Independence Day Fiesta 2012! (video)
Here’s a look at what our party was like at the community centre this past Saturday. Shari took some excellent pictures too – they will be forthcoming in our photo gallery. 🙂
Ministry glimpses
Mexico Sings Praise 2
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This morning, in honour of Mexican Independence, I posted a Mexican song. I’m going to post one more; this is a hymn that we actually sang this morning (in Spanish of course).
This was written by Juan Nepomuceno de los Santos, a Mexican pastor in the early part of the last century. The song is called Gracias dad a Jesucristo, or Give thanks to Jesus Christ. We actually sing it with a contemporary tune.
This time I’ll post the English first. I tried to make an actual singable (though still somewhat literal) translation for this one, while I was watching my kids swim last week. 🙂
For His everlasting love
Raise your praises, saints, together
To our Saviour’s throne above!
Here below may all His servants
Sing of Him who died and lives
All who fear Him share the story
Of the freedom that He gives.
In bitter chains my soul had waited
Longing, begging to be free
Jesus heard my voice in mercy
From my prison rescued me!
If the enemy surrounds me
I won’t fear what man can do
In the darkest days of failure
Victory He will renew.
He who trusts in our Lord Jesus
Stands victorious in His Name
But he who trusts in human power
Falls in hopelessness and shame.
Lord, Your holy Name we honour
Humble thanks bring to Your throne
By Your grace we’ll sing forever
By Your love we’re called Your own!
Gracias dad a Jesucristo
Por su sempiterno amor;
Alabadle santos todos,
Él es nuestro Salvador.
Que sus siervos por doquiera
Canten su benignidad;
Los que temen a su nombre
Hablen de su libertad.
En cadenas de amargura
Yo pedà Su protección;
Escuchó mi voz y mi alma
La salvó de la prisión.
Si me asalta el enemigo
Nada tengo que temer;
En la lucha tremebunda
Con Jesús podré vencer.
Quien confÃa en Jesucristo
La victoria llevará,
Mas si fÃa en los hombres,
Su esperanza fallará.
Oh Señor, tu santo nombre
Alabamos sin cesar;
Por tu amor incomparable
Gracias te queremos dar.
Mexico Sings Praise
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In honour of Mexican Independence, we’ll be singing all-Mexican songs in the service this morning! (Yes, it will be a strange sight – a Canadian leading an all-Mexican music worship time!) I thought I’d share a couple of the songs I’ve been looking at with you. So I’m posting one now, and I’ll post another tonight.
This isn’t one we’re singing, but it’s one we may read. This is from at least a generation or two ago, written by Fidentina Z. de Díaz. It may have been intended as a children’s song.
Here’s the Spanish, then I’ll attempt a fairly literal translation.
Te damos gracias, Dios, por nuestra amada patria
Que alumbras con tu sol y con tus mares bañas.
La luz primera aquí pudimos contemplar;
Que en ella brille al fin la luz de tu verdad.
Oh Padre Celestial, bendice a nuestra patria;
Concédele tu paz, otórgale tu gracia;
Que pueda prosperar en rectitud y bien,
Y a Cristo proclamar por Salvador y Rey.
We give thanks, O God, for our beloved Fatherland*
Illuminated by Your sun, bathed in Your seas.
Here we gazed at the first light,
In it may the light of Your truth finally shine.
Oh Heavenly Father, bless our Fatherland
Grant it Your peace, bestow on it Your grace
So that it may prosper in Your righteousness and goodness
And proclaim that Christ is Saviour and King.
*Fatherland is a bit of an iffy translation in my opinion, because it sounds a lot different in English than patria sounds in Spanish. It could be translated country, Homeland or even Motherland, but I kept Fatherland to contrast with our Father in Heaven in the second verse – He is the true Father of every nation, in a sense.
Visit our Tuesday Night Bible Studies!
This week I came to Bible study with a video camera, so that you could get a glimpse! Here’s a very short video to show you what goes on during a typical Tuesday night in Jesús María.
