was it to save us from an eternity without Him, an eternity in Hell? Yes. But it was more than that. Did He do all He did so that we could go to church every Sunday? No. So that we could listen to the Pastor each Sunday? No. So that we could read our Bibles? No. So that we could memorize scripture? No. These are all good and important things to do, but they aren't why God did all that He did.
The answer lies in Jn. 10:10. Jesus said - "I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." The "they" is us. The word "life" doesn't just refer to eternal life. It can mean eternal life in Greek but it also means life here and now. My point? God did all that He did so that we could have life right now! And where is life found? IN HIS PRESENCE. So here is the question, we know that God is everywhere all the time, but are we conscious of it? Do we consciously go into the Holy of Hollies now that the temple veil is torn? He did an amazing miracle in tearing that veil that was huge and thick! He was speaking very loudly that He wants us to come in, to commune with Him, to abide in Him! Do you? Do I?
We can read our bibles, we can listen to sermons, we can pray and make no mistake, they are all vital things that Christ followers should do on a regular basis and they are designed to guide us in our time in His presence, but none of them on their own are guaranteed to change us! There is only one thing that is guaranteed to change us, His presence.
I have known people who read their bibles and leave unchanged. I have known people who listen to sermons and leave unchanged. I have know people who have prayed and have left unchanged but I have never known anyone who has truly been in God's presence and has left unchanged. It doesn't happen. We will find life in His presence and we will be changed!
So please make it a practice of consciously going into the "holy of hollies" and realize who you are communing with. The Holy God of Israel! Be reverent, be serious and be quiet! If He is the master and we are the servant, we should do more listening than talking.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
One year home
It has been about one year now since we have returned from Mexico where we were full time career missionaries. I like that term Career Missionaries. We all do in our family. Everyone is doing ok but at the same time we all still miss missions in Latin America very much. We all like to think that we aren't done yet, that Lord willing one day we will be able to return. Who knows if that will happen or not, only God does.
Each member of the family is still dealing with the loss of our life in Latin America. Some are doing better than others, some are still struggling quite a bit. It is hard to relate to someone who has gone through what we have unless you have gone through it yourself. That kind of leaves us in a position where we have to deal with the loss on our own. We do have some people in our lives who have gone through it and understand but each situation is so different that even then it is hard to relate. We never wanted to leave, never wanted to be done, never felt like we were done. Our reasons for coming home were good but our hearts still have a hard time understanding if that makes sense.
I try to keep speaking Spanish, hoping that I will be able to use it again someday, everyday. Again I have no idea if I will but I hope so. It is a losing battle though, the words don't come as quick and more and more often I am unsure if it "sounds right."
The roller coaster with the twins continues. They are doing pretty well and have made so much progress in language and interacting. They really have. But one can easily slip into the compare game and see where other 4 yr olds are and then get discouraged. We continue to explore all avenues to help them and have found some success with this, some with that.
We will keep trusting God to help us, to heal the boys, to make sense of our return. We are blessed and He has been so gracious to us for which we are very grateful. Our Heavenly Father blesses us and carries us, through it all. His presence should be enough and when I am in the right frame of mind, having spent quality time with Him, His presence is enough. Then I lose my focus and so much of this life makes no sense to me. But when I quiet down and turn my eyes on Jesus, the cares and worries and nonsensical nature of this life we live really doesn't matter and it fades into the background.
Keep carrying us Lord. We need you!
Each member of the family is still dealing with the loss of our life in Latin America. Some are doing better than others, some are still struggling quite a bit. It is hard to relate to someone who has gone through what we have unless you have gone through it yourself. That kind of leaves us in a position where we have to deal with the loss on our own. We do have some people in our lives who have gone through it and understand but each situation is so different that even then it is hard to relate. We never wanted to leave, never wanted to be done, never felt like we were done. Our reasons for coming home were good but our hearts still have a hard time understanding if that makes sense.
I try to keep speaking Spanish, hoping that I will be able to use it again someday, everyday. Again I have no idea if I will but I hope so. It is a losing battle though, the words don't come as quick and more and more often I am unsure if it "sounds right."
The roller coaster with the twins continues. They are doing pretty well and have made so much progress in language and interacting. They really have. But one can easily slip into the compare game and see where other 4 yr olds are and then get discouraged. We continue to explore all avenues to help them and have found some success with this, some with that.
