Do you Remember?

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." (Deut 6:5-9)
"In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?" tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the LORD sent miraculous signs and wonders—great and terrible—upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today." (Deut 6:20-24)

How easy it is to forget the way God has blessed us, or seen us through difficult times, or opened the door for us in amazing ways. There are some things we wish we could forget. I am sure the Israelites did not want to remember the way they suffered and slaved away in Egypt, but God commanded them to. Why? Because He wanted them to remember who was God, and how He had rescued them and been with them, and provided for them, and blessed them, ultimately, with a land flowing with milk and honey.

What has God done for you? Do you remember? Last Sunday the sermon was about not forgetting, and the above scriptures were used. It reminded me of everything that God has done for me, and I really haven't remembered them and praised God for them as I should. He gave me a wonderful Christian family, I was saved at a young age, He has protected me in ways I am sure I am not even aware of, He provided a good education for me, and gave me this opportunity to live and serve overseas. Those are just a few ways in which God has blessed me, and He has opened countless doors and guided me through them more times then I care to count. Yet I forget. When things get tough, or I want to take control over my own life; I forget. I forget Christ's sacrifice when coming to earth as a human and dying on the cross to save me and everyone from eternal death. I forget how God has provided everything I have ever needed. I forget how He is always there and always ready to lead, support, encourage, and love me.

God commands us to remember. First He commands us to love Him with all our hearts, souls, and strength (vs 5), and why do we do this? So that we will remember what He did for us (vs 20). Just like when a loved one does something very special for us, we remember and we love them all the more for it. When we love God, we remember what He has done for us, and as a result we are able to love Him more - because we remember.

What has God done for you? Do you remember?

Including God

Today we have said goodbye to our first work team. It has been a wonderful and tiring 10 days. They were very enjoyable to work with; they were fun, had great attitudes and were very willing to work. Things that were accomplished: the roof on the pastor's house was fixed - minus the tiles, the downstairs bathrooms for future teams were installed and are in working order, and the church sanctuary was painted. In addition to all the physical labor they also held a men's Bible study in Cuernavaca, visited and contributed to our church plants in Coapa and Xochimilco, and held a successful VBS here at Tizoc. I would say that at least 80 kids, and some parents had the gospel shared with them through the VBS. Isaiah 55:11 says: "It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I sent it." Some of the children may become regulars, most will not - but the word of God has been planted, and God says it will produce fruit.

The thing that I learned through the time I spent with them, although not directly related to their work is: we need to include God in every aspect of our lives.

On Thursday we went to the pyramids. Before we got out of the bus, everyone was told to put on sunscreen. I didn't bring any, and I had visited the pyramids sans sunscreen before, and not really gotten burnt, so I didn't ask anyone if I could use any. My experience without sunscreen had been good, so I assumed I didn't need it. I was wrong. I got burned, and it has probably been the most painful and serious burn I have had in a long time. This reminded me of how often we don't include God in our lives when things are going well. We either don't think about it, or when reminded, we don't think it is necessary because things have been going well without Him.

I have been guilty of this, and it took a sunburn and some other recent events to remind me. Often times we behave just like the Israelites, and only call out to God when we are being persecuted, in exile, or going through hard times. God allowed these things to happen to bring the Israelites back to Him, just like I am sure He allows things to happen to us to remind us to put Him in control of our lives. Wouldn't it be so much better if we included Him from the start? We may go through hard times, but at least we would be certain that we are in the center of God's will, and He is there with us, helping and guiding us. Every morning the team would pray and include God in their day and their work. As a result they accomplished a lot, no one got sick or hurt, and they had an impact on people's lives. I am learning to put this into practice. I don't want to be involved in anything without including God, first.

I thank God for the team, and all the work they accomplished, as well as for providing me with the experience that has reminded me to include God.

Trip to Xalmolapa

On Thursday I returned from a 2 day trip to Xalmolapa, (it is pronounced Chalmolapa). This is a little town in the mountains of the Mexican State of Guerrero. The reason for this trip was to visit a church there that we, the Free Methodist Church, are adopting into our family.

First let me tell you a little bit about the town. It is beautiful! You are surrounded on every side by mountains. Donkeys, turkeys, and dogs are everywhere. It is made up of about 50 families. There are a couple of little stores where you can buy some necessities, but in general everyone lives off of the land. There is a kindergarten, and a one room schoolhouse for grades 1-6, but if the children wish they can go to the nearby town of Cualac (which is made up of a couple thousand people) to pursue more education. The town center is the basketball court that is right next to the school. News and announcements are said over a loudspeaker and all you have to pay is 5 pesos (.50 US). Everyone knows everyone, they are hard workers but they know when to relax as well. There is electricity, and running water (at least in the house we stayed in). All in all, although it is small - the basics of life are available to them.

