Placing shelving into the “bodega” (the storage room) at the Casa del Obrero
I bring you greetings from a very hot, humid and sticky Saturday in Cd. Valles. As I sit here at the computer I will try to relay something that has recently been burdening my heart afresh.
In John 17:21-23 Jesus makes an astonishing statement concerning the Father, himself, and us, his followers:
“That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me”. (Amplified Bible).
How are we doing on the bit about “that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me”?
“That the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me”… Hmmm, let’s take a little look-see at this.
If you will recall my February 16, 2014 blog entitled “Koinonia 2014 and Other Miracles”, you will remember that in it I spoke about the miracle of how the various churches of Cd. Valles, and throughout the Huasteca region were able to lay down their religiosity and denominational walls for one afternoon and actually unite together in koinonia and Christian love. We were praising God that this seemed to finally be happening without cold-shouldering each other due to hyper-religiosity and holier-than-thouness because of denominational superiority one over another.
You will also recall that a huge player in making that day possible was our friend Moisés Gamboa, the engineer who set up the Christian radio station Cielos Abiertos. It was directly through his vision that Koinonia 2014 became a glorious reality.
Shortly after that day in February Moisés’ contract ran out and he had to return to southern Mexico. But even though he
The “cisternas septicas” are being prepared for their placement to finally finish off our septic system
did not say much to me at the time, I was aware that “something was rotten in the state of Denmark” about the way that his leaving took place. He is briefly back in Cd. Valles for a short visit, and I had breakfast with him on Friday. I now have a better understanding of what happened in his departure, and the knowledge saddens me.
We will come back to this in a minute, but let me relate something else first…
In my last (April 30th) blog I rejoiced with you that God had opened doors for us in the Tének village of San Antonio Huichimal, and that a family had opened their home to us to meet, making it possible for a church-plant to begin. Last weekend we were informed by the family that had opened their house to us, as well as by the other Believers that had been meeting with us, that they could no longer do so. They, and the entire village, are being pressured by the Catholic priest that it is because of the fact that we are visiting the village and holding services there that their animals are dying (or perhaps will die, I am not 100% sure). At any rate, there is tremendous fear of us now in the village, and even though there remains a hunger for God and the truth of his Gospel, apparently no one is allowed to fellowship freely or to seek Him.
My first reaction to this is “you have got to be kidding me. Are we living in the Dark Ages?” But the answer is actually “Yes”. Wherever the kingdom of Satan reigns there is darkness. So, we should not be surprised when the enemy uses fear and lies to confound and confuse, controlling the hearts and minds of people.
Placement begins
But this is true of those controlled by the enemy. We are not shocked (or at least should not be) to find that the enemy can, and does use mistrust, fear, division, religion, and disunity to thwart the advancement of God’s Kingdom. After all, as Jesus stated of the Enemy in John 8:44b: “He does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies”. Should we be surprised then when we find him lying, twisting truth, dividing one against another, blinding people with fear and mistrust, and using religion to kill and destroy? Of course not! That, according to Jesus, is Satan’s own nature, and he is speaking his native language when he does so.
But what about when the same thing happens in the Church? Can we then say that it is any different from the unsaved world?
If Jesus’ words are at all to be taken seriously when he stated categorically in Matthew 7:16-20 that:
“You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit. A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits”. (Amplified Bible).
“Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits”. Wow, now that is a mouthful if there ever was one!
So, what exactly did I find out about the hastily concocted discharge of Moisés from Cd.
And a thing of beauty she is!
Valles about a week before his contract conveniently was about to run out at the radio station? Namely, that several of the pastors in the city had raised an outcry against him for disrupting and disturbing the churches of the city. Apparently the Enemy was not happy with the fact that for the first time (perhaps ever in the city), Christians had been able to gather completely across denominational lines to fellowship together in love and koinonia at the event at the Casa del Obrero on the 1st of February. Satan the liar, and the father of lies, had stirred up apparently God-fearing, evangelical pastors and religious leaders across the city to have Moisés ousted from his work here. It apparently is beyond the lines of religious protocol to be able to fellowship without denominational divisions. Apparently religion, and not Jesus, remains sacrosanct and unchangeable.
The problem is that this came through apparently God-fearing leaders across the city. That there is a hue and cry against Jesus and righteousness from the unsaved world is understandable and only to be expected. After all, they (the unsaved world), speak through their father the Devil. But, how tragic and unimaginable that persecution should come from the Church itself. Is this perhaps what Paul was talking about in Galatians 5:15 where he warned that “if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not destroyed by each other”?
I can think of nothing much sadder than this – that the Church of Jesus Christ itself inhibits and opposes Jesus. We can become so self-righteous that we can no longer be used by Him. And certainly, we completely disregard Jesus’ words where he prayed that we, his Bride, would become one and perfectly united in our love for one another. Oh, the world is convinced by the religious Church all right, but not that the Father has sent Jesus his son. But rather, that the Church is a mockery of the words of Jesus as it struts, preens, and swaggers about, full of itself.
Oh God, forgive us!
But, after focusing on the negative, let me also look at the sovereignty and glory of what God is doing. After beginning to write this blog this afternoon, I just now have returned from our Saturday outreach in San Antonio Huichimal. We went not knowing what we would find, or if we would even be able to speak to anyone at all.
What we did in fact find is that some of the families that had been open to meet with us, indeed now are no longer willing to do so, and the house was no longer available for us to meet. Those open doors had been closed.
HOWEVER, what God did today was to open another home to us. Also, one of the men who was supposedly afraid to be with us was in fact very open and willing to continue to be a part of the new work. We met, and had a wonderful service in the home of the second couple who opened their house to us today. Although the husband is not a Believer, his wife is. Despite the fact that there were only three people from the village present, it still was an inroad to the community, and the new church-plant continues to be viable.
God is still on the throne. He has neither abdicated it, nor has he been stripped of his sovereignty. He is still King of kings, and Lord of all lords. Despite the fallibility and sinfulness of man, God cannot be moved.
If we set our eyes on anyone besides God, even trusted Christian leaders, we will be let down. Still, it all hurts. I can only wonder what testimony this is for the world!
Please continue to pray for peace and unity among God’s people here in our little piece of the world.
May God bless you richly,
Steven and Theresa