We will keep trusting God to help us, to heal the boys, to make sense of our return. We are blessed and He has been so gracious to us for which we are very grateful. Our Heavenly Father blesses us and carries us, through it all. His presence should be enough and when I am in the right frame of mind, having spent quality time with Him, His presence is enough. Then I lose my focus and so much of this life makes no sense to me. But when I quiet down and turn my eyes on Jesus, the cares and worries and nonsensical nature of this life we live really doesn't matter and it fades into the background.
Keep carrying us Lord. We need you!
Friday, February 26, 2016
Doctors, Psychologists and Therapists
Well we have settled into a groove here in Alberta. Honestly it has been really hard to find a new groove as it were, but we are on our way I think. The twins were diagnosed with Autism last October and although that was a huge blow to our family, with lots of prayer, professional help and more than anything a mother who is absolutely dedicated to helping the twins overcome, they are doing so much better! We have a long way to go for certain, but Jackson and Judeson are starting to hit some of the developmental milestones that they should be hitting. Their language has improved so much! Just a few short months ago, they didn't say much of anything, but now they are little chatter boxes!
We have them in a a type of therapy twice a week at the local school and just this week I went along. The psychologist who was meeting them for the first time told me it is obvious that both of them are very high functioning and although I have believed that to be the case for a long time, it was so nice to hear it from a professional! She wasn't the only one present either. There were also 2 educational assistants, an Occupational Therapist and another Teacher in charge of the program all there at the same time. Although it was perhaps a little overwhelming for the boys, it almost brought me to tears seeing all of these women who were there just for Jackson and Judeson! And all of it is paid for! What a switch from being in Mexico and not having a diagnosis and not knowing how to help them and feeling like we had no supports, to this!
I thank God that we are in a place where they can get help and where we can focus on helping them. This transition back to Alberta has been far from easy, but I know it is best for now and we trust that we will see God's redemption and restoration being worked out in our midst! The boys, just like our older kids, are His. This is truly all about Him!
We have them in a a type of therapy twice a week at the local school and just this week I went along. The psychologist who was meeting them for the first time told me it is obvious that both of them are very high functioning and although I have believed that to be the case for a long time, it was so nice to hear it from a professional! She wasn't the only one present either. There were also 2 educational assistants, an Occupational Therapist and another Teacher in charge of the program all there at the same time. Although it was perhaps a little overwhelming for the boys, it almost brought me to tears seeing all of these women who were there just for Jackson and Judeson! And all of it is paid for! What a switch from being in Mexico and not having a diagnosis and not knowing how to help them and feeling like we had no supports, to this!
I thank God that we are in a place where they can get help and where we can focus on helping them. This transition back to Alberta has been far from easy, but I know it is best for now and we trust that we will see God's redemption and restoration being worked out in our midst! The boys, just like our older kids, are His. This is truly all about Him!
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
It has been a crazy 3 months since we have posted here. My apologies for not getting to it sooner. We arrived in Alberta in mid June after a successful trip back from Mexico. The twins did very well and we were so thankful for that! Upon our arrival in Alberta we had to start looking for housing. It was too hard to do from down in Mexico. It took some time to find a place, a long time! We have only been in the place we are renting for about 3 weeks now. We were blessed to stay with some friends who we served with in Paraguay upon our arrival so God provided for us that way. It was so good to connect with them again!
Now it turns out that our eldest is attending the same school as their kids and not only that but the eldest child of our teammates in Mexico is also attending there so they all see each other every day! Our other 2 school aged kids are happy to continue home schooling for now which suits us just fine.
I have found work with a ministry called GoodSeed based only a half hour drive from our home. GoodSeed provides tools and training to help bible believers explain the gospel in a way that makes profound sense. My work involves creating a Spanish website for this ministry and networking in the Spanish speaking communities both here and abroad in order to get the word out! What a privilege to be able to continue doing missions right here at home! I am so excited about being able to help get the word out here and Latin America too! I can see how God has been preparing me for this role. I have contacts in a few different places in Latin America and they will be helpful to me in getting this life changing message out!
Now we are praying that our supporters will see this as a worthy mission and continue to support us in this new venture. We are still needing to raise support and as such are still faith based Missionaries. For that we are so grateful!
To God be the glory!
Now it turns out that our eldest is attending the same school as their kids and not only that but the eldest child of our teammates in Mexico is also attending there so they all see each other every day! Our other 2 school aged kids are happy to continue home schooling for now which suits us just fine.