The church is made up of about 10 people who attend regularly. They have no pastor, but they still hold services every week. There are only 2 Christians there, but the rest of the people are searching and want to know about God - but there is a real need for someone who knows the Bible and can teach them. They are not officially Free Methodist yet, there is still some paperwork that needs to be filed with the government, but we are supporting them as one of our own. The superintendent of Central Mexico makes regular trips down there, and has come to know the people well.

For me personally, it was a very laid back trip. There was really nothing required of me but to come and see. We distributed gifts to the children, went to a couple houses to pray for the sick, and we had a church service. The most memorable part of the trip for me was on Wednesday night at dusk, we sat outside the house we were staying and ate peanuts that were harvested and roasted by one of the neighbors. We watched the children play, greeted those who passed by, watched the sunset, enjoyed the beautiful weather, and just relaxed. How often do we get to do that? And I loved that fact that we ate peanuts - that were not prepackaged or bought. And the sky!!! I have missed the night sky since I came to Mexico City. You can't see the stars, but you definitely could up in the mountains, and it was wonderful.

The one downside to the trip was getting there and back. It is about a 6 hour trip from Mexico City. The last 2 hours are on a very windy, bumpy road. The last half hour was on a very narrow, very dusty windy road that that has the mountainside on one side and a drop off on the other. It made me a little nervous, I am just glad there was not a lot of traffic, because there are some places where passing a car going the other direction is impossible. But we made it safely, thankfully, and I am so so glad that I was not the one driving.

All in all it was a very good trip, I am very glad I went and if the opportunity presented itself I would probably go again.

Obedience

It is always interesting (at least to me) when I come across the same idea several times within a small amount of time. It is usually something that God wants to teach me. This time it was obedience.

God calls us to be obedient. Seems simple enough - but wait, there is more! The first thought is found in 1 Peter 1:14-15 "So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy." You may think that it is impossible to be holy but in all reality, although it is hard, the answer is right there in that verse - be obedient. That is the way to holiness.

That idea is further emphasized in James 4:17 "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." I find that verse kind of harsh, I never considered the fact that if there was something I felt like I should do, and didn't do it, I was sinning. But it makes sense in the context of obedience. We all agree that disobedience is sin, we punish our children when they disobey - why? Because it is wrong. When we know what we ought to do, and don't do it, we are disobeying, which is why it is a sin. If we obey, we are not sinning and therefore are on our way to holiness. This verse applies to all aspects of our lives, from knowing we shouldn't lie or steal, to not sharing Christ with someone, and/or to ignoring God's calling on our life.

Accepting God's calling, or even simply sharing our faith with someone is often times the more difficult form of obedience. In 1 Peter 4:14&19 it says, "So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you... So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you." God knows it is difficult to share our faith. It is something personal that we don't want people to make fun of - and in some countries it is physically dangerous to do so. It doesn't matter. God wants us to obey, and He has told us in Luke 9:60b, "Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God." And really what does it matter what people think or what they do to us? God is with us and has control. Oswald Chambers writes in 'My Utmost for His Highest': "If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything - it is a delight." As Christians we should be happy to do whatever God asks of us, because we love Him, and by obeying Him we reach the goal of being holy.

This has turned into a bit of a sermon - but this is what I am learning, and I wanted to share it with you. I have had several things come up that God is asking me to do, and I have been hesitating, because it involves me going out of my comfort zone. This is probably why God wanted me to learn this lesson. I know it is hard, but I am going to do it, with God's help, because I know I cannot do it on my own.

Who is our Mediator?

"For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can recive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under the first covenant." (Heb 9:14b-15)"For God did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf."(Heb 9:25)

Just a few days ago I was able to visit the basilica, La Villa, which is dedicated to the virgin saint Guadalupe - or as she is now called Maria Guadalupe, the mother of Jesus. This basilica was constructed because a man "encountered" or had a vision of her on this particular hill, and she told him to construct a temple in her honor. So, in order to make a long story short, he did. This happened in the 16th century, approximately. Currently, at this location there are three temples built in honor of this saint. Masses are held daily, where people pray to her for her to intercede on their behalf. They also bring pictures of this saint, and have them blessed so that they can bring them home, and therefore recieve a blessing on their homes. Once a year, a great pilgrimage takes place where people crawl up to the basilica whipping themselves, and hoping to gain favor and forgiveness for their sins.

