The Cultural of Abundant Life

We live in a time when death and destruction are all around us and it seems to be on the increase with everything that is happening in the world today. The natural disasters, revolutions and increase in violence have the potential of causing our attention to be focused on death. For some people life is too hard or is meaningless and they make decisions to end their life and often the life of other people who they have seemingly insurmountable issues. In my home state of Minnesota a 16 year girl was murdered by her17 year old boyfriend who then committed suicide. He had been planning this act and left evidence of it on his computer. Japan is a nation with a high suicide rate because of its emphasis on success and the pressures that are created from it. We need to continue to pray for the people in Japan who have suffered great losses that the temptation to end their lives will be replaced with the message of hope that comes from the gospel.
During this time in Guatemala there is great emphasis on the suffering and death of Christ. You will see many processions that play the dirge music and show Mary weeping and Christ's suffering. The term the passion of the Christ means the suffering of Christ. It is important for us to remember what Christ endured for our sins and we must never take lightly the suffering he encountered physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually when he was on the earth. He came to earth to give us life through his death. He came to free us from the bondage of sin so we could experience life in its fullness. He wants us to celebrate being a culture of abundant life and not death. Jesus came to show us the life that we can have when we are in right relationship with God.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said,
Mat 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Mat 6:27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
One of the first things Jesus addressed was being anxious about the basic life needs of food, drink and clothing. Jesus wants us to be free from these concerns so we can focus on what is really the essence of life. The reason we can do this is explained in the next verses that assure us that God, our Father knows what we need and will be faithful to provide for us when we focus on seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
(Mat 6:32) For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
(Mat 6:33) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
(Mat 6:34) "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

We will experience the life God wants for us when we first set our mind on seeking the things that have the highest priority: God's Kingdom and His righteousness. God wants us to be free in our thinking to be able to have fellowship with Him and enjoy our relationship with Him. Anxiety about the basic needs of life will distract us from our true focus that will give us the life that God has for us.
Rolland and Heidi Baker are tremendous modern day examples of people who have placed their trust in God’s faithfulness to fulfill his word to meet physical needs. Many times they have seen food multiplied to meet the needs of the people who they did not expect to come. They minister in Mozambique where the needs are great but as Heidi has stated, “Jesus is more than enough.”
Anxiety and worry can consume our lives and for many people it does. If we are in right relationship with God we can have confidence that He will fulfill his promise to provide for the basic needs of life. Paul encouraged the Philippian church to be anxious for nothing
(Php 4:6) do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Through trust and prayer, the enemy of anxiety can be conquered and we can be free to focus on the work of the Kingdom.

Another enemy of experiencing the life God has for us is covetousness.

Jesus also spoke against covetousness because it is a major distraction to keep us from experiencing real life.
Luk 12:15 And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

The word covet means to “always desire to have more” Vine’s dictionary

We are a consumer driven society and the focus of our life is not to be on the accumulation of possessions, striving after things that bring only temporary pleasure. Advertisers play on our greed and a feeling of entitlement to have more things that we so deserve even if we cannot afford them. I noticed that Best Buy stores are now offering to buy back your computer when you want to upgrade to the next level. They want to eliminate any concerns that you may have about selling your computer so you can buy a new one. There will always be better, faster, easier etc. things that will be on the market and we must be careful that we do not allow greed or covetousness to motivate our actions. John D. Rockefeller was an extremely wealthy man. When asked how much was enough, he replied, " A little more." For him there was never enough and with that focus one will always be seeking for more. We can spend a lot of time thinking, planning, searching for the next new thing that we have to have and this will divert our attention away from the things that really matter in life.

One example of a believer who lived a life without many possessions was Sundar Singh. He felt that God had called him to be a teacher of His word among the people of India, Nepal and Tibet. He spent most of his life walking through these countries sharing the gospel with the people. The only things he carried with him were the saffron tunic he wore, his sandals and his Bible. He depended on God to supply his needs for food and shelter. He often refused to accept gifts from people because he did not need them. One time he was given a blanket which he kept only for a few minutes because he met someone who needed it and he gave it away. He lived his life not trying to accumulate possession or coveting after things. He was content with the little that he had and to fulfill his calling he did not want or need much of anything else. He may be an extreme example because he did not have other responsibilities such s a wife or family to care for yet his heart attitude is one that is a model for us to follow.
Everything we have should be held with an open hand to be able to freely give it away without any feelings of loss. The more things we possess the more time we have to devote to maintain them or built a place to store them. Sometimes the greatest freedom we can experience is found in giving away all the things that are cluttering our lives and taking away our focus from what is really important.

A third obstacle to living the life God has for us that Jesus taught is trying to save our life or protect and preserve our life. This is living for yourself and making sure that you keep everything that is yours and build a fortress to ensure that it will not be taken from you. “The natural tendency is to save our lives by selfish, complacent, routine, petty existences. We may indulge our pleasures and appetites by basking in comfort, luxury, and ease, by living for the present, by trading our finest talents to the world in exchange for a few years of mock security
When we try to preserve our lives we miss out on the real life God has for us. We have to lose this life in order to gain the life the truly is life.

