You know what's cool? Talking with six Bolivian guys about abiding in Christ. The Spanish word for abiding is Permanecer. That's kind of a cool word that you can figure out even if you don't speak Spanish. Permanecer: to stay, remain, make yourself a permanent fixture. That really describes what I want to be with Jesus. As they talked they had some great insights that helped me to consider the concepts.
Take some time and read John 15: 1-10.
Ron
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Feeling some pressure
My Christian friends in Bolivia warned that the passage of the new constitution and the re-election of the socialist president would bring near certain persecution of the church. I am afraid they were right and we are seeing just the beginning. Let me give you three concrete examples:
1. The government is ramping up the official registration requirements for all churches. Our church has complied, but at considerable legal expense. Small national churches don't have the resources or savvy to comply. The estimated cost is upwards of US $1000 from start to finish. Enter the official MAS party which is offering "assistance" to local indigenous churches to "handle" this issue for them at no cost. My Christian friends fear this is the beginning of an officially sanctioned church, similar to the church in China.
2. The official government TV station is running a dramatic piece showing a heavily accented North American preaching the Gospel with a heavy dose of "learn to tithe, or else". The Gringo tells the listeners that failure to give will result in God's wrath. The poor Bolivian, Silverio, just can't give enough and the result is that his house burns down. Enter the friends from the MAS government political party to help. They tell Silverio that they are his friends, they are from his own culture. They will freely give him the help he needs: food, clothing and so forth. You can draw your conclusions about the message they are sending about Christ's church.
3. The socialist government, now officially secular, has scheduled elections for Easter Sunday, April 4. On election day in Bolivia no meetings or assemblies are allowed. No vehicular traffic is allowed. All church services must be cancelled. Is it a coincidence that the holiest day on the Christian calendar is targeted?
Please pray for Bolivia, and treasure the freedom that you have to assemble and worship.
Ron
1. The government is ramping up the official registration requirements for all churches. Our church has complied, but at considerable legal expense. Small national churches don't have the resources or savvy to comply. The estimated cost is upwards of US $1000 from start to finish. Enter the official MAS party which is offering "assistance" to local indigenous churches to "handle" this issue for them at no cost. My Christian friends fear this is the beginning of an officially sanctioned church, similar to the church in China.
2. The official government TV station is running a dramatic piece showing a heavily accented North American preaching the Gospel with a heavy dose of "learn to tithe, or else". The Gringo tells the listeners that failure to give will result in God's wrath. The poor Bolivian, Silverio, just can't give enough and the result is that his house burns down. Enter the friends from the MAS government political party to help. They tell Silverio that they are his friends, they are from his own culture. They will freely give him the help he needs: food, clothing and so forth. You can draw your conclusions about the message they are sending about Christ's church.
3. The socialist government, now officially secular, has scheduled elections for Easter Sunday, April 4. On election day in Bolivia no meetings or assemblies are allowed. No vehicular traffic is allowed. All church services must be cancelled. Is it a coincidence that the holiest day on the Christian calendar is targeted?
Please pray for Bolivia, and treasure the freedom that you have to assemble and worship.
Ron
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Back to work after Christmas Break
I am enjoying the first couple of days back in the office after a nice break over the holidays. Jeanie, Andrew and I enjoyed relaxing at home. We had guests over for Christmas and New Year's Eve, ate lots of cookies and fudge and saw Avatar together. It was a great time!
Over the New Year holiday our oldest kids, Stephen and Sarah and their spouses Rachael and Dustin got together with our three grandchildren, Wesley, Leah Rose and Cooper. I can't resist borrowing a photo from their blogs:
Over the New Year holiday our oldest kids, Stephen and Sarah and their spouses Rachael and Dustin got together with our three grandchildren, Wesley, Leah Rose and Cooper. I can't resist borrowing a photo from their blogs:
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