I have found work with a ministry called GoodSeed based only a half hour drive from our home. GoodSeed provides tools and training to help bible believers explain the gospel in a way that makes profound sense. My work involves creating a Spanish website for this ministry and networking in the Spanish speaking communities both here and abroad in order to get the word out! What a privilege to be able to continue doing missions right here at home! I am so excited about being able to help get the word out here and Latin America too! I can see how God has been preparing me for this role. I have contacts in a few different places in Latin America and they will be helpful to me in getting this life changing message out!
Now we are praying that our supporters will see this as a worthy mission and continue to support us in this new venture. We are still needing to raise support and as such are still faith based Missionaries. For that we are so grateful!
To God be the glory!
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Homeward Bound
After much prayer and quite a bit of angst on my part, we have decided that the best thing for our family at this time is to return to Alberta, ending out Foreign Missionary Service. It is with a heavy heart that we announce this, being over-seas Missionaries has been our dream for so many years now and the only thing the majority of our kids ever remember doing!
The prayer letter link posted below will give you more details on the reasoning etc. Please click on it and give it a quick read.
However we do not at all feel like we are done being Missionaries. We believe God is calling us to continue to serve Him going forward. All the details are not yet worked out so please pray for us. Pray also that we would find suitable housing and that our transition time will be short (that we would be able to find housing soon!). Thanks so much, we will continue to post info here as the info becomes available. Again, the letter below has much more info. Thanks.
The prayer letter link posted below will give you more details on the reasoning etc. Please click on it and give it a quick read.
However we do not at all feel like we are done being Missionaries. We believe God is calling us to continue to serve Him going forward. All the details are not yet worked out so please pray for us. Pray also that we would find suitable housing and that our transition time will be short (that we would be able to find housing soon!). Thanks so much, we will continue to post info here as the info becomes available. Again, the letter below has much more info. Thanks.
Elliott Prayer Letter
Monday, February 16, 2015
Humbled at the Vineyards
Last Monday 3 or 4 young men from our church, a fellow missionary
and 2 of my kids and I went off to a local vineyard where each week we present
a Christian movie and then the gospel message to the Migrant workers there who
come from Southern Mexico. Little did we know, God had something in store
for us that we could never have expected.
After the movie which depicted the chat
that the strangers on the road to Emaus might have had with Jesus after his
resurrection, I presented the message of salvation for the 50 or so Migrant
Workers who were there listening. After I finished speaking, we handed
out some tracts, transferred a few audio bibles and handed out a few regular
bibles, we were prepared to leave. That is when an older man came up and
asked for a bible. As we handed it to him he explained how much this
bible meant to him. He said he had been waiting for a bible for 30 years!
I found that hard to believe but even if he had been waiting for 10
years! Wow. What a privilege to be able to hand this man a bible!
But that wasn't all that God had in store for us that night.
A young man came up to me and explained
that he was a Christian. He was from the state of Chiapas which shares a
border with Guatemala. He said that his family in Chiapas was waiting for
him to save some of his wages from laboring in the vineyards and send some back
to them. The problem is that he was only able to save 34 pesos a day, the
equivalent of about $3 Canadian. Hardly enough to send back home.
That is when he asked me to pray for him and the tears started to roll
down his cheeks. Then he handed me a folded up piece of paper. He said that out
there at the vineyard he was isolated and didn't have the opportunity to go to
church. He was thankful that we had come and shared the word of God and
had encouraged him. He said his "offering or tithe" was inside
the folded piece of paper he had handed me. I asked if I could open it up
and he said yes.
When I saw what was inside the piece of
paper I must admit that all of a sudden I wanted to run away. I didn't
want to be there, didn't want to accept the money, didn't want to be
responsible for such a weight. He had given the Lord (via me) 100 pesos -
the equivalent to about $8.50 Canadian or for him, 3 days wages. All the
while his family was waiting for him to send them money. I wanted to
convince him not to give it to me. I wanted to tell him that he needed
it, that his family needed it. I really
didn’t want that money. I asked him if
he was sure that God wanted him to give me this money as a tithe. He said yes.
I didn’t believe him. I didn’t
want to believe it, more than anything I didn’t want to be responsible for the
tithe. I asked him again if he was sure
that he was sure. Again, without
hesitation he said yes. I felt like God
said to me that if He was the one who told this young man to do this, then I
had better accept it.
So I did the only thing I could do, I accepted it and prayed for
him. We wept together as I crouched
before him. I crouched there because I
felt less than he. I felt so humbled by
his faith. He was openly weeping as he
handed me 3 days wages, not being able to save a substantial amount to send
back to his family, but believing the God of the universe was more than able to
meet his need and that of his family.
