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Oh, ye of little faith, in the Upper Room #XXIII
15 years ago
General
Thank everyone that said 'yes' to me in the last journal, and for some of you, saying I was a Methodist was only to let you know why I was holding an election for me...I'm pretty sure all denominations are apart of this thing, so FPC is a nondenominational...
Hope that clears that up....^^
~Rev. Wally Bear
The God Who Searches
Read Ezekiel 33:10-16
The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.
-Luke 19:10 (NRSV)
FOR three years, while I studied at the Seminario Biblico Latinoamericano in Costa Rica, I preached every Saturday at the central penitentiary in San José. One Saturday, I traveled to the penitentiary as usual. This time, however, due to an intensely busy work week, I did not have a message prepared. I pleaded with God to help me. As I was walking along, I saw Blue on the street corner, searching through the trash bins. Blue is an elderly man known to everyone in the area. He went through the trash bins, looking for blue objects to recycle -- hence his nickname. At that moment, I knew what the Bible reference and the theme of my message would be; I would talk about the God who unfailingly seeks us.
The message was not lost on the inmates. They understood that like Blue who recycles items of value from the trash, Christ searches for us, rescues us, and offers us salvation because we are valuable in God's sight.
Several inmates accepted Christ that day, which changed the lives of many of them. One inmate who had been condemned to a life sentence later gained his freedom and returned to his hometown, where he formed a new church.
Gilberto Valencia (Cali, Colombia)
Prayer
Thank you, God, for rescuing us, for loving us unconditionally, and for giving us eternal life through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thought for the Day
God continually searches for those who need to meet Christ.
Prayer Focus
Seminarians
Hope that clears that up....^^
~Rev. Wally Bear
The God Who Searches
Read Ezekiel 33:10-16
The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.
-Luke 19:10 (NRSV)
FOR three years, while I studied at the Seminario Biblico Latinoamericano in Costa Rica, I preached every Saturday at the central penitentiary in San José. One Saturday, I traveled to the penitentiary as usual. This time, however, due to an intensely busy work week, I did not have a message prepared. I pleaded with God to help me. As I was walking along, I saw Blue on the street corner, searching through the trash bins. Blue is an elderly man known to everyone in the area. He went through the trash bins, looking for blue objects to recycle -- hence his nickname. At that moment, I knew what the Bible reference and the theme of my message would be; I would talk about the God who unfailingly seeks us.
The message was not lost on the inmates. They understood that like Blue who recycles items of value from the trash, Christ searches for us, rescues us, and offers us salvation because we are valuable in God's sight.
Several inmates accepted Christ that day, which changed the lives of many of them. One inmate who had been condemned to a life sentence later gained his freedom and returned to his hometown, where he formed a new church.
Gilberto Valencia (Cali, Colombia)
Prayer
Thank you, God, for rescuing us, for loving us unconditionally, and for giving us eternal life through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thought for the Day
God continually searches for those who need to meet Christ.
Prayer Focus
Seminarians
~Rev. Wally Bear