Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The Promises of God Never Fails
Yesterday I was listening in my ipod a sermon preached by Dr. Steve Harper during one of the Chapel Services at the Asbury Theological Seminary in Orlando. This service was special to Ada and me because it was a healing service dedicated for our daughter Michelle. Since that service, I have the most incredible walk with Jesus that I have never imagine it before. I am not in liberty of publish at this point the whole story, however, there are some biblical principles I want to remind you today.
First, our God is Sovereign. God is the Alpha and the Omega, He is all powerful and certainly if we are sick He will heal us as He has already promised us in the Scripture. Nonetheless, He will use His willing method individually, according to His purpose in each of us.
Secondly, it is not the purpose of our God for us to be sick. We get ill because of our sinful nature. If you want to blame anyone for your illness or the sickness of your love one, then blame Adam and Eve.
Thirdly, God can use as methods of healing an instant miracle, a progressive miracle, healing through the medical science, and the ultimate healing. Jesus performed many instant miracles and throughout the history of the church from the stories we have recorded in the book of Acts through the ones we can see today in the crusades of Reinhard Bonnke in Africa. Furthermore, the progressive healing is also seen today as it was in the past because our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Additionally, our Lord can use the medicine, either natural or conventional in which medical doctors, nurses, therapists, and medicines are used by God as a tool to bring healing to our bodies. Lastly, through the ultimate healing our Savior fulfill His healing promise once and for all. This is the best way to get healed, but it is also the the way less desired for us, the human beings. The ultimate healing is completed in that moment we depart from this world in order to be with our Heavenly Father for the eternity. When this physical body die, it is the time for a new chapter in our lives and once we are living for ever and ever in the presence of our loving Savior, we are not going to suffer of any illness ever, our deformities and limitations product of our illness would be replaced with perfect bodies, and we are going to eventually meet again with our family members and friends that also have died in Christ living with them for ever.
Therefore, the promises of God never fails. In one way or another, our love ones and friends will be healed by the power, love, and mercy of our Great and Almighty God. To Him be the glory, honor, and power forever and ever, Amen.
First, our God is Sovereign. God is the Alpha and the Omega, He is all powerful and certainly if we are sick He will heal us as He has already promised us in the Scripture. Nonetheless, He will use His willing method individually, according to His purpose in each of us.
Secondly, it is not the purpose of our God for us to be sick. We get ill because of our sinful nature. If you want to blame anyone for your illness or the sickness of your love one, then blame Adam and Eve.
Thirdly, God can use as methods of healing an instant miracle, a progressive miracle, healing through the medical science, and the ultimate healing. Jesus performed many instant miracles and throughout the history of the church from the stories we have recorded in the book of Acts through the ones we can see today in the crusades of Reinhard Bonnke in Africa. Furthermore, the progressive healing is also seen today as it was in the past because our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Additionally, our Lord can use the medicine, either natural or conventional in which medical doctors, nurses, therapists, and medicines are used by God as a tool to bring healing to our bodies. Lastly, through the ultimate healing our Savior fulfill His healing promise once and for all. This is the best way to get healed, but it is also the the way less desired for us, the human beings. The ultimate healing is completed in that moment we depart from this world in order to be with our Heavenly Father for the eternity. When this physical body die, it is the time for a new chapter in our lives and once we are living for ever and ever in the presence of our loving Savior, we are not going to suffer of any illness ever, our deformities and limitations product of our illness would be replaced with perfect bodies, and we are going to eventually meet again with our family members and friends that also have died in Christ living with them for ever.
Therefore, the promises of God never fails. In one way or another, our love ones and friends will be healed by the power, love, and mercy of our Great and Almighty God. To Him be the glory, honor, and power forever and ever, Amen.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A Place Called China
It was the Spring of the year 2007 when I received a phone call from a very close friend asking me if I was willing to go to China with a group of 21 leaders from Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Florida. My response to her at the moment was "But I don't even pray for the Chinese people." After 13 years ministering in Latin America and in Latino congregations in the United States about missions, the idea of a Latino ministering in China was something very abstract. But God was about to change that. This was the moment for me to fully understand there is a paradigm shift in the way we do missions. Hence, with an understanding this was a Kairos moment in my life, I accepted the challenge of join this group of wonderful people from a variety of professions from teachers, business people, community leaders, to "coaches."
I remember when we arrived to Beijing on the second week of June I fall in love with the beauty of the city and the humbleness of its inhabitants. We had a walk into the Tienanmen Square and the first Chinese person that came close to me asked me "Are you an American?" I told him, "Yes I am an American from Puerto Rico." His reaction almost chocked me. He told me in perfect Spanish; "Luís Muñoz Marín fue el primer governador de Puerto Rico" (Luís Muñoz Marín was the first governor of Puerto Rico). I could not believe that in China anyone would know a little bit about my island's history. It was at this very moment the Holy Spirit told me the time has come for the Latino church to get involved in the harvest beyond Latin America.
