1Corinthians 3:5-9Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (6) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (7) So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. (8) Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. (9) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
John 4:35-36 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. (36) And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
Now I understand it a whole lot better because I have seen it and felt it. I have seen the power of the Gospel work even though I was unable to "explain" it like I wanted to. My limits with the Spanish language does not mean that the message of the Gospel was not heard and understood. I think that the biggest thing that hit home from this trip is that I need to spread the seed and then get out of the way and let the word of God convict the honest heart.
Luke 8:15But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
I think when you have faced a long period of un-interest, failure, and rejection you can start to think that you are not doing something right. You are not explaining it right, you think you need to spend a large amount of time explaining what the Bible means. Don't get me wrong, I think that a lot of times we are doing it wrong and making it more complicated than it is. However we need to realize that we are going to spend a lot of time on people that in the end do not care and their heart is hardened. When the Gospel finds a good heart, the word of God is sufficient on it's own.
Heb 4:12-13For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (13) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
I apologize for the mini sermon but my brain and my heart are just about to explode with thoughts and emotions and I needed to let some of it out.
Well for those of you that have not heard, the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ is alive and well in Costa Rica! Praise the Lord!
I will go into more detail in the coming days and weeks and tell their stories more fully but I could not wait to let you know how God has provided a bountiful harvest in Costa Rica.
This is Neyci, she is 13 years old.
Neyci was very nervous before the baptism and very excited afterwards!
This is Jose, he is 21 years old. This picture was after his Baptism but we all noticed that he had worn his best clothes for this important event. He is smiling about his new Bible.
I will fill you in on all the details later but I could not wait to introduce you to your new Brother and Sisters in Christ in Costa Rica. Please remember them and their family in your prayers, this is a very important and fragile time for them. We are of course worried for them since we could not stick around longer. However they now have God on their side and they all know each other so they will be good support for each other in the trials ahead. Praise the Lord.
-Dios les Bendiga,
David
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