Sleepy in the States

We'll post more of an update later. Suffice it to say that after we got up at 6:30 a.m. Monday in Madrid, we travelled approximately 5000 miles due to the circuitous route through Amsterdam and Detroit, then returned to the Charleston airport on time, with an arrival a bit after 10:30 p.m., which would be 4:30 a.m. in Spain. Mil gracias a Pete y Brad for the rides home.
We are tenatively scheduled to lead the adult CE period on December 9, giving more details about our trip and the ways you were able to minister through us in Spain as the Lord enabled us.
Dave for the team

(Time) Traveling

Yesterday was a great day of getting a feel for the history of this area as we went to Seville and saw Roman Ruins in Italica that dated back 200 years before Christ. It was sobering to stand on the very same ¨playing field¨ of a coliseum in which Christians lost their lives. John informed us that ¨arena¨ is the Spanish word for ¨sand¨ which is what was used on the ground of the coliseum to soak up their blood. How different it is to follow Christ in America! But how thankful we should be that He shed His blood for our sins.

After spending some time in a 900 year old Catholic Cathedral - quite a sight! - we enjoyed some Thanksgiving Day fellowship with other TEAM missionaries in Seville before returning to Osuna through La Puebla, the location of the Niemeyers church.

The day concluded with a great visit at dinner and afterward with special friends of John and Sandy. (I´ll try to add pictures below.) Please pray that they will encounter Christ through our presence and service here, and pray that they will hear the simple, life-changing Gospel message that remains the same through all ages and nations.

Missionary Housing

Wanted to show you our housing here in Osuna. Not much time will be spent there, but boy is it helpful to get a bit of rest! Neat to wake up to roosters on the other side of a grove of olive trees out back. You can also see a bit of the range of foothhills in distance. It´s beautiful all around.

Around Town in Osuna

After getting acclimated to "Spain Time" with a good night´s rest, we´ve been around town all morning meeting friends of the Niemeyers, inviting them to "Thanksgiving with Friends" and seeing some of the history of the town as we go. It´s a joy to walk through the thin cobblestone streets and see buildings that go back centuries, but it´s sad to hear that the established church is largely associated with hypocrisy and power over the people. What we pray for this community of people is that they will see and hear the Gospel in our witness - humility, service, love, forgiveness, holiness. Why do we want this? So that through our testimony and prayers, Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith. We believe that Christ shed His precious blood for people in 21st century Osuna, so they need to know. Pray for us that God would work through us.

On the Ground in Spain

Tapping into coffee, seeing the old world, bringing rain to Spain (mainly on the plain) - we´ve arrived. Dave is finding that 28 hours of sleeplessness coupled with a Spanish keyboard makes for difficult typing. Kenny and Jesse had a little excitement in customs, but they did manage to get through intact. Due to a delayed plane in Amsterdam, we were on the edge of timing our connection to a train from Madrid to Cordoba, but thankfully traffic cooperated and we made our train with no problem. Of course, we have run into a few language barrier issues, but God has provided for us to have everything we need.

Please pray that we can continue to minister to the Niemeyer family, who have been ministering to us since our arrival. Please pray that there will continue to be showers both of rain in this drought-stricken area and of the Lord´s blessing as we try to serve as ambassadors of GFC and Christ to this community.

In Matthew 28, Jesus continues to prove his resurrection to onlookers - apostles, women, and even Jewish leaders. This ongoing living proof of the resurrection shows Christ in his power convicting people and changing the world, giving purpose, lending wings to the Gospel. Pray that we will go in the grace of God and carry this precious Gospel with us wherever we go.

Forsaken by God

In Matthew 27.43, Jesus cries out to the Father, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (ESV). As Jesus is dying on the cross, smitten for us and our sins, being mocked by onlookers, he takes on our sins, bearing the curse of separation from the Father on our behalf.

This morning we heard an exhortation from Rod Conner of To Every Tribe Mission (http://www.toeverytribe.com/) to seek earnestly to bring the Gospel of Christ to all people we can, personally or through other messengers. Tomorrow, our team leaves for Spain to do just that. While the people TETM goes to in remote areas of Mexico and New Guinea are quite different culturally and historically from the people we will be ministering to in Spain or that others in our church body will be ministering to in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio, we see a striking similarity.

