11/02/12

 

Norma and I returned Monday night from Managua after an impactful and productive series of medical day clinics in Guadalupe and Pochocuape.  Following are a few highlights that Norma jotted down after our return.

PICI usually has their annual October clinic in India, but earlier this year an organization dispensed some experimental drugs in poverty-stricken areas (without permission). Sadly, there were deaths and illnesses with the drugs. As a result, the Indian government and police started cracking down on outside groups. PICI director Nick Beezhold knew Ginger Creek has been partnering in Nicaragua so he asked Dock and me if Maria and Jorge might be interested in accepting the medical team and using these clinics as an outreach ministry to be offered by their churches to their communities, along with the plan that they follow-up with the patients to hopefully draw them into the church body. Both pastors were excited to accept the offer and up for the challenge of working their communities. 

Dock and I traveled ahead of the rest of the team to prep for the clinics, purchase medications and meet with pastors in a planning session. Other than some general guidelines that PICI has about their procedure for diagnosing and dispensing meds, Maria's people and Jorge's people handled all of the local prep, set-up, registration, paper-trail, lunches for the medical team and crowd control, not to mention the initiative to bathe everything in prayer. Imagine what a massive undertaking.. with a possible 2,000 people in Pochocuape and 14,000 in La Chureca, Guadalupe and neighboring barrios. They each canvassed their neighborhoods ahead of time to invite the community. There was much prayer before, during and now after the clinics. Pastor Maria now has names and addresses of 400 patients that came to the the Nueva Jerusalen church. Pastor Jorge has 200. Wednesday evening after 8 hours of clinic, 50+ pastors and church leaders stayed on to hear visiting Mexican PICI Director Jorge Huacuz give a 2-hour workshop on biblical worldview and how to mobilize the church to reach outside themselves and into their communities. The two pastors have already begun follow-up work. Maria reported that the four New Jerusalem churches chose to dismiss their Sunday services following the clinics and workshop to go family-to-family in the community. One of the four pastors, Pastor David, traveled 47 kilometers to help with the canvassing. As a result, 20 people came to faith Sunday morning, October 28. They did this on their own initiative. We are blown away at what our Nica brothers and sisters can accomplish when working together in community. Our director said it was one of the best organized clinics they've done and that he "was pleased to see how much time, effort, and work the local pastors and volunteers from their churches put into these clinics, and that is a good sign of things to come.."  Just a quick Maria story...Dock and I had searched all week for the best prices on medications. We even had three World Relief guys helping search pharmacies and labs all over Managua. Who found us the best prices? You guessed! Maria took us to a pharmacy close to her where they gave the best prices of all. The name was Farmacia Espiritu Santo....The Holy Spirit Pharmacy. :)

We were blessed to see the interchange between the two churches too. On the days the clinics operated in Nueva Jerusalen, three church leaders from Pochocuape came to help. On the Pochocuape clinic days, three pastors from Nueva Jerusalen came to pray all day over the clinic and to pray with patients who were waiting their turn to be seen. Pastor Jorge thanked the Lord for bringing the team to the community and possibly avoiding an epidemic of coughs, flu and virus starting because of the change of weather..rainy to dry.

All in all, it was an exciting privilege to be part of a God-event like this. He brought it together at the last hour, as he also tossed this 8-person team together and we just seemed to "click." We could not have done that ourselves..God's hand was all over it. God's is good...all the time!

Norma and Dock Caton

Partners in Christ, International - PICI

GROWTH STAGES OF THE DISCIPLE #2

(Reducing in the Spirit)

At the last writing, we explained how an individual comes to faith in Jesus Christ.  Just as a kernel of corn, must die before it can spring into life, and begin to produce fruit, so must every man die out completely to sin before he can be brought to new life and produce fruit. 

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24

He must be brought to new life through the power of the Holy Spirit in order to begin a growth process, which we call “sanctification.” It must be clearly understood that at new birth, one receives the Holy Spirit, which is available to guide him to a vibrant, fruitful and victorious life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.  But still, he has choices to make, and one of those choices will be the desire to grow in grace. 

