Preparing for Milano

I’ve pondered this since Wednesday, but I’m finally writing it. I’ve been reading in Exodus and on Wednesday I read chapter 12. God is laying down the law for the Passover and explaining who is allowed to partake. The chapter also explains the 10th plague and the results – “and they spoiled the Egyptians” (verse 36). The Egyptians saw what God could do – how He can be an angry God for those who do not follow Him. But they also saw His mercy on the people of Israel. I believe that many of the Egyptians turned to God at this time. Why? In verse 38 it states “and a mixed mutlitude went up also with them”.

 But the part I like best is the fact that God outlines right in the same chapter how a “stranger” can also partake of the goodness of God and the Passover (verse 48).

48) And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

49) One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

But what really got me thinking of this is the prayer of one of the men at church before service on Wednesday. He prayed that he was thankful for salvation because he does not want to fall into the hands of an angry God. The Egyptians saw first-hand the angry God when He sent the plagues. But they were also able to see mercy in the freeing of the Israelites.

 I’m glad that our “circumcision” today is actually a “circumcision of the heart” (Romans 2) and that we can be counted as children of God just by following Jesus. Because as was prayed on Wednesday – I do not want to be caught in the hands of an angry God. I want to be able to recieve His blessings as the Israelites did when they were brought out of Egypt.

Il passo che proprio ora leggo dice “Dio risponderà alle preghiere che molti faranno per me” 2 Cor. 1:11. Questo Paolo scrisse facendoci ricordare che lui è gia stato liberato dai pericoli, e sarà ancora liberato….. ma con le preghiere. 

Noi abbiamo creato questo blog con il motivo di informarvi delle cose che capitano riguardo al nostro trasferimento. Ma non vale tantissimo avere informazione se non allo scopo di pregare. Noi valutiamo assai le vostre preghiere ed il blog e per informarvi come potete pregare. Questo passo poi mi assicura che Dio risponderà alle vostre preghiere e che non sprechiamo il tempo. Grazie per averci mantenuto nelle preghiere.   

The passage I’m reading today says “God will respond to the prayers that many people are offering for me” 2 Cor. 1:11. Paul writes this reminding us that he has already been freed from trouble and he will be freed again….. with prayer.

We created this blog with the purpose of letting people know what was happening as we prepare to move. But the information alone doesn’t do much good unless it’s used to pray. We really need your prayers and this blog is basically here to tell you how you can pray. This little passage today assured me that God will respond to your prayers and that we are not wasting time. Thanks for keeping us in prayer.   

….ho letto 1 Corinzi 3 dove Paolo scrisse “Dio mi ha dato il compito e privilegio di mettere il fondamento, come fa un saggio architetto. Altri poi innalza su di esso la construzione. Ciascuno però bada bene a come costruisce. Il fondamento già posto e Gesù Cristo. Nessuno puo metterne un altro.” 

Noi andremo in Italia per costruire su di questo fondamento. Ma non posso fare altro che pensare ai secoli già passati. Duemila anni fa Paolo già predicò lo stesso vangelo agli Italiani. C’è perfino un libro della Bibbia scritto agli Italiani. Ma nel frattempo, c’è stato anche un altro vangelo predicato… delle opere. Il fatto è che noi dobbiamo bada bene a come costruiamo, e di che cosa innalziamo su di questo fondamento. Il fondamento già posto è Gesu Cristo e noi non siamo permessi a metterne un altro.  Io non so perché siamo stati chiamati a tornare ad un paese dove il vangelo ha tanta storia, certo la gente ha sentito il nome di Gesù, però, mi pare che forse per il preciso ragione di che Paolo scriveva nel passo, una costruzione è stato innalzato sopra un altro fondamento, quello delle opere umane, e cosi, anche se la costruzione viene chiamata “la chiesa”, lei infatti proprio non è precisamente perché è costruita su di un altro fondamento- le nostre opere. Quella fede che ci salverà dev’essere messo su di Gesù Cristo. 

Parlando con qualche parenti del nostro trasferimento, ho sentito, non di voce alta, eppure l’ho capito che nei loro menti tutto questo non ha senso. Mi risulta che questo versetto sia applicabile: “Dio infatti considera pazzia quel che il mondo crede sia sapienza” 1 Cor. 3:19 

Bible study this morning. I was reading 1 Cor 3 where Paul writes [I’m translating here] “God has given me the task, and the privilege of setting this foundation, as a wise architect. Others then will build on it. Each, however, should be careful of how he builds. The foundation already laid is Jesus Christ. NO ONE can lay another [foundation]” 

We are going to Italy to build on this foundation. And I can’t help thinking about how the gospel has been preached there already- Paul preached 2000 years ago. There is even a book written to the Italians! But since then there has been another gospel preached: works. We need to be careful how we build and what we are raising up on the foundation. The foundation, Jesus, has already been laid and we have no right to build another. I’m not sure why we were called to go to a country that has already heard the gospel for so long, the people know who Jesus is, but it seems to me that it’s maybe for the exact reason Paul wrote about in this passage: a building has been raised over another foundation, human works, and as such, even if it is called the church, it’s really not, precisely because it’s built on something other than Jesus. The faith that saves us will be built on Jesus. 

