He came not to a throne,
but to a manger.
He lived not as a king,
but as a servant.
He chose not a kingdom,
but a cross.
He gave not just a little,
but everything.
by Holley Gerth
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
This year the children will be doing a Christmas program for FBC, Roquetas, a Nigerian church here in
What Can I Give Him?
By Christina Rossetti
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb.
If I were a Wise Man,
I would do my part,
Yet what can I give Him?
Give my heart.
Welcome to Our World
At Christmas time we remember the birth of Christ. This profound song by Chris Rice helps me to focus on, and worship the King who came as a baby to save the nations.
Welcome to Our World
by Chris Rice
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You’ve been promised
We’ve been waiting
Welcome holy child
Welcome holy child
Hope that you don’t mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
The long awaited holy stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home
Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be feed
Word now breaking heaven’s silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world
Fragile fingers sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born
So wrap our injured flesh around you
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect son of God
Perfect son of God
Welcome to our world
Monday, November 23, 2009
Abandon & Surrender
In our church in
Abandon your own will.
Surrender to God’s will.
At
The well known verses Proverbs 3:5-6; “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Our pastor said, “Does God have the right to change my plans? There mine. But we have given our hearts to him.” She explained to me after the service that the word ‘trust’ in this verse in the Spanish version means to put our trust and confidence in God and to want what God wants more than what we want. The all powerful God is in us; it is not for us, but for God.
In the story in Joshua, the Israelites walked around
Facedown in Reverence
In our church here in Spain, our Pastor, Isabel M. Sanchez, has been speaking from the book of Joshua. On August 30, 2009, the text was Joshua 5:13-15. “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does the Lord have for his servant?’ The commander of the Lord’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” In the Spanish version, the last phrase says “Y Josué le obedeció. (And Joshua obeyed.)
Our pastor went on to talk about how people of the Muslim faith whose God is not a personal God bow facedown 5 times a day to pray. They pray "Allah is great. Allah is the only God. There is none worthy of worship except Allah." Yet we as Christians who have a personal God who died for our sins, how often everyday do we pray? How often do we praise God and tell him that we want to do His will and not ours, that we are His servant?
Our pastor went on to talk about how people of the Muslim faith whose God is not a personal God bow facedown 5 times a day to pray. They pray "Allah is great. Allah is the only God. There is none worthy of worship except Allah." Yet we as Christians who have a personal God who died for our sins, how often everyday do we pray? How often do we praise God and tell him that we want to do His will and not ours, that we are His servant?
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Standing in the Gap
Ezekiel 22:30, 31- “’I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none… declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Ezekiel is prophesying about God’s wrath on
Will you stand in the gap?
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Prayer
The power of prayer
Prayer is the key.
Prayer puts the power with God and not with man.
Prayer helps us get out of the way and puts God in the forefront of the ministry.
Prayer helps us focus not on ourselves, or the ministry, or the people we are ministering to.
Prayer helps us focus on God and His will for us, the ministry, and the people we are ministering to.
Prayer: the essential element!
A long time ago I heard this story of a missionary and the power of prayer…
This missionary lived and ministered in a country that was divided by a large river. He lived and ministered on one side of the river. One day he felt that God was leading him to begin to pray for the people on the other side of the river. So he began to spend the mornings ministering on his side of the river, and the afternoons he spent praying for the people on the other side of the river. After about 20 years of ministry he had only visited the other side of the river a few times and other missionaries had only visited a few times as well, but he had continued to pray for the people to come to know the Lord. After these 20 years he was amazed to find on the side of the river where he lived and ministered quite a few people had come to know the Lord, but on the side of the river where he only visited a few times but spent each afternoon praying for the people, many, many more people had come to know the Lord. It is amazing what God can do through the prayers of his people!
James 5:16b: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Thank you for praying for the ministry to African immigrants in southern Spain.
Prayer is the key.
Prayer puts the power with God and not with man.
Prayer helps us get out of the way and puts God in the forefront of the ministry.
Prayer helps us focus not on ourselves, or the ministry, or the people we are ministering to.
Prayer helps us focus on God and His will for us, the ministry, and the people we are ministering to.
Prayer: the essential element!