As a missionary I am on the receiving end of many blessings, my
family and I are the recipients of many dollars from friends and family who by
their giving sustain us. I must say
though, of all the hundreds and thousands of dollars we have received over the
years, that $8.50 was likely the largest gift I have ever received. It is not for me or my family, but rather
intrusted to me (a stranger to this young Christian) to use as I see fit for
the Lord and His purposes. I am praying
about what to do with that amazing gift as it sits on my desk at home.
So, what is God saying to you through this story that I was
privileged to be a part of? Do you give
to God only from your abundance? Have
you ever given to God what you really needed, believing that He is more than
able to provide for your need? Have you
ever given to Him when it didn’t make sense humanly speaking? Have you ever experienced God like this?
Let me challenge you with this.
Psalm 34:8 tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Do you give God the opportunity to show you
how good He tastes? Or do you shrink
back from extending yourself for God because it doesn’t make “good sense”? For this young Mexican Christian to give me 3
days wages as an offering to the Lord when he obviously needed the money, well
that makes no sense. It makes no sense
at all, unless of course the one who makes the offering knows the one to whom
he offers the sacrifice. This young man
showed great faith and I believe God will reward him greatly for obeying, even
when it didn’t make sense. That is how
we taste and see that the Lord is good!
Next time you feel God nudging you to do something that doesn’t
make sense (related to money or not), don’t shrink back, don’t explain it away
as not making sense and thus lean on your own understanding. Obey God, do it and taste and see that the
Lord is good!We are heading out again tonight (and each Tuesday and Friday) so please pray for this ministry!
Friday, January 16, 2015
Monday, December 8, 2014
Sometimes I Just Love it Here!
So the other day I became aware of a rattling under my car as I drove. Upon a quick investigation I realized there was a fairly large piece of light metal that was loose and rattling around but did not look in danger of falling off.
The next day I had a bit of time, so I ran uptown and took the car to a mechanic. I told him what I had heard and seen and immediately he told me to pull up over the open pit so he could get underneath the vehicle and have a look. I wish I had taken a picture of that pit! My driver side wheels were on solid concrete at the left side of the pit, but as I pulled up over-top of the pit, my passenger side wheels had to line up with a small ramp that spanned the length of the pit, barely wider than my wheels and with hardly any side rails to protect me from falling off of it! Hope you can picture what I mean.
So I very very slowly crept onto the ramp and proceeded forward all the while keeping a watchful eye on the mechanic who was guiding me forward with hand signals, pointing me left or right as I crept forward. I have never driven so slow! Thankfully I reached the point where he signaled me to stop.
I got out of the car and he went down into the maybe 6-7 foot deep pit. He grabbed a socket and began to work. After maybe 4 to 5 minutes of tightening and banging around he emerged from the pit and told me that it was a heat deflector near my muffler that had come loose. He was fairly sure that the noise I had heard was coming from that piece which he had now secured. Satisfied at his explanation, I asked him what I owed him. This is the best part of the story and my reason for sharing it with you. He replied, "just by me a soda pop."
Hardly able to believe what I had heard and thinking that I misunderstood his Spanish I asked him to repeat himself and he said, "Well it was no big deal, just by me a soda pop."
I pulled out a 50 peso bill from my wallet (about $4 dollars) and said, "let me give you 50 pesos at least." He smiled a big smile and thanked me profusely!
I returned home, having been gone all of about 20 minutes, and only 50 pesos poorer!
Maybe this experience will help to make up for all the times where a "quick errand" took half the day as I waited for someone to show up to a scheduled appointment, or waited in a line-up for some sort!
The next day I had a bit of time, so I ran uptown and took the car to a mechanic. I told him what I had heard and seen and immediately he told me to pull up over the open pit so he could get underneath the vehicle and have a look. I wish I had taken a picture of that pit! My driver side wheels were on solid concrete at the left side of the pit, but as I pulled up over-top of the pit, my passenger side wheels had to line up with a small ramp that spanned the length of the pit, barely wider than my wheels and with hardly any side rails to protect me from falling off of it! Hope you can picture what I mean.
So I very very slowly crept onto the ramp and proceeded forward all the while keeping a watchful eye on the mechanic who was guiding me forward with hand signals, pointing me left or right as I crept forward. I have never driven so slow! Thankfully I reached the point where he signaled me to stop.