For the record, Ismael has been doing a series of topics such as regeneration, sin, and baptism. I believe the kids have been doing a series about the temple. And my studies have been on topics such as What is God’s will for my life? (that was this week), What is the Second Coming?, and How can I pray?.
Edit: Shame on me – I forgot to mention one more very important study that takes place on Tuesday nights! The youth girls’ study also happens at the same time, usually at Tina’s house, which is close by. Thanks, Tina, for the reminder!
Thanks! (And the mystery revealed…)
Thanks to anyone who prayed for our morning service this morning. The Lord certainly answered some specific prayers of mine.
I actually preached on . . . drum roll please . . . marriage! Well, marriage in the broadest possible terms. Why marriage is more than just a random teaching in the Bible, why it’s representative of the Gospel, God’s relationship with His creation, with his people – even the nature of God Himself.
The climax of our study was Ephesians 5, but we did indeed go all the way from the first verse of the Bible to the last verse, with stops in the law, major and minor prophets, Gospels and epistles.
Although the sermon wasn’t dependent on the point, we did look a little at what it means to be made "in the image of God". The Bible doesn’t go into great detail on this point, and so there has been a lot of speculation.
 Padre, Hijo, EspÃritu Santo Father, Son, Holy Spirit |
For example, some suggest that there’s a hint of the Trinity in us because we are three part beings (spirit, soul and body).
Others have suggested things like morality, intellect, and creativity. But don’t the angels possess these things? The Bible doesn’t say that they are made in God’s image.
There are a couple of things actually in the context –
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
(Genesis 1:26-27)
In ancient times, the king was said to be God’s image on earth. Why? Because he was God’s representative – he had God’s authority on the earth.
That makes sense in the context.
But there’s one more thing in the context – quite clearly. He made them male and female.
Maybe we’re just so used to thinking about individuals – how an individual person is made in God’s image – that we’re missing something. Maybe being in God’s image has to do with being male and female.
God is a Trinity – one being (God – divine), but three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). There exists an eternal relationship of love within God Himself.
Three different persons, in perfect love.
So He created two humans – but different ones – who could love.
Of course, God didn’t create another trinity – why? Because male and female represent something else. God’s relationship with His creation. Ideally a relationship of love.
Later, it came to represent God and Israel, God and Jerusalem – finally Jesus as the bridegroom of the Church.
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The more I looked at it, the less far-fetched it seemed – that male and female is a key part of what it means to be made in God’s image. It’s not the full picture, but that loving relationship between two different persons is certainly a running theme through the Bible.
Which is why God wants us to demonstrate His love, and His Gospel, through our maleness and femaleness, and especially through marriage.
Which makes the Bible’s teaching on marriage more central than a lot of people would like to believe.
As Paul said,"This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:32)
Prayer Request: Sunday (and beyond)
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On the first Sunday of September, Samuel brought us to the end of our series on Philippians at Iglesia Bíblica Sendero de Vida Jesús María. What a great book to study (but, aren’t they all?)!
Now, before going through another book, we have several weeks of open themes, and you just never know what is going to happen!
So I’m starting things off tomorrow with – well, I’m not going to say what I’ll be preaching on. I wouldn’t want to let the cat out of the bag.
I realized after putting the sermon mostly together that I’ll be starting in Genesis 1:1, talking about some of the law, summarizing some stories in the historical books, reading from the major prophets and minor prophets, ending with a reading from the last book of the Old Testament, reading from the Gospels, the epistles, and then ending with the last verses of Revelation.
So let’s just say the topic is – something mentioned frequently! (Either that, or it’s too many topics! Both may be true!)
Anyway, I would appreciate your prayers, that I would share clearly what God is teaching, and that the discussions would continue well beyond Sunday.
By the way, for our Tuesday night Bible study we’ll be onto another important topic – What is God’s will for my life?
Yeah, we don’t shy away from the big questions around here. 🙂
Well, I’d better run. There are actually a couple of studies today too. This morning, the Call of Abram in the Chronological Bible Study, and the kids go to their kids’ club which is at the same time. And tonight a men’s study, which I’m not leading. Busy but good time of the week! 🙂