Unemployable

Acts 19:24–27 (KJV 1900)

²⁴ For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; ²⁵ Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. ²⁶ Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: ²⁷ So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

 

Here is a man, a silversmith by trade, who is upset about the coming arrival of Paul.Why in the world would a tradesman be upset about a preacher coming to his town?

Well rumor had it that every where Paul went he would spread his poison and taint minds. This teaching would cause a person who would purchase idols and worship false gods to stop worshiping those idols made by hands and quit buying his merchandise.

Paul preached there was a GOD who came down to earth to save mankind, and this gospel changed a person.

Now as I read that story it has challenged me to beg God to see more of this. I want worldly institutions and businesses to cease. Not because Christians protest and set legislation but because God does the work in the hearts of the people. I am talking about true salvation, a salvation that does a work in the hearts of people–that takes a man who cheated people out of their taxes and changes him so that he goes out and gives those people he cheated three times what he stole. A salvation that takes men away from their fishing jobs and makes them fishers of men. A salvation that takes a persecutor of the Church and makes him a Church planter.

I hope that there is a Demetrius in everyone of our communities that would speak evil about our churches because he is unemployable as a result of what God is doing in people’s hearts.

 

 

Genesis 41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. 52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Even after all Joseph has been through being hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of immorality, jailed and forgotten in jail. Joseph testifies of God’s goodness through the names of his sons. He tells how God has made him to forget all his toils, all his father’s house and didn’t just stop at making him forget but talked about the blessings God has done for him.

Now hasn’t the Lord done that for me and those who have put their faith in Christ. Hasn’t Christ blessed us with making peace with the Father? Hasn’t Christ given us access to grace, hasn’t he given us the ability to glory in tribulation and given us the Holy Spirit & His love shed abroad in our hearts. Today I need to take time out and thank the Lord for what he has saved me from and what he has given me. Thank you Lord. . .

One Greater than the Temple

Matthew 12:6

Now in this passage the disciples just went through a cornfield and while they were on there journey they plucked a couple ears of corn and ate it. But when the Pharisees seen what took place caused a major stir among those Pharisees. “HOW COULD THEY DISRESPECT THE SABBATH LIKE THAT” the Pharisees said to Christ. Dont you know our laws!

What an opportunity these Pharisees, these men that were students of the scriptures, these men that have mastered the Law of the Lord, had before them. There they had before them the one that was to fulfill the law. The one that would free all man from the Law but they were so focused on their religion, the Law that they missed out on God in the flesh.

Now here is my confession. I too fall in the same trap too. Sometimes I get so busy with “doing” all the right stuff I forget who I am suppose to do it for. Today Lord help me not to forget you and you are the reason for why I do and obey your laws.

Today

Well today was the first night of our neighborhood bible study and I am pumped. John Pearson, a business man from my church, taught the lesson tonight. It was in Spanish, he did a great job. There was seven people in total Kelli, John, Santiago, Luz Maria, Raul, Miran and Myself. Only two people were new, by that I mean they didn’t go to my church. First night two visitors, exciting!!!!!!!!!!!

Please pray that God would use this Bible study to bring others to himself. I am also in the works of maybe starting a back yard bible club for the kids in my neighborhood. It is exciting getting the gospel out and I want to do whatever I can. The next thing I need pray for is a possible food mission just down the road that a Student is wanting to start for some of the Hispanics. A great way to be salt and light, and a great way to get the gospel out. Pray that we can find a building and that some of the local grocery stores might donate some of there food to us.

This is the most I have been excited since I can remember. PRAISE THE LORD ALL YE NATIONS.

Pastor Miguel Murillo

Pastor Miguel Murillo is currently the Pastor of Hunter Baptist Church and Smyrna Baptist Church but his responsibilities do not stop as a pastor of two churches. He is the administrator of the Christian school located at Hunter Baptist Church and is the administrator of the Seminary as well. He is one of the most busiest men you’ll see down here. There will be several times a year that he will travel to different countries and do what he does best–preach and teach. He is incredibly intelligent; I haven’t seen him one time when he hasn’t had a book nearby.

November 22, 1991 at the age of seventeen Pastor Miguel received Christ as his Lord and Savior. It was the following year that Pastor Miguel went to Macedonia Baptist Seminary and prepared for ministry. In 1999 he co-pastored the church in Hunter, learning under Missionary Austin Gardner for four years. In 2003, Pastor Miguel took over as head pastor of Hunter Baptist Church. He has currently been in the ministry for sixteen years.

Pastor Miguel and his wife Liz have three children Andria, Miguel, and Gabby. I ask that you pray for this man of God as he continues faithfully in his work and pray that God might raise up more men as faithful and loving to their Lord and Savior as Pastor Miguel.