Luk 9:23 And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Luk 9:24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Luk 9:25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Following Jesus requires us to die to our self life and place everything under His Lordship. It may require that we lay down our life for the sake of His Kingdom. Fear of death can keep us from being obedient to follow after Christ and his call upon our lives. The life on earth is temporary and we tend to live it as safely as we can which can keep us from stepping out in faith and obedience to what God calls us to do.

Sundar Singh was on a journey with another man and they were walking through the snow in the mountains when they saw a man who had slid off the path, down the mountain and was laying motionless. The man who was with Sundar wanted to keep going and not risk helping the man in need. The weather was getting worse and it was cold and in his mind the delay and the dangers involved in rescuing this man were going to jeopardize their ability to reach their destination. Sundar ignored his advice and went down the slope to rescue the man while his partner decided to go on without him. Sundar rescued the man who could not walk and carried him on his back toward their destination. In route, they came across a man who was lying on the path. He had frozen to death. When Sundar looked at the man's face he recognized that it was his partner who had left him behind. Sundar realized that the man he was carrying caused his body to generate heat from the extra weight and effort he had to make to carry him and because of this he was able to keep from freezing. In being willing to lose his life, he actually saved it. When we take risks for God in obedience to Him he honors and rewards us. Being "safe" is not our highest priority and can be one of the greatest hindrances to advancing God's kingdom.
I recently listened to a message by Afshin Ziafat, given at Dallas Theological Seminary. He told about a young man named BJ Higgins whose story is captured in the book about him called, "I would die for you."
At 8yrs old BJ accepted Christ. When he was 9-10 years old he was actively sharing his faith on school bus with great passion telling the passengers that they would be going to hell if they did not accept Christ. When he was 13-14 years old he was sharing faith on line on a regular basis, leading people to Christ. At age 15 he was called to mission field and wanted to go to Morocco, a Muslim nation. He and his sister went to Peru on mission trip where he contracted and died of a rare disease. The book that was written about his life was based on the diary he kept. The impact of BJ's short life has touched many people, possibly more than it would have touched had he not died. Afshin learned from this book, that BJ accepted Christ after hearing him preach at his first outside speaking engagement. He and his wife decided that they wanted to meet BJ's parents after contacting them via the internet. When they met Afshin learned more about the impact of BJ's life.
After BJ's funeral his parents took his ashes to Morocco, the country BJ felt called to serve. They walked up a hill that overlooked a Muslim village and poured out his ashes and prayed for the village. The Muslim guide was told about BJ's life and he was greatly impacted by his story and eventually gave his life to Christ. He is now pastoring one of the underground churches in Morocco. BJ's life also impacted another life of a young man from Sudan.
When BJ’s father was on a bus in Kenya a Sudanese young man sat down next to him and he shared his faith with him. The young man wanted a Bible but the only Bible he had was BJ’s with all of his treasured writings in it. He was reluctant to give it to him because of its value to him but he did. He prayed for him and God spoke to him that he was praying for the next evangelist in Kenya. He shared this with the 15 year old young man who was the same age as BJ when he died. Today this man is preaching the gospel in Kenya.
We never know the impact our life will have on people when we surrender it completely to the Lord and allow Him to direct us wherever He wants us to go. Even in death our lives can bear much fruit.
The life that Jesus has for us is an abundant life. Anxiety, covetousness, selfishness and self preservation keep us from experiencing the real life Jesus has for us.
Joh 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
The word for life is "zoe" which is the life of God, the very life that He gave to Jesus. Jesus wants us to experience and live the same life he had. The zoe life is a life of abundance because God is not lacking in anything.
The words more abundant in the Greek mean: super abundant, superior in quality and excessive. I relate the abundant life to the fruit and the power of the Holy Spirit. Some may want to relate this verse to material things but to me the Kingdom of God is not about possessions or things. It is more about the inner qualities that reflect the character and nature of God that God wants us to have in abundance. When the fruit of the spirit is in operation in my life I am living the zoe life.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
In a world that is filled with hatred, killing, anger, deception, selfishness, greed, and all the other works of the enemy the value and importance of having the fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives becomes more obvious to those who do not have it.
Afshin Ziafat grew up in a devout Muslim family that fled Iran to the USA when he was young. While living in the USA, he and his friends would throw rocks at a group of Catholic nuns when they left their home. One day his friend threw a rock that broke a clay pot the nun was carrying. He was afraid of what would happen to him so he turned to run away. He tripped and fell and was injured. The nun approached him and he thought she would harm him for what he had done. Instead she bent down and tended his injures. That image profoundly impacted these young boys as they witnessed the fruit of the Spirit working in the life of the nun. She responded in the opposite spirit because she was controlled by the Holy Spirit.
How we respond to opposition will reveal our character and the maturity level of the fruit of the Spirit in us. When we have the abundant life in us it can flow out of us in times of adversity and trial and be a witness to the world that expects the opposite. In the midst of every storm in life we can experience the life of God in abundance. When we are squeezed by ungodly actions of people, difficult circumstances, trials and tests of our Christian beliefs, our true fragrance will be emitted.
Abundant living is living the life of God. It is living with the evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Paul understood the greatness of this power that was at work in him and his prayers and writings to the churches and leaders reflect this.
 
