Guatemala Trip Update

Just a quick update on Carlos and Raydel’s trip last week to Guatemala.
 
The apostle Paul asked the Colossian church to pray that God would open the door to them for the ministry of the Word (Col. 4:3).
 
Paul used the same image of “open doors for effective work” elsewhere when writing to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12).
 
Similarly, I’m happy to inform you that the Lord used the recent visit with our friends at Precept Ministries to open doors for ongoing partnership in Guatemala, as well as similar future exploratory trips to Mexico and Nicaragua, to share the multiplication strategy that the Lord has graciously been using in our church network development ministry, K2:42. 
 
We appreciate your prayers in that regard and will keep you updated.
 
As a closing thought: It is striking that Paul, imprisoned under Roman authority as he wrote those words above, was more concerned about “getting out” the message of Christ than about “getting out” of prison!
 
Thanks again for your ongoing support that enables our ministry of the Word!
 
PS: For further encouragement amid the current cultural chaos and quest to eliminate the family, check out our recent blog on the Genesis Family Ministry, equipping church leaders on what Scripture teaches about the family and how to put those principles into practice.

As goes the family, so goes society…

In Matthew 19:5 Jesus, in emphasizing the permanence and sanctity of marriage, quoted from the Genesis narrative where God established the family, stating, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

Amid the current cultural chaos of America and quest to eliminate the family, find encouragement that the Genesis Family Ministry is hard at work equipping Dominican church leaders on what Scripture teaches about the family, and how to put those principles into practice in our homes.

The Family: God’s Gift to All People

God’s common grace to all humanity is evidenced in the establishment of various structures He has instituted within society, most notably the family unit. God ordained marriage between a man and a woman in creation BEFORE the fall; therefore, it is foundational to healthy, flourishing societies.

The Family: Cornerstone of Civilization

The family was God’s first earthly institution. Before there was a government, and long before God instituted the church, marriage and the family were initiated as the basic building block of society. Therefore the destruction of the family should serve as an ominous forewarning of the ultimate collapse of civilization.

In 1947 Harvard sociologist Carle Zimmerman examined the rise and fall of empires throughout the centuries. He concluded that deteriorating civilizations follow a definable pattern with the loss of the sacredness of marriage and acceptance of alternative forms of marriage at the top of the list.

Dr. Chuck Swindoll commented on the study, stated,

“Zimmerman’s conclusions are so current, they’re frightening. He appears to have observed the United States in the twenty-first century and then summarized his findings. In fact, he wrote them at the dawn of what many would consider the golden age of the traditional, nuclear family…Depravity is a universal problem. Left unchecked, the evil within humanity will cause us to self-destruct within one generation, possibly sooner.”

Help us stomp the summer slump!

The Apostle Paul described how word of the faithful ministry of the Thessalonian church was spreading throughout his missionary travels.  

For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. (1 Thessalonians 4:8)

The term sounded forth carries the concept of reverberation, conveying how the ministry of the Thessalonians had resulted in:

  • local outreach to Thessalonica,
  • national outreach to Macedonia and Achaia,
  • and international outreach to regions beyond.

As Raydel and Carlos depart today to present at the Precept Ministries International conference in Guatemala, we are grateful for the Lord’s gracious use of the ministry in local, national and international settings.

In the nonprofit fundraising world, the summer months have become known as the Summer Slump, as historically, donations typically cool down when the weather heats up. So if you are in a position to offer EA some extra prayer and financial support over the next few months, we would be most grateful.

We are incredibly enthusiastic about how the Lord continues to graciously use our efforts for His glory. With the recent easing of travel testing requirements we are anxious to soon see a return of visiting groups laboring alongside our staff and partnering churches in seeing individuals and communities “turning from sin and false gods to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).

Happy 5th Anniversary K:242!

