Frequently Asked QuestionsWhy do we call ourselves "The 600?"
In 1 Samuel 22 it says: "David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. David and his men, about six hundred in number, stayed in the desert strongholds." We see a strange picture of a king who is anointed with authority by God and yet who lives as a refugee in caves in the desert. God allows another king to sit on a throne, commanding most of the people and enjoying the pleasures of kingship. But those in debt, the discontented and distressed with the current kingdom left their homes, possessions, families and lives under the popular king in order to be with the anointed king. They believed that the kingdom of God's chosen one had God's authority and therefore would last forever. So they went to be with him, to be his people, though it meant living in caves and deserts. They fought battles with him, hoping to bring other peoples and lands into the kingdom of the true king. They obeyed his every command and sought to meet his every desire, even to bring him a drink of water though it meant risking their lives to do so. King Jesus lives in hidden places, places seen only by faith, places that involve hardship, places to where he has been exiled by the allegiance given to the false king. Yet he is the Anointed One and the king with God's authority. The false king, Satan, is allowed to sit on the world's throne, rule most of the people and enjoy the pleasures of kingship for a time. But we who believe that Jesus, the Anointed One, is the king with God's authority gladly leave our homes, possessions, families and lives under the false king to be with Jesus. We spend time with him to get to know him though he leads us to hidden, uncomfortable places. We become his people and he becomes the king whom we love. We fight his battles with him to restore his kingdom of shalom on the earth and in the hearts of men and women. We obey his every command and seek to meet his every desire though it means losing our lives for his sake. We believe that the Anointed One's kingdom is the eternal kingdom of love, shalom and justice where we find life overflowing. This analogy provides an image which describes the situation in the world today which is significant to all who believe to be in this world as followers of Jesus the Anointed One. The 600 is a people to whom one thing matters, to be with the true king, to know him, love him, serve him and reign with him. How much rainfall do you get each year? We have approximately 115 inches of rainfall each year. When is the rainy season? In the northern region where we are, the rainy season is from June to February; in the southern region where the Agua Viva teams are often involved in the projects, the rainy season is from May to November. What is the average temperature? Year round the temperatures range from 70 to 85 degrees. Are there a lot of really big bugs? There are quite a few bugs that are larger than most that you find in the northern US, but the cockroaches are about the same size as in the southern US. Some are pretty exotic, like the rhinoceros beetle.
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