July 24, 2009

Sembradores de Cristo July 24, 2009

Greetings to you all in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ from Jerez , Zacatecas, MX. This last week we experienced a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our villages and people. Paul writes to young Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8 “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”

God brought us a team from my home church in Oklahoma . This team did just this-suffered with us in the gospel. Even though some people in the villages have became ashamed to associate with our ministry family/team because of Miguel’s threats, the power of God is still touching their lives and is dispelling the powers of darkness that have dominated this region for centuries. God is opening our peoples eyes, allowing them to see that He is REAL-He is no object, no diosito, He does not share His glory with anyone (no saints, no virgens, no men), He is not a God of hate, He is a God of love, peace, and joy. He is a fun God, not a boring God. Hallelujah! Cristo vive!

Parral de las Huertas
I have not seen a move of God like I have been seeing in Parral de las Huertas ever before in any of the villages we have been working now during our 3 ½ yrs of ministry here. We went out to simply invite folks to a service and my group of 4 only made it to one house. There was a man there named Salvador that was telling us how he interprets dreams and sees things that others don’t. He is a tour guide to local caves and told us that he has taken sick people with him who came back recovered, he has taken unfriendly friends with him that came back best friends. Through all this, myself Sister Paula Hall, Ken Hall, and my Mom noticed that he was not giving glory to God for these things. I gave him a word warning him not to commit the same sin as Satan, Sister Paula also ministered unto him. He prayed to receive Christ, realizing that the interpretation of dreams and visions was a gift from the Lord. This young man will need a lot of discipling. He also told me that he didn’t need a Bible because he wouldn’t read it anyways, that the trees speak to him. We refocused him on God again and off the trees and mother nature and shared the scripture from Romans 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” We explained to him that God delighted in speaking to him as he was in the trees but that He requires all of us to hear His voice from His Word. Here in Parral the Lord allowed us to have a great response. People came to Christ as His word was preached. There is a sweet, humble spirit there that I have never seen before in any place I have ever ministered. There is also a hunger for God that I have never seen. The people here participated in the songs, prayer, discussions, and invited us into their homes. The Lord used my Oklahoma group in a powerful way as they prayed over the needs of our people. Here the people asked for specific prayers. We normally run into folks who ask for general prayers-health for everyone, peace in the family, food to eat, etc. These people cried out to God with us for sicknesses and specific lost members of their family. My wife and I will continue working here the rest of the summer-going on Monday evenings.

Guadalupe Victoria
In Guadalupe Victoria we did a soccer camp and crocheting class. Mama Nancy was kind of nervous about doing the class knowing that many of these women are already pros. Hallelujah, they had a wonderful time of fellowship with the women. We were blessed this week that some family members of two of our disciples that are believers were there to visit this week from California . Miguel Munoz, a precious brother in Christ, from Oklahoma that is originally from Guadalajara , Jalisco area was with us to help Jesse with the soccer camp. The kids had a great time and the Lord used my wife with the children in an amazing way during the Bible time as always. One of the evenings that we were in Monte de los Garcia Miguel the catechist came through with his speakers, blaring against the Christians (separated believers) as usual. He went to one of the houses where he is received and that person told him that his Uncle Victor was in town from California . Praise the Lord, Miguel turned off his speakers and high-tailed out of Guadalupe. According to Brother Victor there are now at least 6 believers amongst Miguel’s family. Miguel hates them for it but recognizes they are his family. We will not cease to pray for his salvation! I kept trying to invite two of our boys over to the soccer camp but when I would wave that we run around the corner. It felt like a sword was piercing me right through (I really love those boys)-apparently Miguel has told them that he will send them the curse of the Archangel if they even wave back. Our team members experienced similar rejection as they went out to invite folks. People would run away, lock their doors, simply not come to the doors, etc. It was kind of comical that as Brother Ken Hall was going to invite one older man that he started running and realized that he couldn’t get away from them because of a bad leg apparently and so just gave up and sat under a tree with a sad expression looking away from them. More and more men are warming up to me even amidst the opposition. They have been inviting me to their baseball games on Sundays for a while now. I just haven’t been able to go due to our busy church schedule. It worked out that this Sunday I will be able to go to a game at 3:00 -a time between our two Sunday services.

Monte de los Garcia
Brother Luis Ramirez is feeling much better now. Thanks again to all of you for your prayers. We’re really starting to have a steady group of faithful believers who come to the services. A few are beginning to faithfully bring their “Biblias” including Luis. His wife is still not coming around but will be there soon. On Tuesday the rains came strong and Luis quickly invited us to his old store building-the one we began having our services last year as some may remember. We packed into that place like sardines and wow the Lord visited that little place. Every song, every testimony, every prayer had been orchestrated by our Heavenly Father since before our time had begun. Even Luis’s wife stuck around, not participating but was present. Brother Miguel shared his story, how he had went to seminary to prepare to be a priest, got “asked” to leave, and later found Christ in the United States .

Due to the heated spiritual battle we experienced this week, at least 3 of our members got sick. They all had to sit out a day of ministry but the Lord lifted their spirits and they pressed on. We also had some extreme weather changes from super sunny weather to cold temperatures brought on by the rain. Shalom and I caught the tail end of it and we are taking it easy. Thanks again for covering our health in prayer. My Dad was especially blessed because our base house and men’s house had ripe figs this week-it was one of his desire to eat figs in Mexico like he used to eat growing up in Arizona . Praise the Lord for His many blessings!

Urgent need
I will be sharing about a special need in a separate e-mail. Please take the time to look at this need and pray about responding. We really believe God has opened an important door for our continued ministry in the area.

Thanks again for all your prayers and support this week, Sembradores de Cristo family

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603 E. 17th St. Del Rio , TX 78840