Warmest greetings to each of you in this season when we remember and celebrate the coming of Jesus. As we look over the past year, the situation in our world and the circumstances of our own lives, Allison and I are reminded of the faith-filled waiting of those like Abraham who walked this planet before us believing expectantly for the coming of the King who would save, heal and deliver us, and establish his kingdom of love and justice.
“In hope [Abraham] believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the deadness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” Romans 4:18-21
This year, with the birth of our fourth child in five years we experienced the “deadness” of our “womb.” The challenges of family and ministry in Honduras confronted us daily with laughable impossibility. Like Abraham we were “as good as dead,” as we birthed, parented and homeschooled our four children and cared for Joel as a son, as we led our discipleship house Campus Adullam, as we directed the construction of a water system in La Muralla, and led the construction of a 375 square foot extension onto our home, as we led and taught the Discipleship Group weekly, as we continued to work the sustainable agriculture demonstration plots and as we daily attended the needs of many of our neighbors, and as we watched several of the boys who lived with us at the beginning of the year turn away from Jesus and choose a life of drug addiction and thievery.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those of us who were slaves to the law, that we might receive the divine adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5
But at just the right time, when all the circumstances of time and space had added up to build the laughably impossible situation, when it seemed hopeless that Jesus could be born to us, “God sent forth his Son, born of a woman.” In the midst of the deadness of our womb God sent forth Jesus to be born in us: through his Spirit’s presence, through piles of rocks or just the right funding, through blessing someone or speaking a timely word through us, through our creating a rock mosaic that expresses the I AM, by speaking to Bayron during a conversation at the dinner table, by giving us our beautiful son Isaiah, by showing us the miracle of Joel’s story, and by raising Gerson up from his drug overdose deathbed, etc. etc.
“… the I AM waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the I AM is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait [patiently and in faith] for him.” Isaiah 30:18
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Jude 1:17-21
So let’s not let any unbelief make us waiver concerning the promise of God, but grow strong in our faith as we give glory to God, fully convinced that God is able to do what he has promised. In the fullness of time God will send forth his Son.
Thank You for your participation with us in this walk of faith. We treasure your prayers and co-laboring by faith with us. Merry Christmas to each one of you.
Looking unto Jesus the Champion who authored and perfected our faith,
Larry, Allison, Eva (6), Anna (4), Eliya (2), Isaiah (4 months), and Joel (37)
“In hope [Abraham] believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the deadness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” Romans 4:18-21
This year, with the birth of our fourth child in five years we experienced the “deadness” of our “womb.” The challenges of family and ministry in Honduras confronted us daily with laughable impossibility. Like Abraham we were “as good as dead,” as we birthed, parented and homeschooled our four children and cared for Joel as a son, as we led our discipleship house Campus Adullam, as we directed the construction of a water system in La Muralla, and led the construction of a 375 square foot extension onto our home, as we led and taught the Discipleship Group weekly, as we continued to work the sustainable agriculture demonstration plots and as we daily attended the needs of many of our neighbors, and as we watched several of the boys who lived with us at the beginning of the year turn away from Jesus and choose a life of drug addiction and thievery.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those of us who were slaves to the law, that we might receive the divine adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5
But at just the right time, when all the circumstances of time and space had added up to build the laughably impossible situation, when it seemed hopeless that Jesus could be born to us, “God sent forth his Son, born of a woman.” In the midst of the deadness of our womb God sent forth Jesus to be born in us: through his Spirit’s presence, through piles of rocks or just the right funding, through blessing someone or speaking a timely word through us, through our creating a rock mosaic that expresses the I AM, by speaking to Bayron during a conversation at the dinner table, by giving us our beautiful son Isaiah, by showing us the miracle of Joel’s story, and by raising Gerson up from his drug overdose deathbed, etc. etc.
“… the I AM waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the I AM is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait [patiently and in faith] for him.” Isaiah 30:18
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Jude 1:17-21
So let’s not let any unbelief make us waiver concerning the promise of God, but grow strong in our faith as we give glory to God, fully convinced that God is able to do what he has promised. In the fullness of time God will send forth his Son.
Thank You for your participation with us in this walk of faith. We treasure your prayers and co-laboring by faith with us. Merry Christmas to each one of you.
Looking unto Jesus the Champion who authored and perfected our faith,
Larry, Allison, Eva (6), Anna (4), Eliya (2), Isaiah (4 months), and Joel (37)