To the Ephesian believers he wrote:
Eph 1:19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
Eph 3:16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Eph 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
To the church at Colossae he wrote:
Col 1:11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
Col 1:29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
To the church in Thessalonica he wrote:
1Th 1:5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
To Timothy a young pastor he wrote:
2Ti 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
God supernatural power is at work within each of us and He wants us to learn how to operate in its power as part of the abundant life He has for us.
Holy Spirit fruit plus Holy Spirit power will make us witnesses and workers who will experience the abundant life God desires for each person. Let us never settle for anything less than what God desires and has made available to us.

When good things happen to bad people

We all wrestle with understanding why bad things happen to good people but tonight I want to look at the opposite of this, “when good things happen to bad and needy people.”

God is his grace gives certain things to everyone and we will look at that later but first I want to look at an issue that we see frequently and that is wicked and selfish people who obtain good things by doing evil things such as manipulation, exploitation and abuse of their powers. Asaph and Job wrote about this issue.

Asaph wrote about this in Psalms 73:1-12

A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.

For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.

They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.

Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.

Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.

They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.

They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.

Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.

And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.



It is difficult for us to understand why the wicked live at ease while so many who seem more deserving struggle for survival. To us it seems unfair, unjust and we wonder why. In the news recently the lifestyles of some of the world’s leaders have been exposed. Former President of Egypt Mubarak is worth billions of dollars in a nation where the majority of the people live on less than $2 per day. Khadafi who rules over Libya is also extremely wealthy and has no problem flaunting it in a nation that also has a majority of the people living in poverty. The list could extend to many leaders, business owners as well as common people of the world who are evil people yet live lives of comfort and luxury. It is easy for us to condemn them and question why they get away with what seems to be great inequity and injustice.

Job had the same questions that Asaph had when he was placed on trial.

Job 21:7 -20

Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? Their offspring are established in their presence, and their descendants before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them. Their bull breeds without fail; their cow calves and does not miscarry. They send out their little boys like a flock, and their children dance. They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol.They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’ Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand? The counsel of the wicked is far from me. “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity comes upon them? That God distributes pains in his anger? That they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away? You say, ‘God stores up their iniquity for their children.’ Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it. Let their own eyes see their destruction, and let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

The problem Asaph and Job had when they viewed the prosperity of the wicked is that they did not consider that God will have a day of justice for all of mankind. He sees everything and knows the thoughts and intentions of the heart of every person. A day of reckoning will come and for some it will happen while they are still alive when their schemes are uncovered and they are brought to trial in civilian court or some other form of judgment takes place to strip them of what they have. God has established his law of sowing and reaping. He will not be mocked and in one form or another those who have exploited, manipulated and gained wealth in ways that dishonor God’s nature and character will be judged and punished. As believers we have a responsibility to bring to light the things done in darkness that are destroying people’s lives. We cannot sit back and not respond thinking that in the end they will pay for what they have done. We have to be the defender of the weak, the poor, those enslaved by others of which there are more than 27 million people in this category. God loves justice because it is his nature and when we carry out his justice it releases people and brings glory to God.

When we see the wicked prosper we need to trust in God’s perfect judgments be executed but we also need to take action to rescue the oppressed and bring the violators to justice in a way that reflects God’s nature and character. I think all of us have read of cases in Guatemala where the people took justice into their own hands and put to death people who were accused of committing crimes. Some times their actions are based on the impunity of the courts and the corruption that takes place in the justice system. When the violator is not caught or properly punished which is a very common the people take things into their own hands because they lack confidence in the system to execute justice. In Guatemala less than 5% of the crimes committed are brought to court which only serves to justify the actions of the people who bring their own form of justice to bear on the violator. This not the right way to resolve the issues of injustice and we cannot condone these actions.

We must be careful in what we call “good” because much of what we call good may really be evil based on how it is obtained, how it is used and what are the final results. If receiving all the pleasures and goods this world has to offer alienates me from God or keeps me from even seeking God how can that be a good thing? If I exploit other people or lie or steal to gain something that is good, how good is it? We have to look at what is good from God’s perspective and not our own.

Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

If we do not acknowledge God or see that every good and perfect gift comes from him then we will be quick to use those things exclusively for our own benefit because we claim ownership of them rather than the Christian concept of stewardship of everything God has given to us. Our sinful nature is very selfish. We think of ourselves first, what is best for me, what I want always takes precedence. We live in a very fallen world and we see injustice and selfishness on a daily basis. Yet God’s eyes are not blind to those who seem to be living in luxury at the expense of others. Their day of justice will come and the kingdoms they have built will be counted as nothing when the see the King of Glory and see themselves for who they really are.

Pro 10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

Those who gain through evil means have a sorrow added to it by the Lord. That sorrow may be experienced in this life or at the judgment seat on the final day.

People who do evil to obtain what appears to be good things is one thing but I also want to look at why things that are truly good things, gifts from God, are given to bad and needy people. You and I are or were in this category at one time in our lives.

In a word this defines grace. God’s undeserved or unmerited favor, receiving something that we do not deserve.



