Today is a Sunday which naturally means it a very busy day for the McMath's. Spanish service started at 8:30 this morning. Naomi played the piano and we sang Spanish hymns. I didn't understand most of it, but it sounded beautiful. The message was given by Brother Karr and then translated into spanish (which I appreciated very much because I was able to understand it and begin to correlate it with the spanish).
Brother Karr took his message from Joshua 7 and the account of Achan. Achan had sinned against God by taking the gold, silver and garments that God had cursed. Brother Karr told us of how Achan's personal private sin had caused a curse on Israel and many died because of it including his family. Although, the men dying wasn't all Achan's fault. Joshua had also failed to get God's direction before going into battle. Brother Karr used this account to illustrated how our personal, private sin has a lasting effect on others, especially our families and our church. Our sin has an effect even when no one knows about it. It effects how and if God will bless a church and how/if God will use us in the ways He wants.
After Brother Karr's message we went to Sunday school. Naomi teaches the junior high girls. Today we learned about humility and how our humility towards God is often expressed in our humility towards others.
For the English service Brother Booth gave the message on Zachius from Luke 19:1-10. He talked about how the Bible is clear that Zacchaeus was a rich man. And like so many rich men, Zacchaeus was empty inside. Brother Booth spoke of how Jesus had called Zacchaeus by name. That day Jesus was seeking Zacchaeus. And like everyone does, Zacchaeus received Him joyfully. None receives Christ sorrowfully. Zacchaeus was then willing to give his wealth to serve Jesus because in comparison, his wealth was worthless. Jesus had said that He had come to seek and save the lost. If we are to be like Christ we must do the same. Brother Booth also told us a story of a wealthy man one of his friends had known. His friend had purchased an RV from the weathy man who was also a Christian. And he and his family had gone to pick up the RV there was a huge snow storm and they couldn't get the heater to work in it. So the wealthy man invited them to stay in his home. So after some reluctancy the family agreed. Later, after the family had been shown around the house, the wealthy man got the friend alone. And he begged him "Brother, I know so often we go and knock on the doors of the poor and needy and they are often open to receive the truth. But Brother, please, once a week come to the wealthy man's house. These are my people and they have just as much emptiness and just as much need as any from the slums." So Brother Booth encouraged us that Jesus did not come only for the poor or for those who are more willing but also for the rich like Zacchaeus.
Another story he told was about a pastor. This pastor was about to give a message one sunday, when an older man came walking into the sanctuary. Immediately the pastor introduced the older man as a good friend of his and asked him to come up and say a few words to the congregation. The older man came up and began to tell the congragation a story. He said, there was this man who had decided to take his son fishing. His son being a young boy wanted to take a friend along so the father agreed to take them both. So they went out fishing in their boat. And a little while into it, a huge storm came up. The waters became very violent and capsized their boat. The water was so violent that the father had to hold onto the boat just to stay afloat. As soon as he grabbed onto the boat the father looked up and saw the two boys about to go under for the third time. The boys were too far apart and the father only had one lifesaver. He could only save one. He had to make a quick decision. The father naturally loved his son very much, but he knew that if his son died he would go to heaven. On the other hand, the father knew that the other boy didn't know Jesus and if he died he would spend eternity in hell. So he threw the lifesaver to the other boy. And as he did, he watched his son go under the waves. The older man continued by telling the congregation of how great God's love was for us that He would give His only Son for us. He said that God was throwing them a lifesaver, so grab onto it. After the service was over two teenage boys came up to the older man. They asserted that they liked the story, but they thought it was quite unrealistic. "I mean what father would really give up his son." The older man answered by telling them that he was that father and their Pastor was that boy. After this story Brother Booth gave an alter call, prayed and dismissed us.
After service, Brother Wilkinson and Brother Booth came over for lunch. We greatly enjoyed their stories and jokes. Then we had about two hours to ourselves before we headed out for prayer meeting.
After the prayer meeting Brother Booth gave the evening service message. This time he spoke on how we were made to serve something; we were not made to be masters, how we can only serve one master and how only one master is worth serving. He spoke of how we will serve something; it will either be sin, ourselves or God. He talked about how although we are not saved through works, God will test our works. He's given us so much time on this earth, what will we do with it? He spoke on how serving ourselves or sin is a destructive, unfulfilling life. Where serving God is a blessed life that will be rewarded. Brother Booth then gave an alter call and we worshiped some more. Then service was dismissed.
When I got back to the house I was blessed to Facetime with my family for a little while. Then the family got back from their school meeting and dropping kids off, and we had a roll sandwiches for dinner. And now I'm writing you all. I hope you all have had just as wonderful of a sunday as we have. God bless and goodnight
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