After concluding my walk and time of conversation with my Father about China, the team leader ( I cannot say his name for obvious reasons) told me, "Come on José, I'm taking you to an orphanage." In my mind I said; "yea, yea, another orphanage." But the reality was nothing had prepared me to see what I was about to capture with my eyes. We got into this place and they had a group of 37 children, all of them with neurological deceases. Then, after I heard the stories of these children, and watched the volunteers and staff taking care of them with such dignity and passion, a stream of tears rolled through my eyes. See, our beautiful daughter Michelle who was born normal and had a beautiful life until the summer of the year 2005 was bite by a mosquito. As a consequence, she develop within hours a viral encephalitis that destroyed over 80% of her brain. The final result of all of this was a child in a vegetative state with a epileptic condition that had made further damage to her brain. Thus, watching these children in Beijing I came to the realization we have to do something on behalf of special needs children and their families.
The results of this first visit to China has been incredible. Because of that trip to the land of dragons my wife and I have planted the Abundant Life Community Church, which is a Christian community affiliated to the Free Methodist Church for families with special needs children in the Brevard County, Florida area. Furthermore, we have taken medical teams to China with the purpose to provide relief work in orphanages in Beijing and the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan. Additionally, the birth of Global Connections International, On the Journey to the Ends of the Earth, Inc. is the product of that memorable experience in China. As I travel time and time again to China and observe their ancient culture, their wonderful people, their vast territory, their courage and patriotism, I also add to all of those adjectives the fact the birthplace of this ministry is the Peoples Republic of China. That land is in my mind, heart, bones, and soul. I talked about this nation every day, dream about that land, and listen their Canaan Hymns. As I get closer to once again have another journey, it is my prayer, the ministry of Global Connections International would expand its operations to Zimbabwe, Kenya, Greece, Bulgaria, Spain, Costa Rica, and Argentina. We do not have the financial resources yet to get there. But I believe in the God of the impossible. Join us in this quest and be blessed!!!
I remember when we arrived to Beijing on the second week of June I fall in love with the beauty of the city and the humbleness of its inhabitants. We had a walk into the Tienanmen Square and the first Chinese person that came close to me asked me "Are you an American?" I told him, "Yes I am an American from Puerto Rico." His reaction almost chocked me. He told me in perfect Spanish; "Luís Muñoz Marín fue el primer governador de Puerto Rico" (Luís Muñoz Marín was the first governor of Puerto Rico). I could not believe that in China anyone would know a little bit about my island's history. It was at this very moment the Holy Spirit told me the time has come for the Latino church to get involved in the harvest beyond Latin America.
After concluding my walk and time of conversation with my Father about China, the team leader ( I cannot say his name for obvious reasons) told me, "Come on José, I'm taking you to an orphanage." In my mind I said; "yea, yea, another orphanage." But the reality was nothing had prepared me to see what I was about to capture with my eyes. We got into this place and they had a group of 37 children, all of them with neurological deceases. Then, after I heard the stories of these children, and watched the volunteers and staff taking care of them with such dignity and passion, a stream of tears rolled through my eyes. See, our beautiful daughter Michelle who was born normal and had a beautiful life until the summer of the year 2005 was bite by a mosquito. As a consequence, she develop within hours a viral encephalitis that destroyed over 80% of her brain. The final result of all of this was a child in a vegetative state with a epileptic condition that had made further damage to her brain. Thus, watching these children in Beijing I came to the realization we have to do something on behalf of special needs children and their families.
The results of this first visit to China has been incredible. Because of that trip to the land of dragons my wife and I have planted the Abundant Life Community Church, which is a Christian community affiliated to the Free Methodist Church for families with special needs children in the Brevard County, Florida area. Furthermore, we have taken medical teams to China with the purpose to provide relief work in orphanages in Beijing and the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan. Additionally, the birth of Global Connections International, On the Journey to the Ends of the Earth, Inc. is the product of that memorable experience in China. As I travel time and time again to China and observe their ancient culture, their wonderful people, their vast territory, their courage and patriotism, I also add to all of those adjectives the fact the birthplace of this ministry is the Peoples Republic of China. That land is in my mind, heart, bones, and soul. I talked about this nation every day, dream about that land, and listen their Canaan Hymns. As I get closer to once again have another journey, it is my prayer, the ministry of Global Connections International would expand its operations to Zimbabwe, Kenya, Greece, Bulgaria, Spain, Costa Rica, and Argentina. We do not have the financial resources yet to get there. But I believe in the God of the impossible. Join us in this quest and be blessed!!!
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