God’s nature is one of goodness. The original Saxon word for God really meant “the good.” God is good and there is no evil in him. His goodness is extended to all of mankind, the rich, the poor, the righteous and the unrighteous, he causes good things to happen to everyone. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. “Mat 5:45

Psa 104:14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth

Psa 104:27 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season.

God is his goodness and grace has provided a fertile earth and all that is needed to give food to all of his creation.

God’s greatest act of grace was his gift of Jesus. Through this gift of grace we see God’s goodness to provide a way for our sins to be forgiven, our relationships to be restored and the gift of eternal life given to all who receive God’s gift in Christ.

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

God wants his goodness to lead men to repentance. This can only happen when the eyes of our understanding are flooded with the light of God’s truth. Then we can see clearly that every good thing we have in life is a gift from God and our response must be one of complete surrender to Him who is the Source of all goodness. We realize that without God we are nothing and everything that we have given greater value in our life of sin is as nothing. When we see ourselves properly we can only admit that we are not deserving of anything. Every one of us has fallen short of God’s original intent for our lives. Before we surrendered our lives to God, we lived as though He did not exist and the world revolved around us. We did not seek Him but He sought us. His love for us caused him to give us the greatest most undeserved gift possible and that was his Son who would give his life to ransom ours. God has given the greatest good gift to a world that is full of evil. Paul stated in Rom 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A good thing has happened to bad people and we are one of them. We did not deserve it but God in his grace, gave us what we did not deserve. God made Jesus to be our sin that we may become righteous or in right standing with Him. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross was the just payment of a righteous God. The blood satisfied the requirement God demanded to pay for the sins of all of mankind. This blood was God’s grace in action. Ravi Zacharias tells the story of a man who survived the assault on the hotel in Mumbai in 2008 where over 200 people were slaughtered by the assassins. When the assassins began shooting the people this man went down to the floor and pretended he was dead even though he was not shot. When asked afterward why he was not killed he said the man next to him had been shot and because his blood was splattered on his body, the assassins thought he was dead. The blood of this man spared his life. You and I have received the blood of Jesus and the death we deserved has been atoned for by the blood of Jesus. This is the good thing God has given to bad people.

John stated in John 1:16 “And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” The grace of God was not just a one time gift but it is a continual gift to us. God loves to give good things to people who do not deserve them. This is his nature, he enjoys who he is and giving his grace is something he delights in doing.

We are to be people of grace, willing to give freely and generously to people who some may claim are not worthy. God calls us to demonstrate His grace to a fallen world and that can take on many forms. One of the ways we have been able to extend God’s grace and show His goodness is through some building projects and distributing food to the needy.

We have been able to build a few homes for people in need in San Pablo La Laguna. We work through a couple of pastors who know their community and see people in need. We have built a couple homes for people who many have deemed unworthy of receiving them because of the way they live. Many ask why we built a home for this family when the parent’s are not saints. In their minds there are people more deserving than the ones selected. Regardless, the need that they have for a home is there and often there are young children involved or circumstances that happened such as a mudslide that destroyed their previous home that brought about the need. Our hope is that through the gift of the home they will see the goodness of God and desire to know Him. If we wait until people are good enough we will probably never help them but if we are people of grace as our God is a God of grace we will give to meet the needs of people and trust God to work in their lives to bring about the awareness of his goodness to them.

We have also received food that we are giving away to people in need as a way of demonstrating God’s goodness and His grace. Mark and Dayle have been taking food to the homeless people living near the Mercado each week. The need is obvious and though some may label these people as unworthy God sees them differently and through the giving of a meal to them our prayer is that they will see a God who sees and responds in love to meet them at their point of need.

God has created us to do good works because it is through our good works that people can see God’s goodness and give glory to Him. This has to be the motivation for the work God has given us and we must always give God the glory for the good things we are able to do to help people. We are simply God’s instruments he has chosen to use to bring glory to him. We must be quick to give him the honor and point people to Him. Just like a compass always points to true north our good works should always point to God.

Paul wrote to Titus and encouraged the people to be devoted to good works.

Tit 3:8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people

Tit 3:14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

Good works are ways that we get to demonstrate the grace of God to people. Works do not save us but give evidence that we are saved from selfish and judgmental living. Good works flow out of a new nature we have received. We have a new nature of goodness that is reflected in Christ who lives in us. What better people to be the recipients of good works than those who do not know God or live for Him. I can not think of a better way to demonstrate God’s love and grace than through tangible acts of kindness and goodwill to people. People may not completely understand our motive and some may think that we are trying to get something out of them or back from them but when they do understand that it is a free and unconditional gift they are receiving I believe it will help open their hearts to see God in a new perspective. I would much rather leave people with an image of a God of love and grace than one of judgment and condemnation.

Paul specified 2 types of works; those that are profitable and excellent and those that meet urgent needs. Our works should be quality that of excellence that reflect that we care enough to give something of value and worth. Giving someone a stale piece of bread or one that has mold on it communicates a strong message to the recipient. Some may say it is better than nothing but the question we need to ask is, is this the best I can give from what I have? Does this meet the standard of excellence and profitability that God would want me to hold myself to? We can not use a different standard when it comes to doing good works for other people. “Good enough” , “Beggars can’t be fussy”; “It’s better than nothing” are phrases that I have said and heard from others when it comes to helping some people. These are not the standards God expects of us because they do not reflect how he feels about the people and what he wants for them.