Hunter Baptist Church

In June of 1989 Missionary Austin Gardner aided in the start of a movement that has been going on here for the past twenty years. Hunter Baptist Church is a church that gives of itself and is given over to a passion to spread the gospel not only in it’s neighborhood, city, state or its country, but it’s also given over to fulfill the great commission in all the world.

Hunter was organized in June of 1989 and it wasn’t long until there was a need for a new location. Within the same year Hunter moved just a few blocks down the road. God was gracious enough to provide Hunter’s needs through men and women with hearts for missions. There also came a point in time that the Macedonia Baptist Seminary was moved there because there was insufficient room in Bro. Gardner’s house. God used this church located in a blue-collar district inside of Arequipa to do many great things.

In the past twenty years God has called more than sixty young men and women from this church alone to study and prepare themselves for the ministry God has planned for them. In the past twenty years Hunter has been directly involved in the planting of 25 different churches. They have sent out around 25 missionaries and pastors. You can clearly see through their actions that the people of Hunter have a heart for the world.

In 2002, Missionary Austin Gardner turned over the responsibility of the pastorate to Miguel Murillo who is still pastoring there today. At that time Hunter had around 280 people that attending Hunter Baptist Church. Today due to a split in the church there over 250 people that attend every Sunday. Now the split that I speak of is not a split because the pastor “didn’t write me when my friend died, so I am going to leave and start another church” type of split. Rather, this split was a planned moving of people to start another church–Smyrna Baptist Church which has around 175 conservatively every Sunday.

I ask that you pray for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as they continue to follow and fulfill the great commission.

Please enjoy the following pictures. “Twentieth Anniversary @ Hunter Baptist Church”

 

A Worthwhile Investment

In 1989 a missionary sat in a study with seven young men around him learning the Bible. This activity went on everyday for about eight to nine hours, and there was an occasional day where they went out to visit in the neighborhood. From those seven men only three graduated in 1993. This was the start of Macedonia Baptist Seminary.

In only twenty years, there have been 209 students to graduate and go on to serve the Lord afterwards. There are currently fifteen male and four female graduates that live on mission field in other countries around South America and even in Africa. In Peru, there are around seventy pastors and co-pastors. Forty-two of them live here in Arequipa.

Macedonia Baptist Seminary has come a long way–from an office in a missionary’s house to 4.8 acres of land with buildings for all sorts of different classes. You might be wondering why I wrote this. It’s because I want everyone to see what happens when you support missions–especially Macedonia Baptist Seminary. God has done great things down here and He continues to great things here in Arequipa, Peru. If you don’t have a part in this ministry, it is my earnest desire that you pray for the ministry down here and if possible, give. It will be well worth your investment.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Main Walkway

 

Thankful

I am so thankful for the time that I have spent here. I have learned so much about myself and a lot of it is not what I like. Something for me that has been wonderful about Peru is that I have time to allow God to speak to me. I have time to reflect on many of the things that I have done, and God has shown me my errors and flaws. This is what happens when you don’t have a TV to spend your whole night watching it. This is what happens when you don’t have a car and you can get up and go anywhere you want at anytime. I am not promoting an Amish style life but I do think that Satan has tricked us in to thinking that the materials of this world are far more beneficial than the alone time with God. Just think about it every six months the world has to come up with something else that will entertain us when over a hundred years ago all they had was their Bible and time to meditate on it. No wonder these men did such great things for God. I am so grateful for what God has shown me and what he has taught me. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Welcome Andrew and Holly!

Well, I am sitting here in my living room sort of talking to Andrew Pearson. Holly left and went back to her apartment, I thought that was kind of rude. Just joking she is talking to her family. Andrew and Holly plan on staying here in Arequipa for three months while working in the television station. I hope and pray that God will work in their lives like he has done in Kelli’s and mine. Andrew graduated from the Atlanta Art Institute with a degree in digital film making and video production and instead of using it for his own benefit, he wants to use the talents God has given him to spread the Gospel. I am very excited to see what God has planned for them.

Building

Well I am whipped. Yesterday Jeremy Hall, Alfredo, and myself worked all day on putting up the classrooms for language school. We got quite a bit accomplished, but it can get frustrating when you know of something that is done wrong and you can’t communicate. So I have learned a valuable lesson–keep your mouth shut and do what ever they say. It is very hard lesson, and I am still working on it but it helps keep the confusion down. Hopefully by next week they will be finished. It is pretty crazy; I’ve never had to make a door, so this is a first. These guys down here are hard workers.