Wherever we go, to whomever we minister, everyone who is not believing in Christ is under the curse, forsaken by God the Father. Everyone who is believing in Christ is a recipient of the blessing of God, taking on the life of fellowship with the Father Christ purchased in taking our sin on himself on the cross. This distinctive of Christianity transcends cultural barriers, language barriers, and generational barriers. The message of Jesus crucified, dead, buried, and risen again for our justirication is the message we were given by the apostles and prophets and is the message we will continue to proclaim until Christ's coming to bring his own to their heavenly home.

Let us be diligent in proclaiming to people under the curse the Christ who bore the curse for them.

The Spain team is departing in the morning, expecting to arrive in Osuna on Tuesday afternoon, local time. We'll update you via e-mail and this blog as soon as we are able after we arrive.

Grace and Peace!

A Real Post - Not on a Blog

Kenny, good to see you post. Yes, it's been Dave posting all along. But I knew someone else in GFC leadership would become brave enough to try sometime. After all, everyone writes blogs and nobody ever reads them.

Jeremiah 31.31-34 talks about a real post, not one that's out there somewhere in cyber-space. God declares in verses 33-34 (ESV), "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

I've heard sermons about this passage, mostly bad sermons, destructive ones, because they didn't understand a very simple grammatical construction God uses with his people. I'd like to observe something about the concept of "mood" in language. The mood shows the type of action in a sentence. The most common moods we see in languages are the indicative, which describes action, and the imperative, which commands action. Armed with that simple concept, look over Jeremiah 31.33-34 again. What mood is it? It's indicative.

God is describing the life of the believer. He is describing what our life is like when he has changed us and called us to himself. We don't wrestle to put God's law within us. He puts his law within us. We don't make ourselves God's people, we are God's people because he has done it. And ultimately, in eternity, there comes a time when we don't remind one another to love, trust, and serve God, because it is built into the new nature God has given us. It will be the very most natural thing for us once this mortal life has passed away. God summarizes his point at the end of the quotation. "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
We see that forgiveness fulfilled in the resurrected Lord. As a partaker of the resurrection, the believer is a partaker of the new nature. It's something God has done. He has posted his law in our life.

In all our activities over the next few days, may we remember that in our new nature, given by God in Christ, we carry his presence and his true law into every situation we find ourselves in. Pray the Lord will shine through you and other believers, bringing this message of true forgiveness, resurrection life, to our lost and dying world.

More than a busy schedule

Still learning my way around the maze that is Blog-posting, but it appears I've finally arrived! Nice to be here.

As Dave has pointed out, there is a lot happening over the next few days in the life of GFC! Friday/Saturday Family Conference, Sunday with special visit from missionary partner Rod Conner, Mon-Mon trip to Spain to visit other missionaries...

Ever feel like you have so much to do your head is spinning? A sense of that has emerged for me over the past couple of weeks, but the most important thing remains: to sit at the feet of the Lord. To talk to Him in prayer and hear His words from Scripture. Thank you Dave for bringing His word to light in each of your posts!

As we move into the next few days and weeks, I pray we will do so eager to hear from the Lord, working heartily for Him, rejoicing that we have all these opportunities to bring Him glory! In our own lives (and families) as well as in the lives of people all around the world. Regardless of how much or little we have on our schedule, we will never get to do "today" over again. Let's pray for God's grace to fill it.

Kenny

Singing the Song of the Lord

Please pray for our family conference, November 16-17, that God's people may hear a clear message about how the Lord has made families to work in his kingdom. Pray for the safety of our speaker and his wife as they travel to and from Hurricane. Pray that this weekend will be a genuine time of refreshing. Pray that those people present who are troubled, and particularly who do not trust in Christ as the foundation of all their life will believe.
Sunday, November 18, GFC hosts a missionary who works with very remote tribal groups. Please pray for his safe journey and that we will encourage him in Christ.
Monday, November 19, the Spain team leaves. Please pray as we move into the final days of arrangements - making sure we have everything we should have and don't have anything we shouldn't have. In the wake of recent discoveries about airport security, pray that we will be able to travel freely.
All that we are trying to do is part of the preparation for a heavenly concert. In Revelation 15.3-4 a multitude of redeemed people sing to God as he prepares to bring his just judgment on the earth. "All nations will come and worship you, foryour righteous acts have been revealed" (v. 4b, ESV). Let us together sing God's great and amazing deeds and ways. In all that we do, may we reflect the "King of the nations" (v. 3) and what he does, most of all, how by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ he has established peace between God and man and has brought life to all who believe. This unchanging message is our song.