The last home we built was for a family near the base. When I went to visit them and see what they needed and what we could do for them, I had in my mind what would be best and explained to the dad what we could do. When I came back to see them a couple days later, they presented me with some of their own ideas of what they would like. At first I thought their ideas were not going to work and I stated again what we could do. After I left I began to think about their needs and desires and what would be best for them. I changed my mind to give them what they really wanted and needed. I did not want to insist on my ideas and in the end have the family a little upset that I did not care about what they needed. So we built the home the way they wanted within the budget we had and everyone was happy. The same thing happened with the stove built for them. I had in mind what I thought would be a great stove that was developed by a guy who worked in Guatemala with the Peace Corp for a couple of year. I downloaded the instruction in Spanish complete with pictures of how to build the stove and showed it to the son-in-law who would be building the stove. I simply asked him to read it over and let me know if this was something he could do and if not we would look at some other options. After looking at the design, he came up with a bigger and hopefully better way to do it. The stove is about twice as big as I had originally thought it would be but it is exactly what the family needs to help them with their tortilla business. It was done with excellence and I pray it will be profitable for their business.

The other type of work Paul described is meeting urgent needs. We have seen the urgent needs in Japan and I hope you have been able to give in some way to help meet the needs. There are many worthy organizations that are doing a lot to help the people and we can give with confidence that our gifts will go to the need.

World Vision’s founder was Bob Pierce. The organization came as a result of a trip that Bob took to China when he was working with Youth For Christ. During the trip, he shared the gospel message at a school of 400 children living on an island off of China. He gave an invitation for the children to receive Christ and then told those who gave their lives to Christ to go home and tell their parents that they were going to be Christians. Bob wrote what happened next.

“Well, when I came to the mission school the next morning, Tena (the school teacher) met me with a little girl in her arms. The child’s back was bleeding from the caning her father had given her when she went home and announced that she was a Christian, and she was going to live for the one true God…she’d gone home and told her father who was incensed because that by turning to Christ she had dishonored his ancestors.”

The school teacher told Bob Pierce that he was not leaving the island without doing something for her. The girl could not return home and the teacher did not have the resources to care for her as she was already taking care of several children. Bob had only $5 with him which he gave to the teacher but the teacher was very adamant in holding Bob responsible for the on-going care of the children. She said to him, “That’s just the beginning, Bob Pierce. You will send me five dollars every month. I ‘ll let her sleep in the kitchen like my other six do, and I promise you I’ll take care of her.” Bob had to make a decision whether he would make a one time gift or a long term commitment to help this girl. Bob made a commitment to send money each month and wrote Tena’s name in his Bible as a record of his commitment. This was the beginning of World Vision that still operates today in many parts of the world. Like Bob Pierce, we all have opportunities to reach out and meet urgent needs of people and for some of you this will develop into a ministry that will involve a greater commitment of your time, energy and resources. Bob Pierce is remembered for a statement that he wrote in his Bible while on Kojedo Island which many of you may have heard that shaped his life and ministry and I pray it will do the same for each one of us. “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.” These are the things that God reveals to us and calls us to action to display His goodness and grace through the good works we are able to do to meet needs. (Bob Pierce This One Thing I Do)

As you spend time in Guatemala I pray that God will speak to you and show you exactly what your mission of good works should be. It will be a great challenge as you pursue the mission but you will also see God’s great provision because you are manifesting His nature and character to the people He loves and cares deeply for each person.

The Road Less Traveled...March 2011

Greetings from Guatemala! It is hard to believe all the changes that have taken place in recent days in the Middle East and in North Africa. People are crying out for freedom from oppression from rulers who have had control over their nations for years. My prayer is for the true freedom that is only found in Christ will be the guiding force as new governments are established. The truth of the gospel is the only message that brings true freedom and I pray that the gospel message will be freely shared in these nations. I am grateful for the openness that we have in Guatemala to share the gospel message. We continue to take advantage of the op-portunities available to us to reach out to the lost and are thankful for the teams that have come that have shared not only the message but their lives with the people.

During February we hosted Faith Harvest Helpers from Washington. They came to help distribute the shipment of

food, medicine and books they sent but due to delays at the port where it was received they were unable to do it. However, they ministered in schools, drug treatment centers, to the homeless, and in churches. The contents of the shipment have been distributed to several groups who will give it to people in great need in Amatitlan, San Pablo, and Chiquimula. Food was also given to the Teen Chal-lenge center in Guatemala City. It is a blessing to be able to give to the many people who truly need these items.

Currently we are hosting a team from Canada. This is their third trip to work-with our base. They are ministering in the hospital in Antigua that is also an orphanage for disabled children. These kids thrive on attention and even though the majority can not talk they love to be held and feel the human touch. The group is also conducting ministry to the children who live near our base. We host a weekly Kids Club and the extra efforts of the team help bring in more children who will become a part of our weekly ministry. The children have enjoyed music, stories, crafts and games.

