Water

And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

1Cor 10:4

Water is a recurring motif in God’s word and represents different things at different times. For example, the Bible mentions water as a symbol of repentance, faith, salvation, and provision. It also represents troublesome times and enemies that must be overcome. Jeremiah likened Yahweh to springs of living water, and deep calls unto deep at the noise of His waterfalls in Psalms 42.

When we first visited Honduras as short-term missionaries in 2008, we were met with a manmade water shortage. Our host ministry had worked themselves to the bone building and preparing a new home to house children they’d rescued from the streets. Then they had to pay the fire department to truck in enough water to flush toilets because the city, we were told, refused to turn the water on. Water in one form or another is almost always an issue in Christian Missions. What we have learned along the way is that sometimes our best most impassioned efforts in the natural result in God waiting patiently on the proverbial sidelines while we wear ourselves out enough to recognize our poverty of spirit and our desperate need for Him.

One of the many paradoxes in the Christian walk is that while we are His workmanship and He created Eph 2:10 good works beforehand that we should walk in them, He is the almighty, all knowing, omnipotent God. He is sovereign. He does not need the almighty “I” or “us” to do anything. Our pride may recoil at this. Yet God’s purpose was in the beginning and still is relationship with His creation. The ways in which He facilitates relationships are as many as the number within His creation.

We began 2020 in prayer and worship at our first annual retreat near Taulabe Honduras. Our purpose and goal were simple. We were there to seek God Himself for Himself and to ask Him for His 20/20 vision for 2020. Thy will not ours be done was our theme.

Of course, we have ideas about impacting what we see as the four biggest issues that negatively impact Honduras, namely education, alcoholism, domestic violence and marital infidelity, we are nevertheless moving slowly. If Jesus only acted in accordance with what the Father was doing, we figure we probably should as well. We have seen too many ministries fall into Gal 3:3 style error whereby what begins in the spirit ultimately gives way to the flesh, then fear and pride as the ministry goes the way of fleshy humanitarianism with a lite coat of Jesus for appearance’s sake.

All of us bring different perspectives to ministry. We each have our own gifts and callings that help to shape those perspectives. We all see as in a glass darkly.  Each has their own view of non-essential 1 Cor 8 type issues and doctrines.  However, one thing about which we are uncompromising is the pursuit of Truth and the embodiment of integrity as manifested within the context of individual and organizational transparency and authenticity. Truth in our postmodern culture has become increasingly relative and rooted in narcissism such that many of the most anointed in ministry have grown complacent and completely comfortable with comprise. We understand as we grow in our ability to love God and our neighbor, that Love, and Truth can never be divorced from one another. We believe that if we can’t be transparent about our “what”, “why” and “how” then we should not be doing it at all.  Therefore, we resolve to honor our financial supporters with the sacred understanding that the money they give is nothing less than their own monetized lifetime laid down for the sake of the Gospel. We resolve to fail if necessary, rather than lie.

“Let not mercy and Truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so, find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Prov 3:3-6

We don’t know what God will do next. Suffice it to say that He came through big time during the retreat and in ways we never could have imagined or expected.  We are completly dependent on Him.  He is connecting the dots as we acknowledge Him.

We’ll update you with the details as He orders our steps to bring hope in time.