In an unrelated vein, talking with some family about our move, I got the impression that in their minds, the whole thing, just doesn’t make sense. This verse seems applicable-  “In fact, God considers the wisdom of the world to be nutsy-kookoo” 1 Cor. 3:19    

Today as I was spending time in the Word of God, the Lord showed me something that I have not seen before. Before I share that with you I need to tell you that when I do my devotions, I read a portion from the Old Testament and a portion from the New Testament each day and today I saw something I thought was very interesting:

Manipulating the circumstances instead of trusting the Lord (Genesis 30:1-43)

First of all, we need to remember that the Lord had told Jacob that “Your descendents shall be as the dust of the earth… and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen.28:14). But we see in chapter 30 how Rachel gave Jacob her maid Bilha to bear children for them. Then at the right time (God’s time) she bore Joseph (v.22-24).

Then before Jacob takes his family to provide for his own household (v.30), he makes a deal with his uncle Laben. However, Jacob is using trickery. He has become quite a trickster as well as finally meeting his match. Jacob is now going to make a comeback. The point I am making is that Jacob has used and is still using deception and trickery to get his way and be blessed when the Lord had already given him many promises.

Now what I want to do is to jump to the New Testament passage in (Matthew 9:18 thru 10:14). In these verse we see..

• A ruler’s daughter is raised from the dead… he had faith that Jesus could do this (v.18).
• A woman with a flow of blood being healed and Jesus says “Your faith has made you well” (v.22).
• Two blind men were given their sight and Jesus said ‘According to your faith let it be to you” (v.29).
• Jesus sends out the twelve and tells them “Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper (money), two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs (v.9-10)… the point is… the Lord will provide for them… that takes faith.

Here is my point: we see Jacob using trickery and deception trying to get his way when God has already given him promises to stand on. These passages in the New Testament show us how these peoples’ faith was what the Lord was wanting.

The Lord has spoken to my heart that He has given us (Dave, Shelly, The Mitchell’s) a promise to move to Milano, Italy and I need to stand on that promise, not trying to manipulate circumstances to see it take place, not that I am, but the point is, trust in Him (Prov.3:5-6).

What promise has the Lord given you? Trust in His promises!

May the Lord richly bless you

Pastor Ronnie

The Lord has brought Kristi and myself, as He does with all His children, to a higher level of trusting Him for our provisions. I say that because, this morning the Lord had spoken to my heart about this very issue and I want to share that with you.  Here are those areas:

1. Don’t bargain with God (Genesis 28:10-22).

The Lord had given many promises to Jacob in verses 13-15, but when Jacob arose from his sleep, he made a vow to God saying “If God will be with me (God already said He would), and keep me in this way (God already said He would), and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on so that I come back to my fathers house in peace (God already said He would), then the Lord shall be my God (v.20-21).

What is he doing?  He wants to trade with God.  He says, “Now, God, if You will do this for me….”  But God has already told him that He is going to do every one of these things for him—“I am going to keep you; I am going to bring you back to this land; I am going to give you this land; and I’m going to give you offspring.”  Then Jacob turns around and bargains with Him, “If You will do it, then I’ll serve You.”

God doesn’t do business with us that way.  He didn’t do business that way with Jacob either. If He had, Jacob would never have made it back to that land.  God brought him back into that land by His grace and mercy. When Jacob did finally come back to Bethel, he came back a wiser man.  Do you know what he came back to do?  To worship and praise God for His mercy.  God had been merciful to him.

Many people even today say they will serve the Lord if He will do such and such.  Again, He doesn’t do business that way.  He will extend mercy to you, and He will be gracious to you without asking anything in return.  But He does say that if you love Him, you will really want to serve Him.  That will be the bondage of love.  It is the same kind of love a mother has for the little child.  She becomes its slave.  That’s the way that He wants you and me.

So, the Lord has shown me that He will provide for all of our needs that we have in order to move to Italy.  The needs are great, the legal aspects are great, finances, etc, but He will provide.

God bless you as you seek the Lord

Pastor Ronnie

It’s interesting reading Dave’s post about Daryl Record. My reading today in Exodus 4 states the same thing:

Moses states “I am not eloquent” and “what if they don’t listen to me”, etc.

God says, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you should say.”

As long as we trust in God and are constantly seeking to do His will, He will guide us. But it is so hard for me to believe because I don’t have much to offer. But Moses did great things. And I haven’t seemed to make an impact here at my work in the US. How can I go into another country and expect people to listen and understand me? I’ll have to trust that God will be with me like He was with Moses.