Thank you for your prayers for more staff. We are blessed to have a young married couple, Eder and Carolina, who were stu-dents during our last DTS now on staff.. They are conducting our Kids Club and helping with hosting the teams staying at the base. One of the big challenges they have is to learn English as most of our teams come from the USA and Canada. God has provided a teacher for them and curriculum that they are studying. They will also be helping staff our next DTS in July which will have several Spanish and English speaking students.

II spent last week teaching at the DTS in Guatemala City. It was a great time to work with their staff and be able to be a part of their school. We look forward to our next DTS and are grateful for the stu-dents who have been accepted and will be attending.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for the 3 families who will be receiving new homes from the donations that have been given.
Pray for Eder and Carolina as they study English that they will enjoy learning and not get discouraged. Pray also for their sending Guatemalan church that they will
give generously for their support of their first ever missionaries.
Pray for more bilingual staff for our base.
Pray for the ministries that we conduct each week: Kids Club, English Worship Service, Evangelism and Feeding program.
Pray for outreach teams to come in April and May.
Pray for the students planning to attend the July DTS that the money needed will be supplied.

Outreach Teams in January

This month has been filled with lots of ministry with visiting teams. We have been hosting the YWAM Montana DTS since we came back from Haiti. They have been doing a variety of ministries in the area and they spent a week in San Pedro La Laguna working with Pastor Antonio and his church in San Pablo. One of their projects was to help build a home for a family in San Pablo. Money was donated by a family in Wisconsin who decided to give toward the construction of a home instead of giving each other Christmas presents. Their generosity has helped a family that was living in a home made of mud and cornstalks. The family now has a home made of cement blocks with a concrete floor and metal roof. Definitely a major home improvement for them.
We also hosted a team from Spirit Lake, Iowa form the First Presbyterian Church. They build a home for a family living near the base. Their previous home had a cement floor and two layers of block and on top of the block was cornstalks used for the walls. The team laid over 500 cement blocks to make new wall and we extended the house about 5 feet to give the family more room. In addition they made a very nice bunk bed for the 2 girls so they no longer have to sleep in the same bed as their parents. The family was so appreciative of the work of the team and the blessing of having a much better home to live in.
Finally we hosted a team from Colorado Springs, "Springs Church" whose pastor is David Wilkerson's son Gary. This team of 17 was part of a mini Discipleship Training School hosted by the church. At the conclusion of their 12 weeks of meeting once a week they came to Guatemala to minister in 2 churches in San Pablo La Laguna conducting services in the churches for children, youth, married couples, ladies and the entire church. They shared their stories of redemption and God's provision for their lives and had a tremendous impact on the people.
I thank God for these teams He has sent and the difference they have made in the lives of many people.

The Savior of the World Has Come!

We celebrate the birth of Christ today with people from every nation, tongue, people and tribe. Christ came to save the world from sin and the judgment that will come to all who do not receive him. Christ came to earth to give his life as a ransom, to pay the debt he did not owe that you and I might receive forgiveness and eternal life. His birth came in fulfillment of the prophecies given in the Old Testament. God is his love sent his Son in human flesh to live among men and become the sacrifice for our sin. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us in order that the punishment for sin would be paid for through his blood. Today we celebrate the unfathomable love of God given in the gift of His Son, the Savior of all of mankind.
Do you know Him and all He has done for you because of His great love? He longs to be your Savior but you are the one who will decide to accept Him or reject Him. His love for you will never change, receive His love today and let Him transform your life into what He originally designed it to be.

Transforming a Nation

Tonight I want to share about our outreach to Haiti as well as some principle in transforming a nation. Haiti is considered one of the poorest nations in the world and the earthquake of January 12, 2010 has devastated the country and little has been done to rebuild the nation. The extent of the damage was greater than I had imagined. In Port a Prince, the capital, almost every city block had one or more buildings destroyed. We took a tour of the city and saw the extent of the damage in several areas. One of the most memorable areas was the National Palace which to me symbolizes the state of the nation. It is broken and needs to be fixed yet nothing has been done other than keep people away from it. Over a million people are living in tent cities in tents donated by many different nations. We did not go into any of the tent cities in Port a Prince but we were able to do some ministry in a tent city near the mission house we stayed at our last 4 weeks. All of the people living in the tents have lost their homes and at this point do not have a place to go until their property if they own it can be cleared of the rubble. Many people prior to the earthquake were squatters and had no title to the property where they built their homes. This presents a huge problem for the people trying to get financial help to rebuild a home on property that they do not own. Since the government did give out deeds there have been many parties laying claim to pieces of property which will have to be settled in court. This will bring even greater delay to the reconstruction process of homes, schools and hospitals. 90 percent of the land is legally unclaimed and people are making claim to the land, fighting over it and making rebuilding even harder. Habitat for Humanity is committed to build 40,000 houses in PAP in the next few years. They cannot build the homes because of the claims against the property they want to build the homes.