Amid the rapid growth of early Christianity, the leadership of the Jerusalem church would send leaders to investigate remarkable developments:

  • “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John.” (Acts 8:14)
  • “…a large number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.” (Acts 11:21-22)

In a somewhat similar fashion, EA ministry partner, Precept Ministries International, has requested that our team travel to Guatemala to update the regional leadership regarding the growth of our K2:42 church network development program.

Recognizing that it is “God who causes the growth” (1 Cor. 3:7) and, as the great missionary George Muller said, “The Lord condescends to use us as His stewards,” we are excited to be able to share how God has graciously allowed us to minister to 5,314 students in the past 5 years, including 596 church leaders.

Please join us in praying for the upcoming trip in June that, like Barnabas, our visit would be an encouragement to “remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose” (Acts 11:23).

Additionally, the EA family has also experienced numerical growth with the addition of a few “gifts from the Lord” (Ps. 127:3). Join us in praising the Lord for blessing the family of Claudia Rodriguez with a beautiful daughter and the family of Pastor Elias with twins.

God’s Plan vs. Our Plan

Amid Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 is the story of Moses, which presents a stark contrast of Moses’ plan and God’s plan for his life:

“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. (Acts 7:23-29)

At age 40, Moses had a plan, fully aware of the cruel oppression of his people; he believed that, given his lineage, access, training and knowledge, he was prepared to deliver his people at that moment.

God’s plan was different and included an additional 40 years of preparation in the wilderness for Moses working as a shepherd in obscurity, and continued enslavement and work on the lives of the Hebrews to prepare them for their emancipation and exodus.

There is a great phrase in verse 25: “He supposed that…but…”

Even his rejection (perceived failure) was part of God’s plan, as many commentators believe the incident to only further position Moses as a type of the ultimate deliverer, Jesus Christ:

  • Moses – “He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.” (Acts 7:25)
  • Christ – “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:11).
  • Moses – “…who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?”
  • Christ – “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14).

The Centrality of Easter Sunday

The apostle Paul said, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:4). Today we celebrate that Christ did indeed overcome death on the cross, enabling and guaranteeing the resurrection of all the saints (1 Corinthians 15:20).

The late bishop J.C. Ryle explains that Christ’s atonement for sinners on the cross is the central truth in the entire Bible,

“This is the truth we begin with when we open Genesis. The seed of the woman bruising the serpent’s head is nothing but a prophecy of Christ crucified.

 This is the truth that shines out, though veiled, all through the law of Moses and the history of the Jews. The daily sacrifice, the Passover lamb, the continual shedding of blood in the tabernacle and temple – all were emblems of Christ crucified.

 This is the truth that we see honored in the vision of heaven before we close the book of Revelation. In the midst of the throne and of the four animals, we are told, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain (Revelation 5:6). Even in the midst of heavenly glory we get a view of Christ crucified.

Take away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a dark book. It is like the Egyptian hieroglyphics without the key that interprets their meaning – curious and wonderful but of no real use.”

Join us in celebrating the centrality of Easter Sunday: “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Theological Significance amid Overlooked Events

As we commemorate Good Friday, there is great theological significance contained in often overlooked events of that historical day. Sinclair B Ferguson notes two such incidents in his book To Seek and to Save: Daily Reflections on the Road to the Cross.

First, the three hours of darkness that shrouded the land at noon in which creation itself appeared to be thrown into reverse gear and God said, Let there NOT be light (in contrast to Genesis 1:3). Ferguson explains that nature itself put on the dark clothes of mourning as Christ the Creator was put to death by sinful men, and on the cross came under the curse of God (Galatians 3:13).

Second, the massive curtain of the temple was torn in two (Luke 23:45) as God Himself de-consecrated the Jerusalem temple, removing the barrier between God and man. Ferguson emphasizes that it was not merely the temple veil that was rent, but the flesh of Christ had been torn to create the new and living way into God’s presence (Hebrews 10:20).

Join us in celebrating the fact that “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).

Take heart….for Sunday is coming!

All failures are not equal

Life is full of trouble. Expect it.

Job 14:1 says, “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.”

Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

However, all failures are not equal.

In fact some failures are the inevitable result of faithfulness (John 15:20).

Consider Jesus’ reaction to two perceived failures of the part of the disciples:

Luke 9:1-5 when Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the gospel and perform miracles. Knowing that not everyone would receive the truth about him (John 15:18), he taught the disciples how to handle positive inevitable failure. “If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.”

In Matthew 17:14–20 Christ’s disciples were unable to exorcise a demon from a young boy, even though Jesus had previously given them the authority to do that very thing (Matthew 10:1). Jesus addresses the reason for their failure: lack of faith.

These two events represent different kinds of failure.

In the first Jesus encouraged them to be faithful, stay the course and move forward.

In the second event, however, Jesus gave them pause for reflection on why they had failed in order to equip them for future success.

The Helmet of Savlation

As we witness the chaotic world around us, it would be easy to become worried and weary. However, Scripture calls us to have a different outlook: a conviction and comfort that God’s eternal plan is on schedule and closer to completion with each passing day.  

The Bible refers to the helmet of salvation in both Ephesians 6:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18. In each case, Paul refers, beyond the acquisition of salvation, to the assurance that comes from the “confidence of our salvation.” Ray Stedman explains,

“Jesus Christ is coming back, and He will appear again, and He will establish His own reign in righteousness on the earth. That is the helmet of salvation, which will keep your thinking straight in the hour of man’s utter confusion and darkness.

If you can keep God’s eternal plan in view at all times, it will save you from enormous heartache and fear as you read the news daily. When you see the chaos in the world, you will know that even the disorder that Satan seeks to stir up in the world is being used to further God’s plan and bring His kingdom one day nearer.”

Thank you for your continued support for the EA team, as we work for Christ while it is still day, knowing that night is coming when our service on earth will be complete (John 9:4).

Faithfulness

The book of Jeremiah is an autobiography during the reign of the last five kings of Judah. Jeremiah is known as “the weeping prophet” because of his sorrow over the unrepentant nation, and the impending destruction of Jerusalem and subsequent exile.

This is evidenced in the following key verse:

Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; then the LORD will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you. (26:13)

Jeremiah provides two key insights for believers today.

Faithfulness, not apparent fruitfulness, is the basis of the Lord’s evaluation.

Read closely Jim George’s description of Jeremiah:

Most people’s definitions of success would include the acquiring of wealth, popularity, fame, power, or accomplishments. By these standards, Jeremiah was a complete failure. For 40 years he served as God’s spokesman and passionately urged the people to return to God, and no one listened, especially the kings. He was penniless, friendless, and rejected by his family. In the world’s eyes, Jeremiah was not a success. But in God’s eyes, Jeremiah was one of the most successful people in all biblical history. Why? Because success, as seen by God, involves obedience and faithfulness. Jeremiah obeyed God and, regardless of severe opposition and great personal sacrifice, committed himself to fulfilling God’s calling on his life.

The next insight is found in the Lord’s condemnation is Jeremiah 2:13:

For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Falsely placed faith proves disastrous.

John MacArthur explains that Israel had abandoned the Lord, the source of their spiritual salvation and sustenance and turned to idolatrous objects of trust. The Lord compared these with underground water storage reservoirs for rainwater, which were broken and allowed water to seep out, rendering them useless.

Likewise, evangelicalism, particularly in America, has overwhelmingly and undiscerningly turned to worldly ideologies that Paul warned us about (Col. 2:8). As we witness evangelicalism’s hermeneutical attempts at catering to culture by marrying secular ideologies to biblical terminology, the warning of commentator Arno Gaebelein reign true:

It is so among the professing people of God in this dispensation; the two evils are present with us also. The result for Israel was enslavement. The young lions came (the Assyrian invasion) and made the land waste. Egypt, did the same. It came as the fruit of having forsaken the fountain of living water.

Pray for American evangelicalism. Ours is quickly becoming an ideological enslavement from which we must be freed .