A long time ago I heard this story of a missionary and the power of prayer…
This missionary lived and ministered in a country that was divided by a large river. He lived and ministered on one side of the river. One day he felt that God was leading him to begin to pray for the people on the other side of the river. So he began to spend the mornings ministering on his side of the river, and the afternoons he spent praying for the people on the other side of the river. After about 20 years of ministry he had only visited the other side of the river a few times and other missionaries had only visited a few times as well, but he had continued to pray for the people to come to know the Lord. After these 20 years he was amazed to find on the side of the river where he lived and ministered quite a few people had come to know the Lord, but on the side of the river where he only visited a few times but spent each afternoon praying for the people, many, many more people had come to know the Lord. It is amazing what God can do through the prayers of his people!
James 5:16b: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Thank you for praying for the ministry to African immigrants in southern Spain.
Friday, April 10, 2009
An African Church Service
Christ Movement Ministries in Roquetas del Mar, Spain is an African church that we visited one Sunday morning.
Pastor Nathaneil Ikeh from Nigeria spoke on Godly Rejection with a text from Judges chapter 11.
The pastor preached about how many people in Africa are rejected by their friends and family because they became Christians. “The reason we must be rejected by our families is because of the divine deposit of Jesus in our lives.” He also said, “Do not allow the rejection you receive from your family, your friends and others to weigh you down.” “You are a divine child of God.” “There is a divine touch of God in your life.” “Let them [family, friends, etc.] know that you are a divine child of God.” You are a divine instrument.” Pator Ikeh read from Judges 11 the story of Jephthah the Gileadite warrior. He was rejected by his family and then later they asked him to be their commander so that they could fight the Ammonites. Pastor Ikeh encouraged the African congregation that maybe one day their families will say they are the leader of their family or the commander in chief.
Worship Song:
“I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand it
No matter what may come my way
My life is in His Hands.
“With Jesus I can make it
With Jesus I can stand it
No matter what may come my way
My life is in His Hands.”
Closing Prayer:
“When men and women reject us may it be for your glory, let them reject us that your mission may be completed.”
It was an amazing experience to hear these people who have experienced rejection like most Americans cannot even fathom, encourage one another in continuing to serve the Lord. We prayed, along with them, that one day they would have the opportunity to lead the very people who rejected them because of their relationship with Christ, to a personal relationship with Christ for themselves.
King of the Jungle
Recently we took what Megan calls “a home school field trip.” We went to what one might consider a “Spanish zoo.” We had a great time seeing lots of different animals. On the way there we listened to an appropriate song by Steven Curtis Chapman. I hadn’t heard this song in a long time and the words seem to jump out at me. I am so thankful that we know who is King of this jungle!
King of the Jungle by Steven Curtis Chapman
“Well, the day is just begun and I’m already running late
With two many irons in the fire and too much on my plate
I’d be pulling out my hair if I could just get one hand free
And I’d stop this world if I could find the key.
Chorus:
“What I feel is telling me I’m going crazy,
But what is real, says God’s still on His throne
What I need is to remember one thing
That the Lord of the gentle breeze is Lord of the rough and tumble
And He is the King of the jungle
“People say this world’s a jungle and sometimes I must admit
I’d be scared to death if I did not know who was King of it
But the truth is God created this whole world with his own hand
So everything is under His command
Chorus:
“What I see is telling me this world’s gone crazy
But what is real says God’s still on His throne
What I need is to remember one thing
That the Lord of the gentle breeze is Lord of the rough and tumble
And He is the King of the jungle
Reprise:
“He’s King of creation,
Ruler of earth and the sky and the sea
He’s always in control
He is the King of kings
He’s sitting on the throne
He is the King of kings!
Deuteronomy 4:39 “Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.”
Deuteronomy 10:17a “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome”
Does Your Donkey Talk?
Balaam was an interesting guy – even before his donkey started talking. When he was first asked to visit King Balak, his response was one I want to learn: “’Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God,’” Numbers 22:18. Oh, that we might live our lives in absolute surrender to each and every plan that God has for our daily lives, that we might not do or say anything great or small that would go beyond the commands or even desires of our God.
Later in the story, Balaam goes with the men to visit King Balak riding on his faithful donkey. Many know the story of how the donkey sees the angel of the Lord three times and tries to stray from the path, each time suffering a beating from his master, until finally in verse 28 the Lord opens the donkey’s mouth and she speaks to Balaam – finally getting his attention. Then in verse 32, “The angle of the Lord asked him, ‘Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.’” As I read these words, I wonder how many times we continue down a reckless path, not heading or being sensitive to the gently nudging of our Lord. I want to pay attention to what the Lord wants me to do each day in such a way that he does not need to cause my donkey to talk to get my attention. As we strive to live the abundant life that comes through absolute surrender to each and every plan that the Lord has for our lives, I pray that we will seek His will in such a way, but if we miss even the smallest direction, I hope that the donkey will talk to get us back on track.