Sojourners

Please pray for the GFC family conference November 16-17 and for the Spain team, departing on November 19, returning on the 26th. Pray that we may long for our eternal home and that we may share that longing with others. Pray that we may live in our society as a blessing to those around us. Pray that in all things Christ may have the preeminence.

Often when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances we are tempted to seek an escape. We might escape from a troubled work situation by missing work more or possibly by doing a substandard job. On the other hand, we might escape from it by pouring ourselves into it and showing we are superior to the tasks required. These and many more possibilities exist in our work, family, community, and local church involvement.

When God sent the people of Judah into exile in Babylon, he did an uncharacteristic thing. He had Jeremiah write a letter to send to the people who went into exile. We read God's command in Jeremiah 29.5-7 (ESV) "Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." How are God's people supposed to deal with their difficult situation? They are to live their lives, being productive, and working for the good of their society. Though they are not at home, though they are prisoners, their concern is to be for the welfare of their community.

How often we try to retreat into our little safe world. How often we need to receive a letter God has sent through his prophet. In the strength and provision of Christ our Lord and Savior, let us live in our world and pray the LORD will bring welfare to our community.

Spain in a Week

Did you ever have trouble counting days until something happens? I noticed that the day count I have had is inclusive, meaning that it counts the days at both ends. Exactly a week from the time I write this, I expect to be either on a train going from Madrid toward Osuna, or arriving in Osuna. I'm not certain of the departure and arrival times. But I know our team will actually be in Spain.
No doubt there will be other types of confusion on this trip. It's inevitable, especially in travel involving languages and cultures that the travellers don't know very well.
Speaking of confusion, I observe that we are not alone. In Matthew 26.20-35, we naturally tend to be drawn to the verses in the middle, where the Lord institutes His table. But observe the happenings on both sides. First, Jesus points out that someone will betray him. All the disciples seem genuinely surprised. No doubt, all were confused, including Judas, who surely was not planning to be confronted with his impending denial. Then, after the meal, Jesus tells Peter of his impending denial. This throws tremendous confusion into the ranks.
Pray that Christ's people will focus on his presence, in the midst of our unfaithfulness. Pray that we will look to his body broken on our behalf and his blood shed on our behalf for our strength and comfort. Pray that for the team going to Spain as well. May we be faithful messengers of the centrality of Christ's sacrifice for us!

Spain Minus 9 Days

On the ninth day from now, the GFC team will touch down in Spain. Please pray that we may serve as Christ's representatives in all the travel we do, from Charleston to Detroit to Amsterdam to Madrid by air and by rail to Osuna. Pray that we may touch the people we meet with comfort and compassion.
It's easy to hope that other people will take our discomfort, confusion, and troubles. It's especially easy to do that when we are on the road. After all, in a restaurant, if something isn't right, it isn't our fault. If a bag checked with an airline is lost, we didn't do it. If there are delays which mess up our connections, we didn't cause the delays. It's easy to blame other people and to take frustrations out on other people. But let's look briefly at God's attitude about this.
In Jeremiah 25.15 God tells Jeremiah "Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it" (ESV). God poured his righteous wrath out on the people of Jeremiah's time because of their unbelief. He made them a sign and sent them into exile, to restore them some 70 years later. But this show of God's wrath was a show to chastize the people and call them to repentance. On the cross of Christ, our Lord and Savior has drunk the entire cup of God's righteous wrath for our sin. This is how much our master cares for us. And not only did Jesus bear God's wrath in our place, he also showed restoration by rising from the dead as the firstfruits of the resurrection.
May we serve as Christ's representatives in all our travels, local or long-distance May we bring comfort to others, sheltering them from wrath. May we be quick to tell them about the Christ who enduredthe ultimate penalty for all sin and rose victorious to bring new life.