As I admired the architecture of the different buildings, I couldn't help but feel sad for the people who believe that this is the way to heaven. Later I came across the verse quoted above. It speaks the old covenant, which for the Jews meant salvation by works and sacrifices, and where a priest mediated and interceded on the people's behalf for the forgiveness of sins; was being replaced by the new covenant in Jesus Christ. He is our mediator before God. We don't need priests, or Mary or any of the other saints to take our prayers to God and convince Him to help us. We have direct access to God through Jesus. Jesus died so that this is possible. I often forget and take for granted the magnitude of what Jesus has done for me and for everyone. This trip and this verse reminded me, and I am so thankful. But more is necessary. People need to know. It isn't enough that I realize and accept this gift, I need to tell others - because people are seeking, they are just looking in the wrong places.

Caring Hearts Medical Brigade

On October 2nd, I had the opportunity to travel up to San Luis del Rio Colorado for a medical brigade. This brigade is organized by Caring Hearts and has been held annually for 15 years or so. The group was made up of about 70 people, 50 of which came from various places in the States, mainly Pennsylvania. The people who came were mainly medical people who took there vacation time to come down to Mexico to serve. It really was an amazing experience. Everyone was divided up into groups of approximately 12 people, and then we went to different sites to hold the clinics.

All in all, with all the different clinics for the whole week, we saw almost 5,000 people. Each clinic had a ministry aspect which distributed beans and rice and a Bible to each person who came through. We distributed 8 tons of beans and rice, and according to the records approximately 1,000 people came to a saving knowledge of Christ.

I was a part of group that went out and did two three-day clinics. Our first clinic was about an hour away from the orphanage where we were staying in a little town of Riito. We were assisted by the leader in the town. We held the clinic in a government owned building, and all he really needed to do was open it for us, but instead he stayed all day with us all three days. It was not one of the busier clinics but this gave us an opportunity to build a relationship with this leader. He was a very nice and helpful guy, and because of his leadership position, not someone that we would have expected to reach for Christ. On the last day of that clinic, in the morning during group devotional time, we were given a chance to pray for our various clinics. All of us felt a specific need to pray, for God to work, and to give our ministry leader, Ricardo, boldness, and for the people who were helping us out to be open to the gospel. That day was slower than the other two, and Miguel (the leader) started talking to Ricardo about the Bible and God. He was a catholic, which here means he was involved in the worship of a saint, or idolatry. He had some relatives who were evangelical Christians and others who were Jehova Witnesses, and he was really confused about what was right. Ricardo was given the boldness that we prayed for, and he showed Miguel in the Bible what was right and shared with him the gospel. And after all that, Miguel prayed and accepted Jesus as his personal savior. We were all so excited. Here was a man we really had not thought would come to know Christ, but he was searching and God allowed us to be a part of His work in this man's life. This is especially exciting because Miguel is a respected leader in this town. We can only hope and pray for what God is going to do in this town as a result of Miguel. And because the orphanage is a known and established ministry in San Luis, and because Miguel met some of the full time workers there, he will have the support he needs as he grows in his relationship with God.

It was a very exciting time. It was great to meet people in the medical profession who have a heart for missions and come every year to serve in San Luis and the surrounding areas. The trip did not meet my expectations at all, it exceeded them. Although I was exhausted afterwards, I am still so thankful for the opportunity that I had to go - not because of the medical experience I gained but because of how I got see God work.

Jesus is the Way!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go with my new friend, Veronica, to visit her cousin overnight. Her cousin has just moved to Mexico City and was lonely because her husband was away all day while she was stuck in the apartment all by herself with two kids under the age of 2.

I agreed to go with Veronica, because I saw it as an opportunity to see more of the city as well as have some time hanging out with and getting to know my new friend. I didn't realize that I would be thanking God for being who He is, and allowing us the opportunity to be in a personal relationship with Him.

Veronica did not tell me before we left that her cousin and family were mormon. When she told me, I did not think much of it. I have friends who are mormon, and I like them, and what they believe does not really ever come up, so it really has never been much of an issue with me. We had a good time, but after yesterday and today, I am so thankful for what a wonderful God we serve.

God allows us to have a relationship with Him, our salvation is not based on works. There is nothing secretive or demanding about our faith. As we grow in our relationship with God, our love for Him grows and He shows us what to do and how to follow Him. We have leaders who help guide us and support us, but they do not tell us what to do based on some secret message or inspiration they recieved. Anything that is told to us is Biblically based, and we can read it and have God tell us Himself if it is right and we should do it. God is our authority, and He is who we follow.

I thank and praise God that He has allowed us this freedom to search and know Him, personally. That we are saved through faith, not by works. We are forgiven through Christ. He is the only way - but He is also the best way.