Skies Of Mexico: 2010 Calendar – A Photo Journal

January – New Beginnings

February – Magnificent Sunset Over Cuernavaca

March – Winds of Spring

April – Celebrating Resurrection Day

May – Blue Ridge Mountains

June – There’s a Volcano Hiding Behind These Clouds

July – “Signs Of The Times”

August – Good-bye Summer

September – Mountaineers Always Free

October – Big Orange Country

November – Thankful For His Beauty

December – Glory To God In The Highest

Reconciled Children

Last weekend we packed up and headed out to Atlixco for a “Reconciled Children Retreat.” It was situated in a villa area and led by Phil, Deene, Diego and Claudia from Medellín, Colombia. Here are a few bullet points and photos of what turned out to be a very beneficial weekend for us.

* “When you think, ‘I can do it on my own; I can be independent from God’, you believe the greatest lie of your life.”

* “Accepting the truth about my real state is the beginning of my freedom.”

* The cross not only frees us from the penalty of our sins and the power of sin in us, but also from the past sins against us that have mis-shaped our lives.

* “As long as we fail to leave something at the cross, we won’t have embraced the cross.”

* “Healing takes place when we meet with Jesus at the cross and exchange our sorrow and sin for his forgiveness, mercy and truth.” J. Williams

Our House

Deene - Phil

A great place for small group discussion

Last Evening Together

The Cross was central to the teaching

The table was set for a feast

Lies That Mis-Shape Us

Over the last few months I have been thinking about how lies mis-shape us.

“I am worthless and unwanted.” “God does not care.” “Life is of no value.” “I have to give sex to get love.” “I am to blame; life is hopeless.”

Lies like these put us at a real disadvantage by creating a life of bondage and pain. When embraced as true they create in our mind a distortion about ourselves, others or even God. Often they are formed as a result of a painful circumstance that creates deep wounds and strongholds. It’s possible that we have lived with them for a long, long time, and we don’t even recall exactly when they started.

“I deserve this small indulgence.” “It’s wrong but it’s worth it.” “God understands I’m only human.” “No harm done and besides no one will know.” “There won’t be a cost.”

Lies like these give us a perceived advantage, but the outcome is living in sin. The temptation is strong, our thinking is clouded, and we rationalize the truth, deciding for one reason or another to go for it. And there at the bottom of every sin is that little lie that stokes it all. It starts out as a perceived advantage. It ends up in a distant relationship with God.

Whether we are talking about lies that create a painful disadvantage or lies that create a perceived advantage we have to ask ourselves, “Where are these coming from?” We don’t have to look far for the answer to that one. Jesus said, “When [the devil] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” He, in fact, is such a masterful liar that he can have us lying to ourselves in a jiffy – for a lifetime.

So what do we do about it? Well, you can be sure of one thing. There are not pat answers for years of piled up lies. On the other hand, you can be sure the answers are directly linked to God. And that it has a lot to do with Psalm 51:6 “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”

Your Family Was Attacked! - IDOP

(I’m going to let The Voice of the Martyrs do the talking for me today but please be mindful that they are describing what happened to your family, not strangers in a distant land.)

“On Oct. 18, a radical Hindu group, Rashtriya Swayam Sevaks (RSS), viciously attached three pastors, one women and one child while they were having a prayer service in Hyderabad, Andra Pradesh state. About 40 believers were gathered in Siluvai Kumar’s house for the prayer service, according to Voice of the Martyrs’ contacts. At 9 p.m. RSS radicals barged into the house and began beating people. Pastors Phillip, Timothy and Siluvai Kumar were badly injured. The radicals also beat Pastor Phillip’s pregnant wife, Kezia, and their 18-month-old daughter. Bibles were destroyed; musical instruments, and metal doors and windows in the house were damaged.

“Pastor Timothy was dragged to the police station where the radicals lodged a false complaint against him alleging he urinated on idols in a nearby temple. The police detained the pastor, but he was later released.

“RSS activists had warned the pastors against having prayer meetings in the area.

“Please pray for a rapid recovery for those who were injured in this attack: not only the injuries they sustained physically, but also psychologically and emotionally. Pray that the testimony of the believers will lead RSS members into fellowship with Christ.

“Churches across the United States and around the world are preparing to “remember those in bonds” (Hebrews 13:3) on Nov. 8, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP).”

(Learn more about the persecuted church at Open Doors or The Voice of the Martyrs)

Compelling Facts
* Over 200 million Christians around the world suffer persecution.
* The world’s worst persecutor of Christians in the world is North Korea.
* In Saudi Arabia, practicing Christianity can result in death by beheading or stoning.
* Over 90% of China’s Christians worship in hidden, underground house churches to avoid government regulations and restrictions.
* Open preaching in Sudan is punishable by beatings or imprisonment.
* Christians make up less than 1.7% of the population in Pakistan, and over 70% of them are the poorest of the poor.