The Periodically

I had a great conversation with one of my kids this month on why God calls some things sinful and some things not sinful. Some ideas that arose were: -We all decide to draw a line on what we consider sin and what we don’t consider sin. -From where do people choose to draw wisdom on where to draw this line? Some observations on this topic: -We often want to decide the line based on our own desires. -We also want to decide the line based on societal pressures. -We often draw it at the point where we believe we will no longer receive joy from a behavior. Conclusions drawn: -If one is a believer, we trust that God chooses the line based on the wisdom given in His Word. Romans 11:33–35 says, [33] Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! [34] “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” [35] “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” -God can be trusted to make the ...

Psalm 57:1–2 (ESV) Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. The words of Psalm 57, which David wrote when he fled from Saul, have brought great comfort to me over these past few months as we have walked through these crazy months of 2020. The year began with a flurry of activity preparing for our son’s wedding at the end of March. We got everything done, and in mid-February hopped on a plane bound for Southeast Asia. A couple of people asked if we were concerned about that virus in China. “Nay, we’ll be a long way from China.” We had a wonderful trip, but as we started home, the situation was heating up. Korea now had cases of this new virus, and we had to travel through Korea. This far off problem suddenly hit home. After we arrived home, I became consumed with wor...

Hi Evan, Thanks so much for posting our prayer requests 1. Praise God with us for all the ministry opportunities provided by the Coronavirus. 2. Pray for our Bible Conversations with our next door neighbor´s on Fridays. We have had three so far. Marisol told us after the last one that she is on cloud 9 and so grateful for all she is learning! 3. This week Marisol´s nephew, Freddy, is borrowing Jamie´s computer because his broke and he works on line. His replacement should come in the mail soon. He is also asking for guitar lessons and Bible studies in English. Thank you for praying with us for the salvation of this family. 4. Thursday Jamie and I are going to meet with the unsaved husband of one of our long time members. His wife and daughters will be there as well. He seems extra open to spiritual conversations right now also. 5. That God will bless and provide for at least 8 families who are struggling to feed their families. Our church is helping to provide what they lack. May it ...

Below are some of the ways that you can be praying this week for the Perez's this week as they serve the Lord through COVID-19: Ministry: 1. Praise God for the first meeting, June 4, via Zoom of all of the house churches and discipleship groups. 69 devices were connected. 2. Pray for the coordinators of the strategic areas of MOPI (Movimiento de Plantación de Iglesias - Church Planting Movement) especially Communications and Media, Education, and Training so that we can use technology to effectively evangelize, make disciples, and train leaders. 3. Pray for the Renacimiento Church. A number of families are without work, and are therefore without money for food and being threatened with eviction. Due to COVID 19 regulations in Ecuador, the building is shut down until further notice. It has meant the real church is growing, but the "traditionalists" have a hard time comprehending that they can be the church without connecting to a building. We also ask for us personally: 1...

A long time ago, Pastor Daniel asked me to consider reading D. A. Carson's book, Exegetical Fallacies. He mentioned this book again a few weeks ago in our hermeneutics study. The following question really challenged me to consider the weightiness of words in a believer's life. We often say counsel is simply giving advice, offering an opinion, or even something as subtle as body language or silence itself. Every counsel, beginning with self-counsel, we are constantly offering counsel. In this statement, Carson describes a sobering description of what we all do, many times without forethought, that of "laying on the conscience". When you engage in the ministry of discipleship and/or biblical counsel, you are weighing doctrinal principles on the conscience of another person. Perhaps to people who literally are hanging on your every word. Carson warns about the seriousness of handling and interpreting the Word of God accurately when he says, "The sensitive stu...