We saw very little being done to clear the rubble. The heavy equipment needed to clear the rubble has been donated by many countries but it is sitting in the port because the government will not release it. The missionary that we worked with the final four weeks had a vehicle shipped from the USA and when he went to pick it up he saw many heavy equipment vehicles in the same area of his truck that had been donated by governments and relief organizations. Many nations have pledged to help but very little of the money has been given due to the corruption in the government and lack of accountability. 10 billion dollars has been pledged by over 50 countries but only 700 million has been received. The government of Haiti has failed its own people and many officials have stolen money from the people for their own personal greed. The current Haiti government will not allow outside organizations to monitor how the money that is pledged will be spent. The greatest problem facing the nation of Haiti is not the economic problem but the moral problem that have devastated the nation. 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Prov. 14.34

Its greatest need is a transformation of the heart of the people which can only come through the preaching of the gospel and faithfully living it out in every aspect of life.

Haiti has more missionaries per capita than any nation of the world. There are over 9,943 mission agencies in Haiti which means there are thousands of missionaries working in the country. You would think that with that many missionaries there would be more progress on bringing change to the nation. I know God is at work through his people and I know it is His desire to see this nation transformed. It seems like a daunting task yet it is not impossible. Many people are greatly discouraged and even some missionaries are losing hope as they continue to see conditions not getting better.

Charles Kraft is a well-known author and missionary who has worked in countries like Haiti that are controlled by animism and voodoo. In his experience working in these cultures he found that there needs to be three encounters to bring transformation to the people.

The first is a Truth Encounter. At the core of the worldview of the people is their beliefs about what is real and true. Many people have never had the Truth of the gospel presented to them and they live with a worldview that is based on a false understanding of God. They fear their gods because their gods have power to curse or bless. In order to appease their gods and receive what they need, they must practice certain rituals and rites that are very detailed and must be done exactly as told or they will not receive what they need. They do not know of a God of love who desires to give them good things and loves them unconditionally. The truth of the Bible needs to be clearly presented to them to free them from the bondage of the false beliefs they have accepted. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32. It is the truth of God’s word that will transform individuals, families, communities, cities and nations. The preaching of the gospel is our number one mandate because transformation as God has planned cannot take place apart from the truth of His word.

Great Commission (Matthew 28:19)

We have the model-Jesus “As the father has sent me so send I you.” John 17. 18

We have the motive-love “For God so loved the world…”John 3:16

We have the mandate: Go and make disciples

We have the method: preach

We have the message: the gospel

We have the magnitude: the whole world

The enemy, satan, has blinded them to the truth and he is holding them in bondage. Food, medicine, hospitals, homes, orphanages, schools and other humanitarian aid are needed but they in themselves do not meet the greatest need of the people which is the truth of God’s word. All of these can be vehicles in which the gospel can be shared and must be shared. God cares about the whole person but the greatest need is to have an encounter with truth.

One of the disheartening things we experienced in Haiti was an attitude of “Give me” among some of the people. They were not interested in hearing the gospel and were focused only on receiving something material from us. We saw this in young children and in adults. But we also met people who were seeking for the truth and when the gospel was presented they received it and gave their lives to Christ.

God in His wisdom has chosen the foolishness of preaching to communicate His truth. We must never back down from this mandate and seek for creative ways to communicate the message so that the people will understand. We used the Jesus film children’s version frequently on our outreach. Whenever we showed it we drew large crowds and always had people come to Christ. It was a method that was very effective along with the dramas and testimonies we gave.

The second encounter needed is a Commitment Encounter. Once people have heard the gospel and believe it to be true they must make a commitment to abandon all other beliefs and hold exclusively to the truth of the word. All too often in animistic cultures they people are accustomed to seeing change or answers quickly and when they do not receive answers quickly through their prayers they revert to the spiritists for help. When a person comes to Christ there must be repentance, complete turning away from every belief and practice that is in opposition to the truth. There cannot be a syncretistic mixture that was seen in the Catholic church in Haiti that allowed a mixture of Christianity and voodoo. Christ calls us to a complete and exclusive commitment to follow Him. He challenged those who wanted to be his followers to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him. If He is the Truth then He must be followed, there can be no compromise or half-hearted commitment. Believing in Him is not a mental assent. The word belief has as its true meaning “by your life”. There has to be a commitment to live your life by the truth of God’s word which means there must be teaching given to them so they understand the Word. One of the things we observed was churches that did not interpret the Scriptures accurately and rejected people who did not conform to their beliefs. We met a couple of ladies who were rejected by a church and not allowed to enter because they wore pants and had tattoos. Not all churches have this warped doctrine but it was sad for us to meet people who wanted to be a part of a church but did not meet the standards to be accepted. We actually helped to start a church in the neighborhood of these ladies who seemed to have a real hunger for the truth.

Several times when we were out sharing the gospel we were confronted by Christian people who seemed to really focus on the issue of women wearing pants. They would get very passionate about their belief that women should not be allowed to wear pants. One time we were witnessing to a group of young ladies when another group of people passing by stopped to listen and then they began a discussion with our interpreter who was a pastor about the issue of wearing pants. The focus of the conversation changed from sharing the gospel to debating about pants. The girls we were witnessing to left the conversation and walked down to talk with Marianne. The pants debate finally ended and we again shared the gospel with the young ladies and two of them received Christ. It is a sad day when the primary focus of some believers is on outward things and not the condition of the heart.