We want to use a diagram of circles to help understand this growth process.   In some cases, a Christian at new birth may begin to move rapidly in his journey, moving swiftly through the circles   He may be given an extra special measure of grace, and experience growth quickly. But others may not grow as fast and have to spend more time at the first or second circle than his fellow sojourner. Still others may think they have hit a home run, and then discover they missed first or second base.  That may be the equivalent of falling into sin or perhaps not clearly understanding the steps as they pass through them. If you find yourself not really understanding the plan of salvation, you may want to slow down.  If you have fallen into sin, or feel insecure in your decision, it may be worth your while to read carefully Luke chapter 8 verses 5-15 about the parable of the sower and the types of soil in which the seed falls.   At this level one needs strong leadership.  He may want to look for a mentor, coach, or spiritual advisor to help him along the way.  

So let’s take a look at these circles.  The circle reference used in this study is only a tool to help us try to determine where we are in our spiritual walk.  Ideally everyone who takes a look at the circles will be able to determine where he is at any given time in the journey.  Hopefully he will then be motivated to move on to a different circle or level.

So once an individual has made that leap of faith, and has received Christ as his Savior, he moves into the first big circle.  We are calling these “growth circles” or “growth rings.”  We also call this process, “reducing in the Spirit”.  Reduction begins by moving into the first large circle, then each step taken thereafter, moves us  into a smaller circle by reducing.  Just as one has to keep the physical body in shape by exercise, likewise, the spiritual body has to exercise faith in order to reduce and stay healthy spiritually.  This reducing process is letting go of all the heavy objects and sins that have weighted us down spiritually, so that we can be healthy and grow in the faith. 

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1.

To understand this sanctification process, or spiritual growth, close your eyes and visualize with me a huge circle or ring standing at your right side.  This circle is only a couple of inches taller than you but it will be easy for you to step right into it.  That circle represents your new birth.  It represents your first gift, the gift of salvation

As we look at the first circle, we find that apart from the Holy Spirit, there are two other gifts we receive when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These two gifts are the ability to PRAY and the ability to READ THE WORD.  Just as we are born in the natural world and have received some sort of talent, likewise we receive gifts or talents when we are born the second time.  For example, at natural birth, some people are naturally gifted to pick up a guitar and play it easily, or sit down at a piano and play with little or no study.  Some are natural singers, artists, athletes etc. and on we could go.  But assuming that you are not handicapped physically, there are at least two things you can do once you have achieved spiritual birth.  You can pray and read the word.  But our Lord teaches us that if we are faithful in using these two gifts, He will give us more.  We will grow in the faith.  So we begin putting into practice, a new life of reading and prayer.  If we are faithful in just those two areas, not only will we grow, but we will grow much faster than we ever believed possible.  What does the word say about these two gifts? 

Be joyful always, pray continually.  Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  I Thess. 5:18.

Notice, we are to pray continually, and we are given the grace to do so. 

If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  2^nd Chron. 7:14. 

We have already prayed the prayer of forgiveness for salvation, and now He exhorts us to pray for deliverance from our sinful ways. 

In the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  Romans 8:26

We say prayer is a gift because the gift of the Holy Spirit intercedes when we do not even know how to pray.  When we are new in the faith, a new believer, the Holy Spirit not only teaches us to pray but also teaches us how to pray.  The Lords prayer or the model prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13 teaches us how to pray.  Christ through the Holy Spirit will take over and intercede for us once we have a contrite heart, even if we do not know how to say what we think are the right words. 

Along with our prayers comes the reading of the word. 

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.  Psalm 119:105

Not only are we expected to begin a lifetime of prayer, likewise we are expected to begin a life of reading the Word. 

For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.  It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitude of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

Praying and reading the word on a daily basis will start a flame from the spark that has already been set off in your life.  You will desire to grow.  But if your heart, thoughts, and attitudes are in sync, as well as your motives, you will grow spiritually in spite of yourself.  You will stand amazed at the speed in which you will grow, just by praying and reading the word.  This then will prepare you to move into the next circle, which we will see in the following chapter.                    Dock Caton   11/01/12