Spain Minus 10 Days, Your Address, Minus 0 Days

Matthew 25.31-46 is one of the better known passages in the New Testament, talking about the final judgment of God. Probably all of us are familiar with the sheep and the goats and have heard numerous teachings about this passage. I'd like to make just a few quick observations and state a few prayer requests.
Observations:
1) Both the sheep and the goats are involved in doing good works.
2) Both the sheep and the goats are surprised at the Lord's judgment.
3) Neither the sheep nor the goats understand the implications of what they are doing or not doing.
Prayer Requests:
Pray that we will all serve our Lord wherever and whenever we can by serving our neighbor and loving him as ourselves.
Pray that we will have a desire to serve others, not for any reward or out of any fear of punishment, but because others need help and hope that comes from Christ.
Pray that we will see and take our opportunities to serve the Lord, whether at home or abroad.

Family Conference Minus 6 Days, Spain Minus 10 Days

The GFC leadership is busy with many things these days. In addition to working with the various fellowship groups, preparing for the family conference, a visit from a missionary we support, and a group going to Spain, we meet in a few days to deal with our regular November business and preparation of a budget to propose to the GFC congregation in their December meeting. Sunday, December 2 will be a big day in the life of GFC as we have a dinner and a report from our Spain team. We've recently been seeing many building and grounds improvements. People in GFC have been changing jobs, changing homes, being hospitalized, and most everything else under the sun.
Today's reading from the Old Testament was Jeremiah 23.1-20. God's message through Jeremiah here should be convicting to all who lead others in Christ. He points out the bad shepherds' leading people astray in very strong language. Verses 16-17 say "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LROD. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, "It shall be well with you"; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, "No disaster shall come upon you.'"
Every one of us who has led others, taught others, counseled others, should be convicted by this. Pray for the GFC leaders. They fail daily. Regularly we guide and counsel others with our own opinion and fail to bring God's word into lives. We are tempted regularly to encourage people that they are all right when they are not. We deceive ourselves in the same way, just like everyone else. Even when we try very hard to lead people in righteousness, we fail.
Where's the hope in all this? In Jeremiah 23.7-8 we see that there is a day coming when people we rejoice in the Lord who has led people out of captivity. We realize our captivity to sin and the deliverance given us in Jesus Christ. Please pray for your GFC leadership, the Spain team, and all your fellow believers to depend on Christ's work, to trust Christ's righteous judgment, to proclaim the Word of God in Christ boldly as the only sure hope in this lost and dying world. May we walk not according to our own understanding and opinion, but according to the perfect love of God in Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Spain Minus 11 Days

Jeremiah 11.1-4 reminds us that, despite the title of this post, we should consider and act on more than just a brief visit to people in a far away country. What are God's people to do? "Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place" (v. 3, ESV). All this is to happen right here at home. We pursue justice and we avoid injustice quite purposely. In less than 11 days, GFC will be hosting a conference to develop a clear biblical picture of the family and God's purpose for the family. We are able to work here and now to pursue justice and avoid injustice within our families and homes. On a daily basis we have opportunity to minister to our families, friends, neighbors, the people we see casually, a host of people all needing us to pursue justice, needing to be protected from injustice.
If you've read the posts on this blog, you know that we affirm that we always fail in our attempts at righteousness. And today, when pursuing justice and avoiding injustice, every one of us will see many instances of our failure to accomplish those goals, not to mention our failure to desire those goals. These demands God has made are what we can call the Law. God has made his demands in his Law statements throughout Scripture. We are bound to keep God's law in order to live a righteous life. We are doomed to failure.
Thanks be to God, he has given us, in addition to his law, his Gospel. The Gospel is that which God has done on our behalf through Christ. We get the Gospel statement in verse 4 of Jeremiah 22. "For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people" (ESV). Here's the good news. Despite our unbelief and disobedience, God the Father has sent God the Son, Jesus, to sit on the throne of David, the new and eternal King. He is surrounded by his servants and people - the believers he has adopted as his sons. We are members of that royal household based on Christ's obedience.
Let's go and do justice, since Christ our King sends us to do it. Let's trust that he has enabled us to do what is pleasing in his sight, at home or abroad.
Pray for the families of the Spain team and the other GFC families. Pray that they will rejoice in an opportunity to serve others with mercy. Pray that they will work courageously at the command of the King. Pray that the true Gospel of Christ will shine through his people.