Another thing we encountered was people thought they needed to change before they could really commit their lives to Christ. They felt that they would not be accepted unless they made changes or got themselves to be good enough for Christ to accept them. They did not understand that true change can only happen when Christ comes to rule their lives as they make a commitment to Him. We had to encourage the people with this attitude that Christ would bring the changes as the progressed in their knowledge of the truth. Sanctification is a process that is continually a part of our Christian life. When we make a commitment to Christ to become a follower he takes us “As is.”

The final encounter is a Power Encounter. People who live in animistic cultures have witnessed the power of satan. They have seen demonic power at work and fear it. For these people to convert to Christ they must experience Christ’s power as a greater power than satan. Philip Steyne in his book, “Gods of Power” stated the following:

“Throughout the history of the Church, she has been engaged in power encounters against the forces of evil. Therefore, to presume that a person can come out of the domain of darkness into God’s Kingdom without a power showdown, assumes that Satan will allow transfer of membership without a battle. The Bible doesn’t support this notion.” P. 210

Christ has given us power over the enemy. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are powerful. 2 Cor. 10:3-5

3 Indeed, we live as human beings,but we do not wage war according to human standards;4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments 5 and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Demonic powers must submit to Christ. As believers, “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.” 1 Jn 4.4

Christ did not leave us clueless or powerless regarding the enemy. We have been given authority through Christ to exercise power over the forces of darkness. The unsaved must see this and experience this especially those who have been involved in the dark side of the spirit world.

While in Haiti we saw Voodoo temples and talked with people who practiced voodoo. Several times after presenting the gospel the people would say no to the invitation. When asked what held them back they would state they were not ready. One man was 92 years old and said he was not ready. His days were definitely numbered yet he did not want to give his life to Christ. We learned that the rejection was often because they were practicing voodoo but did not want to admit it. One lady we shared the gospel with said she could not make a decision to accept Christ without her husband’s approval. Even though we told her that she would stand alone before the judgment seat and be accountable for her decision she was not persuaded. Her husband came home while we were talking with her so she went to ask him to come to talk with us but he refused. Another lady who was with her told us after we left them that the couple was practicing voodoo.

When these three encounters: truth encounter, commitment encounter and power encounter; are experienced individuals will be transformed and the culture can be changed as the truth of God’s word is put into practice in every area of life.

The nation of Haiti is in desperate need of transformation. The beliefs and attitudes that rule the country need to be replaced with the truth of God’s word. The gospel must be proclaimed through committed believers who know the power of God. The church must rise up and begin to exert influence in every area of life to establish the Kingdom of God in the country. It is easy to be discouraged by the corruption and devastation but God is not calling his church to sit back and wait for help. He is calling his church to be on the frontlines setting an example to people who have accepted a counterfeit system of beliefs. We saw very few people actually working to clean up the rubble and garbage that was thrown everywhere. We did see on a couple of occasions a group of people wearing shirts that said “Working for food or money.” I am not sure why people are not doing much to clean up their country and begin the rebuilding process. It is a completely different attitude than what was demonstrated by the people of Germany after WWII when many of their cities were completely destroyed. The German people used their hands and hand tools and wheelbarrows to clear the rubble. In Berlin there remains a large pile of rubble where the people brought it after clearing their property. It remains today as a memorial to the hard work of the people to restore their nation. I pray that this attitude will become part of the transformation of the Haitian culture. Haiti needs a leader or leaders like Nehemiah who had a passion to rebuild the fallen walls of Jerusalem and in doing so reestablished the true identity of the people of Israel who were in captivity. He encouraged the people to “rise and build” and the people responded and accomplished the task in only 52 days because they had a “mind to work.” I believe that God wants to establish a new identity for the people of Haiti which will only happen as they allow God to bring transformation to their nation.

We were blessed to be able to work with a church called, “The Body of Christ.” They were actively involved in relocating people on their property in Babancourt that served as a refugee camp for 1500 people. Most of the refugees have returned to Porta Prince but there are still families living at the site. The church is constructing homes on their property and has a long-term goal of making it a community with a hospital and community center to serve the needs of the people.

Haiti is in the process of electing a new president and representatives in their government. While we were there the first election took place but the results have been disputed and riots have erupted in the capital. Many of the people are angry and are demanding another election. It is perhaps a defining point in the history of this nation and we must continue to pray that whoever becomes the next group of leaders in Haiti will take a stand for truth and justice and work for the good will of people. But above all we must pray for the truth of God’s word to be the foundation of the country and that the values that are taught and principles taught in the Scriptures will become the standards of the nation.

Pray for the missionaries and mission organizations that are working in Haiti. It is not an easy country to live and the spiritual environment is challenging. Pray that more teams will go to Haiti to help bring the transformation that is needed. Pray for encouragement among the missionaries who are giving so much of themselves to help the people. Pray for the church in Haiti to take action and set a good example to the people.

Banana Church

Sunday,we ministered in a new church that is located in a field of banana plants. It is surrounded by channels of water that carry the waste water to a river so the odor at times can be pungent. A group of about 40 believers gathered to worship in the simple structure in a plot of land the pastor purchased and gave to the church after his other church was destroyed by the earthquake on January 12 in Haiti. His desire is to build a structure and purchase more land to expand the church. It was a privilege for us to be a part of what God is doing here amidst people who have suffered greatly yet are willing to sacrifice to see his Kingdom advance in their nation.