Christ Movement Ministries in Roquetas del Mar, Spain is an African church that we visited one Sunday morning.
Pastor Nathaneil Ikeh from Nigeria spoke on Godly Rejection with a text from Judges chapter 11.
The pastor preached about how many people in Africa are rejected by their friends and family because they became Christians. “The reason we must be rejected by our families is because of the divine deposit of Jesus in our lives.” He also said, “Do not allow the rejection you receive from your family, your friends and others to weigh you down.” “You are a divine child of God.” “There is a divine touch of God in your life.” “Let them [family, friends, etc.] know that you are a divine child of God.” You are a divine instrument.” Pator Ikeh read from Judges 11 the story of Jephthah the Gileadite warrior. He was rejected by his family and then later they asked him to be their commander so that they could fight the Ammonites. Pastor Ikeh encouraged the African congregation that maybe one day their families will say they are the leader of their family or the commander in chief.
Worship Song:
“I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand it
No matter what may come my way
My life is in His Hands.
“With Jesus I can make it
With Jesus I can stand it
No matter what may come my way
My life is in His Hands.”
Closing Prayer:
“When men and women reject us may it be for your glory, let them reject us that your mission may be completed.”
It was an amazing experience to hear these people who have experienced rejection like most Americans cannot even fathom, encourage one another in continuing to serve the Lord. We prayed, along with them, that one day they would have the opportunity to lead the very people who rejected them because of their relationship with Christ, to a personal relationship with Christ for themselves.
King of the Jungle
Recently we took what Megan calls “a home school field trip.” We went to what one might consider a “Spanish zoo.” We had a great time seeing lots of different animals. On the way there we listened to an appropriate song by Steven Curtis Chapman. I hadn’t heard this song in a long time and the words seem to jump out at me. I am so thankful that we know who is King of this jungle!
King of the Jungle by Steven Curtis Chapman
“Well, the day is just begun and I’m already running late
With two many irons in the fire and too much on my plate
I’d be pulling out my hair if I could just get one hand free
And I’d stop this world if I could find the key.
Chorus:
“What I feel is telling me I’m going crazy,
But what is real, says God’s still on His throne
What I need is to remember one thing
That the Lord of the gentle breeze is Lord of the rough and tumble
And He is the King of the jungle
“People say this world’s a jungle and sometimes I must admit
I’d be scared to death if I did not know who was King of it
But the truth is God created this whole world with his own hand
So everything is under His command
Chorus:
“What I see is telling me this world’s gone crazy
But what is real says God’s still on His throne
What I need is to remember one thing
That the Lord of the gentle breeze is Lord of the rough and tumble
And He is the King of the jungle
Reprise:
“He’s King of creation,
Ruler of earth and the sky and the sea
He’s always in control
He is the King of kings
He’s sitting on the throne
He is the King of kings!
Deuteronomy 4:39 “Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.”
Deuteronomy 10:17a “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome”
Does Your Donkey Talk?
Balaam was an interesting guy – even before his donkey started talking. When he was first asked to visit King Balak, his response was one I want to learn: “’Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God,’” Numbers 22:18. Oh, that we might live our lives in absolute surrender to each and every plan that God has for our daily lives, that we might not do or say anything great or small that would go beyond the commands or even desires of our God.
Later in the story, Balaam goes with the men to visit King Balak riding on his faithful donkey. Many know the story of how the donkey sees the angel of the Lord three times and tries to stray from the path, each time suffering a beating from his master, until finally in verse 28 the Lord opens the donkey’s mouth and she speaks to Balaam – finally getting his attention. Then in verse 32, “The angle of the Lord asked him, ‘Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.’” As I read these words, I wonder how many times we continue down a reckless path, not heading or being sensitive to the gently nudging of our Lord. I want to pay attention to what the Lord wants me to do each day in such a way that he does not need to cause my donkey to talk to get my attention. As we strive to live the abundant life that comes through absolute surrender to each and every plan that the Lord has for our lives, I pray that we will seek His will in such a way, but if we miss even the smallest direction, I hope that the donkey will talk to get us back on track.
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