4-5 de Octubre

We finished up our classes for the week and are eagerly anticipating our holiday on Monday! I guess this random Peruvian holiday makes up for Columbus Day that we’re missing back home. :)

So on Thursday, since the Mississippi Singing Churchmen were still here, our attendance at Bible study was down a bit. That was alright, though, because we were able to get into a pretty good conversation with those that were here. We studied a bit about creation and how things in this world are just not right, how there is something wrong with the world that we are living in. It is important for us to not only recognize injustices but to do something about them as well. What are we doing individually to combat poverty and sickness and child abuse in this place we call home? What are we doing to impact the lives of individuals for eternity?

Friday night we were able to spend some time with our small group from Flamingo Road Church. Liz and I are so blessed to be in such a wonderful group of believers who are truly on fire for the Lord. I can only pray that God will ignite such a passion in my heart to become close with Him, to walk with Him daily.

We discussed the topic of anger and how we should deal with this. We all respond differently to anger and should learn to deal according to these differences. Sometimes if we are not careful, in our anger we might say things that we don’t really mean. Once these words have been spoken, we can never take them back. It is important to prepare ourselves with the power of the Holy Spirit BEFORE we become angry. It is imperative that we pray about control of our anger before we are in situations where we feel these emotions.

In a similar way, in a Nooma video that we saw the first Sunday we were here, the topic was anger. It was said in this video that anger can be a good thing because it allows us to discover those things about which we are most passionate. If something unjust, something not right has the power to stir us deep within our souls, this could be God’s way of telling us that He has called us to fight against it. The key to using our anger for God’s righteous plans versus using it for our own selfish desires is discovering why it is we are angry and how we can use that anger for good, for building up instead of for our own selfish purposes. Often times someone can do something trivial that we feel is wrong. Instead of using the emotions that result from this to aid that person in his or her spiritual walk and going to them with a heart full of love, we just go to them and blast them with what WE think is right and how WE don’t like what they are doing. Our own feelings shouldn’t be a concern in this field. We should lovingly approach them with the word of God and the love of Him in our hearts and voices. I pray that God can fill my heart with the fullness of His Spirit and His love so that I may honor to His name. I pray that we will all take the time to sort through our anger and dissect our intentions. I pray that our motive becomes bringing honor and glory to God and God alone. I pray that when we approach others we will recognize those times that we are speaking from our hearts and long for times where we speak with dialogue breathed into us by the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 6:1-2 "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "…encourage one another and build each other up…"

Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Katrina