I attended my first Spanish Church Service on 14 November 2010 at the “Amigos en Cristo” Iglesia. Pastor Bill was to preach his first Spanish sermon. I went along to support him. Quite a daunting task, I would imagine. Many years back Bill went to Spain for a year, and there learned quite a bit of Spanish. God always has a plan in mind. He never sits around and wonders what to do with His children next. He has an aim for everything He does with us.
“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His Sanctuary! Praise Him for His mighty acts. Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel . . . . with stringed instruments and flutes . . . with loud cymbals . . . with clashing cymbals!” (Psalm 150:1-6) If only you were here to experience gifted, Ecuadorean, Christian musicians!! So many instruments! So powerful! So sincere! Psalm 150 came alive! “Praise ye” – whoever you are, wherever you are worldwide – “Praise ye……………..” Honor the KING of kings!
”Praise Him with ……… flutes!” “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
And they did . . . . .!
Ecuadorean time is not your time. People continued to stream into the sanctuary, filling it right to the back. I was amazed to see so many Spanish Christians. God IS in Cotacachi!
The Church has a music school where children are instructed and prepared for Christian service. What a joy to watch these young girls as they joined the worship team!
Pastor Bill was about to deliver his first sermon in Spanish. Here he is seen with his beloved and beautiful wife, Sidney, and their three princesses. "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord . . . Like arrows in the hand of the warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them….” (Psalm 127:3-5)
Pastor Bill preached on treasures found in Matthew 13:44-46. In the first instance a man accidently discovered great treasure in a field, and he sold everything that he had in order to secure that treasure. The second parable points out that a man was actually searching for treasure. Both refer to finding Jesus – the treasure in Heaven’s field; the only Pearl of great price is Jesus. In order for us to acquire this “Treasure”, we have to: (1) repent and turn from our sin; (2) believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world; (3) in faith accept Him as our Master and the Lord of our lives. He challenged us to give up everything for the sake of Christ; give up our sin and to lay it all down. The result – great joy – the joy that only Jesus can give. When we relinquish everything that is dear to us, for Jesus, He returns to us one hundred fold blessings that we never dreamed of.
Wow, you may say, “Did you understand all of that Spanish?” No, because Pastor Bill favored the English-speaking congregation with that same challenging message.
Is God calling Bill and his family to serve here in Cotacachi? He will reveal His plan for them in His time.
This wonderful service was concluded sitting around the Lord’s Table – in communion with Him.
“So they continued daily with one accord in the temple . . . . And the Lord added to the church daily those that were saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)
This is my prayer for Cotacachi
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