Advent message of Hope

As we come to a close of this Thanksgiving week of 2011 and are ready to enter the Advent season I would like to share a thought or two with you.

Our national tradition here in America sets aside one day each year as a day to give thanks to God for all that he has provided for us. For Christians, however, giving thanks to God should not be confined to a single day or to a special Thanksgiving service. Giving thanks to God should be a daily occurrence.

The Apostle Paul describes the worship in the new testament church as " Always and for everything giving thanks to God.” Paul talks to us about the grace of God of which we should be thankful. Paul says " I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace." For all of us the grace of God is the main reason for Christian Thanksgiving.

What do we mean when we talk about grace? Grace is God's undeserved love that he pours out on us. Grace stands for the remarkable fact that God has it in his heart to love us as we are, that his love is not determined by our unworthy or worthiness. It is his love that finds sin in our lives and leads us to salvation. This is the living center of the "Good News" the gospel of Christ. Romans 5:8 " God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Always give thanks to God for his loving grace.

God wants his love to abound more and more in each of us so that his love may bind us into one family of God. God wants all national and racial differences to be wiped out in this community of love.

That is the way it should be in all of our churches today. Our giving thanks to God for this day is a Christian Thanksgiving only when it is prompted by love and when it expresses itself in works of love.

We thank God above all for our savior Jesus Christ, for it is Christ who purifies our hearts of selfishness and fills our lives with the fruits of righteousness. It is in this way that God receives true praise and glory.

The song of praise that God loves to hear is a life that shows God at work, a life of forgetting self and being obedient to the word of God.

As we enter this Advent season, four Sundays before Christmas, we are beginning a journey toward a stable in Bethlehem. It is both a time of joy and a time for contemplation.

As we set out on this first Sunday of Advent on our journey, let us begin with the hope and expectation that something wonderful is going to happen.

Remember the courage of a young Jewish maiden, named Mary as she sat out on the journey to Bethlehem to bear a child whose parentage was suspect in a society that had strict and sometimes deadly laws about such matters.

Advent reminds us that Jesus, was born in a stable; that Jesus has come and is here today in the form of the Holy Spirit and yes, Jesus will come again! When God stepped into human history; the Word became flesh; Divinity in a human body; these are the truths we celebrate during the Advent season.

Be expectant! Wait with open hearts for God to break into your life, and be ready to welcome the newborn Jesus into your home.

Rosario, One of God’s Children Has Gone Home

Rosario Gutierrez Bocobachi

Today we received a phone call from Hermano Nestor telling us that Rosario had gone to her reward this past Wednesday. It makes us sad that we won’t see her again here on this earth, but we rejoice that she is now with Jesus.

We met Rosario a year or so after we moved to Alamos. We were taken to her home by a fellow Mexican Christian. Rosario’s casa was straight up a steep hill, perched on a ledge near the top. No road, just a steep, rocky path. What a blessing that day turned out to be. We learned she could not read but had a bible.She told us her favorite scriptures were in Psalms. She asked if the hermano (brother in Christ) could read it to her. She had been a Christian for 40 some years. As we were preparing to leave we asked if she would say a prayer. I can tell you we didn’t understand all her words but with tears steaming down her face as she prayed it sent blessed shivers down our spine. What a blessing that was.

We began to provide a monthly food box and occasional medications  for her. We always saved her casa for the last stop on our food deliveries as we loved visiting with her. She was such a blessing and joy for us. We would always ask that she pray. As I write this I can see her with tears falling down her cheeks and her finishing with a soft reverent hallelujah, hallelujah.

She walked with a walker as a dog had caused her to fall breaking her leg and the leg had healed wrong. Once during the rainy season we found her bed soaking wet as the roof in the tiny room was leaking like a sieve. We were able to provide some assistance for a new roof. Her casa consisted of two small, dirt floored rooms. In later years the Mexican government had a program where they supplied cement for casa repairs so she was able to get a concrete floors.

The other woman in these photos is her friend. The friend was also one of our food stops along our route. We never learned her name.This woman was not a Christian but Rosario loved her and never missed a chance to witness to her. As time went on we began to feel a softening of her spirit. I hope she came to Christ before Rosario passed. I know this little woman will miss Rosario terribly.

In February, 2010 when we visited Alamos we paid Rosario a visit. She was in her mid 80’s at that time. Her older brother was staying with her as he lived alone in the country. He had been ill and wasn’t able to be alone. He slept on the portal.  Hermano Nestor told us today that he survives her.

Kebar River Band Concert

Sunday, September 18th was a wonderful day. Services were a blessing as usual. Pastor John’s message was entitled; The Gospel. Gospel meaning The Good News. It was taken from 1 John 4:7-19. Jeremiah 31:3, Hosea 14:4. The theme being how God first loved us enough to die for us without requiring that we first love him. Isn’t that a wonderful gift, of how much Jesus loved us, enough to die for our sins? And even though we may stray he still loves us regardless.

After services a bountiful sandwich luncheon was held in the Women’s building. It amazes me how generous all our folks are when it comes to providing plenty of eats, we never are short of goodies.

At 2PM we all met back in the church for the concert. Those of you who couldn’t make it missed a blessing. This group is so talented and spread God’s message with their ministry. The fellow playing the banjo also proved talented on the piano. He really had that piano rocking. One of the other players told us if there was an instrument he could play it.

 

The group told us how inspiring to them our church was, everyone smiling, clapping and showing how much the music was blessing them. We hope this won’t be the last time we get to host them.