Spain Minus 12 Days

In 12 days our team will touch down in Spain. Please pray that we and other servants of Christ will go about our service to the Lord, ministering to our neighbors and loving them, meeting their needs with our Savior's resources. Pray for the people we will be in contact with to see the love of Christ. Pray that all the believers involved in this trip will be bold to speak God's word, faithful to trust the Lord to accomplish what he will.
The Bible readings on my calendar (it's still there at www.pottersschool.org/MrSpotts/lectionary.html ) for today are Jeremiah 20.1-18 and Matthew 24.29-51. There are striking similarities between these passages. In both of them God proclaims destruction. In both of them the recipients of the proclamation do not believe that God will do what he has promised. In Jeremiah we can see that in fact Judah was taken into captivity by Babylon and the prophecy came to past. We have not yet seen the wrath of God poured out on the earth as promised in Matthew 24. Yet we have no reason to doubt that God will do exactly what he has said he will do.
If we look at Matthew 24.45-47 we see the promise for believers. We cannot and should not try to stop the judgment of God from coming on the world. But we are blessed when we are found being faithful to do what the Lord has put before our hands to do. By the mercy of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, let us be found in the last day as Christ's hands extended, receiving the strength we need to serve our savior through his promise in Matthew 28. "I will be with you."

Spain Minus 13 Days

In 13 days our team will be arriving in Spain. We will be visiting a part of the world with very early roots of Christianity. Seville is home to what is reputed to be the second largest cathedral in the world, dating back hundreds of years. There is some reason for speculation that the apostle Paul made a journey to Spain (of course, long before the cathedral). Yet over the centuries, many of these places with a very early testimony of Christ have left that heritage behind.
In Jeremiah chapter 11, God gives a strict warning to Judah, about to go into captivity. You have left God and you will not be partakers of the covenant. The same can be said for many generations of people in many countries around the world.
While we call people to return to faith, to trust in the Lord, we also must realize that in our own power we are utterly incapable of doing so. Our own attempts at faithfulness result in our rejection of God's loving protection and guidance. The more we try, the more it becomes apparent that we are unable to bear the burden of God's righteous requirements.
Rejoice together with me that in Jesus Christ, God has provided one to bear that burden for us. He has created in Christ a new covenant, in which he implants his righteousness into our hearts and we become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, our new law-giver and the one who keeps and fulfills the Law perfectly in our behalf.
Pray that our Spain team may be used of the Lord to communicate this alien righteousness.
Pray for John Niemeyer, as he finalizes the planning for possibly as many as 110 guests.
Pray that the people we serve may see Jesus living in us and working through us.

Spain Minus 14 Days

In 14 days our GFC team will be arriving in Spain after spending quite a few hours plus time zone changes in transit. Pray for the team to have hearts, minds, and bodies adequately prepared for the stress of the travel. Pray for the air and rail connections to work out well. Give thanks with us that Spaniards drink very strong coffee.
Today's readings were from Jeremiah 8.18-9.12 and Matthew 23.13-39. The two readings work together very well. In Jeremiah, the prophet laments because people do not believe and because without belief they are condemned. In Matthew, Jesus laments for the very same reason. Both the people around Jeremiah and around Jesus are doomed without a savior. They have no hope. But thanks be to God, who has provided hope, who has provided salvation, who has provided a savior who comes to his people and gathers them.
In the hardness of their hearts, Jesus observes, the people refuse to be gathered. Yet to every one whose heart is turned Godward by the Holy Spirit, the savior is present to gather, nurture, and protect.
Give thanks that our Lord has not left the people of Spain or the people of our local communities without hope. He has provided a savior, Christ the Lord.

Spain Minus 15 Days

Please continue to pray for the GFC Spain team and for the people already "on the ground" in Spain. In Matthew 23.1-12, Jesus issues the "woes" to the Pharisees (and others). While he says to obey what the Pharisees say to do, he says not to be like them. The Pharisees are doing good works, but they are doing them for a reward. The reward of trusting on good works is the reward of those good works themselves. In the final judgment we will find out what the good works we have done are good for, based on the motivation of the heart we bring to those good works.
I challenge everyone who reads this to take a piece of paper and a pencil and spend five minutes writing a list of all the good works you have done recently. Only list those done with a genuine motive only to please God and love your neighbor as yourself entirely for that neighbor's good and God's glory.
We should find after five minutes of this that our sheet of paper is empty. Our motives are wrapped up in a combination of ourselves and God's will at best, and are entirely our desires at worst. We fall under the condemnation of the Pharisees in verse 5, "They do all their deeds to be seen of others" (ESV). If we are depending on others seeing us and recognizing our good deeds for our eternal well-being, we are cursed indeed.
As the team prepares to go to Spain, pray that those serving Christ in this service project may have hearts to do their service for the Lord and to care for their neighbors, not to desire an earthly reward.
As we receive praise from people observing us, pray that we will rightly ascribe that praise to the Lord who desires to use us to draw attention to himself among unbelievers in Osuna.
As we prepare to serve in ways which may be tedious, exhausting, and which may not fit our preferences at times, pray that we will have the mind of Christ as shown in Philippians 2.