I got out of the car and he went down into the maybe 6-7 foot deep pit. He grabbed a socket and began to work. After maybe 4 to 5 minutes of tightening and banging around he emerged from the pit and told me that it was a heat deflector near my muffler that had come loose. He was fairly sure that the noise I had heard was coming from that piece which he had now secured. Satisfied at his explanation, I asked him what I owed him. This is the best part of the story and my reason for sharing it with you. He replied, "just by me a soda pop."
Hardly able to believe what I had heard and thinking that I misunderstood his Spanish I asked him to repeat himself and he said, "Well it was no big deal, just by me a soda pop."
I pulled out a 50 peso bill from my wallet (about $4 dollars) and said, "let me give you 50 pesos at least." He smiled a big smile and thanked me profusely!
I returned home, having been gone all of about 20 minutes, and only 50 pesos poorer!
Maybe this experience will help to make up for all the times where a "quick errand" took half the day as I waited for someone to show up to a scheduled appointment, or waited in a line-up for some sort!
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Always Be Ready
In the last week I have unexpectedly been asked about the hope that I have on 2 different occasions. I have come to realize that the Mexican people are much more sensitive to spiritual things than folks back home.
I was doing an errand when I was introduced to a friend of a friend. It seems he was struggling in his life with various family and business issues. I was introduced as a Pastor, which is a stretch but non-the-less he started to ask me about what I believe. He kept peppering me with questions about my faith and what I believe and why. I was able to give some understanding to him about how the Trinity Works and how God can be three in one. We talked of the Holy of Holies and how when Jesus died and the temple veil was torn in 2 it meant that now all who have the Spirit living in their hearts could now enter the Holy of Holies and commune with God the Father directly, only because of what Jesus did for us. We talked of John 17:3 which says that the only way to eternal life is to "know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you sent to the earth". I was able to lay out the gospel message to him. He even came to the church prayer meeting a few nights later. After talking to this man for close to an hour he remarked to me, "you know what, I like you, there is a peace about you." This isn't the first time someone has said that, referring to the Spirit that lives in me whether they knew it or not.
Now I have learned that this man's 30 year old sister got sick and suddenly died just a few days ago. I am praying that God brings this man to faith in Him through this tragedy and thus once again brings beauty out of ashes.
Then yesterday I had to get a flat tire fixed and the "llantero" (the guy who fixed my tire) and I got talking and once again, I was asked what I am doing here in Mexico etc. When I tell people I am a Missionary they usually have questions. The people here are so open to talk about spiritual things! So once again after laying out the gospel message for about 45mins I had to leave. I have noticed that my words flow so much better when I am explaining spiritual things than when I am talking about whatever. I know God is helping me in those moments. It is nice to fee like God is using me. It gives me so much purpose in life.
All of this reminds me how I need to be ready always to give a reason for the hope that I profess. 1 Peter 3:15
I was doing an errand when I was introduced to a friend of a friend. It seems he was struggling in his life with various family and business issues. I was introduced as a Pastor, which is a stretch but non-the-less he started to ask me about what I believe. He kept peppering me with questions about my faith and what I believe and why. I was able to give some understanding to him about how the Trinity Works and how God can be three in one. We talked of the Holy of Holies and how when Jesus died and the temple veil was torn in 2 it meant that now all who have the Spirit living in their hearts could now enter the Holy of Holies and commune with God the Father directly, only because of what Jesus did for us. We talked of John 17:3 which says that the only way to eternal life is to "know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you sent to the earth". I was able to lay out the gospel message to him. He even came to the church prayer meeting a few nights later. After talking to this man for close to an hour he remarked to me, "you know what, I like you, there is a peace about you." This isn't the first time someone has said that, referring to the Spirit that lives in me whether they knew it or not.
Now I have learned that this man's 30 year old sister got sick and suddenly died just a few days ago. I am praying that God brings this man to faith in Him through this tragedy and thus once again brings beauty out of ashes.
Then yesterday I had to get a flat tire fixed and the "llantero" (the guy who fixed my tire) and I got talking and once again, I was asked what I am doing here in Mexico etc. When I tell people I am a Missionary they usually have questions. The people here are so open to talk about spiritual things! So once again after laying out the gospel message for about 45mins I had to leave. I have noticed that my words flow so much better when I am explaining spiritual things than when I am talking about whatever. I know God is helping me in those moments. It is nice to fee like God is using me. It gives me so much purpose in life.
All of this reminds me how I need to be ready always to give a reason for the hope that I profess. 1 Peter 3:15
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