Spain Minus 16 Days

Greetings in the name of the Lord and Savior.
In 16 days our team will arrive in Spain. The week we spend there will be packed full of activity - going to and fro, making preparations, trying to deal with the language barriers as we communicate words of grace and peace from the congregation of GFC to the people of Osuna. Today's Scripture from Jeremiah 5.1-19 witnesses God calling Jeremiah and, through him, other faithful servants to search for someone who does justice. In verses 7-9 God asks a rhetorical question, "Can I forgive them?" The clear answer is that God cannot forgive sinful people because of their righteousness. The Gospel in all this is that God has provided righteousness through his son Jesus. This righteousness of Christ, "alien" righteousness as many theologians call it, imputed to believers, brings forgiveness to as many as believe.
Our call is to trust on Christ and his perfect righteousness. We will not do justice ourselves, nor can we. There is only one good teacher, Jesus.
Pray that we will be used to remind the people we are visiting of the alien righteousness of Jesus imputed to the believer.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the believing community of Osuna, pouring his righteousness, forgiveness, and restoration on his people.
Pray for the Niemeyers as they work to get people to commit to their Thanksgiving dinner event.
Pray that the dinner will be an opportunity to express that thanks is due to Jesus for protecting and preserving his people rather than leaving them unforgiven.

Welcome to the GFC Blog

Welcome to a feeble attempt at a blog. In the blogosphere, it often seems everyone is writing and nobody is reading. We hope to make this a blog worth reading, with news about what's happening at GFC, prayer suggestions, AHA moments from Scripture, and much more. We hope you find this forum helpful in your Christian walk.
If you want to get in touch with Grace Fellowship Church, you are welcome to write to us at gfc.hurricane@gmail.com or to call the church office at 304.562.6604. We are here to bring Christ and His answers to our community.
Kenny Taylor (staff elder)
(non-staff elders) Gerald Foster, Fred Nyhuis, Dave Spotts

Spain Minus 17 Days

As our GFC team to Spain is set to depart in 17 days, I'm sure we've all been thinking and praying about what we are going for, what we will be encountering there, and how we can best serve as our Savior's hands extended to both the Niemeyers and the many guests they will be hosting for a Thanksgiving dinner. My Old Testament reading today is from Jeremiah 3.6-4.2 (for suggested Bible readings, if you don't have a plan you are following, I've got one posted on my website at www.pottersschool.org/MrSpotts/lectionary.html). Maybe this passage can give us some focus and call us to prayer. In Jeremiah 3 we see that the southern kingdom, Judah, has fled from the faith despite their understanding of the prior departure and subsequent captivity of Israel. Yet God gives them a clarion call through Jeremiah to return in trust to God. He will provide even this people who have departed from their trust in God with shepherds who will guide them, nurture them, and protect them through all their troubles if they only trust him him. Thanks be to God that in Jesus Christ, the good shepherd of the sheep, we have the shepherd who will give his life for his sheep and bring his people to the Father.
Like many of the people of America, many of the people of Spain do not trust in Christ. They trust in their own abilities and their own goodness rather than the perfect life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Wherever we are, may we be used as Jeremiah was to issue a clear call to repentance, trust in Christ, and forgiveness, resulting in a life of walking with the Lord instead of walking in rebellion.
Pray for the Spain team to have the courage and clarity of mind to present such a call.
Pray that we may be God's instruments in reminding John and Sandy of the reality and efficacy of forgiveness, the power of the Gospel to bring life to the people of Osuna.
Pray that the people we will have contact with in Spain will receive the Scripture with joy and faith.
Thanks for reading.
Dave Spotts