Living in holiness is not legalism

As relativism advances in the church on this postmodern world we hear people shouting in group of voices phrases like: Christianity is not rules is a relationship, you don't have to be holy to be a Christian, we are all broken and need to be fixed and I can go on and on and you will think this post is about a contemporary worship song, well no it's not.

Let me say first that yes Christianity is about a relationship and yes we are broken but these things are only one side of the coin, if we read carefully these statement it reflects the voice of a generation of church attenders and Christians who openly oppose to obedience, they won't say it like that but they will kind of say things that suggest it. We all want to hear, say and believe the pseudo psychological statement of I'm broken/ i sin / feel sorry about me/ just don't say anything to me about it.

Now this is a dangerous trend because if we don't have to obey we basically can do whatever we want and still being saved. A group of people demand experience, but not just of living but of sin because it makes it more appealing and interesting to play the game of how far the line I can get and still being a Christian. Before they know it, they are already in the other side. 

Now living in obedience is described as living in holiness, the word holy means to be 'set apart' to live in holiness means to walk in the position of being set apart from the world. So holiness is not the enemy of fellowship with God but the basis of it and the confirmation of our position. (1 Peter 1:16, 2:9-12) so it's Christianity about relationship and not rules? Well there is not rules that take you to heaven only putting your trust in the work of Christ but obedience to Christ is going to be the term and evidence of the relationship, he said “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15.

We don't obey to be holy but we obey because we are holy, we don't work hard to be set apart by God in order to be His people but we are set apart therefore we walk in obedience to Him. Those who walk in obedience will do it with joy for they will see the salvation that God has set before them. This means they are perfect? No, this means that they grow in repentance and forgiveness, holiness is not about perfection but is about walk towards Christ which one day will result in perfection when we see him for second time. 

Holiness is not prideful, a Christian doesn't boast in his obedience but boast that even tho he is fallen there is a God who always forgives him when he comes to Him. He sees that is not a free card to sin but is a privilege which should be taken with reverence. Yes we are broken and all that but if you don't come to Christ, all that brokenness you talk about is just pride, just because you refuse to come to the one who is able to put us together.

Holiness will be more sensitive to sin, a person who walks in obedience will be more aware of sin in their lives and will seek God for repentance and faith to live with a clean conscience and because they love God. May the sin he repents are absurd for other people, and they are not it is that he has become more intimate in his relationship with God and for him that's the most important relationship he have.

Holiness is about knowing God, the most important part of obedience is to know who you are obeying to which at the beginning is your  Loving Lord and Savior. And later he becomes the Sovereign one reigning in your life, Almighty, Omniscient, Immutable and always Faithful, and much more. Our view of God will increase our desire to live for Him and our love for Him.

We live in Holiness because we've been born in the Spirit, when God saves us He give us the Holy Spirit as a helper to live the Christian life. To look to out failures and brokenness and a big obstacle for obedience is to diminish the power that is within us for living the Christian life. Do you believe the Spirit is as powerful God says He is? 

I've seen people growing through disciple and people quickly applaud them as heroes while those who want to live righteously are being treated as the curse to the world. Impurity shouldn't never be applaudable in the church but we must go treat in mercy, love and grace to those whom have failed. But for those who are obeying and want to obey, don't get discouraged, your obedience will sometimes be an indictment to those who haven't resolve their conscience because of sin that's why they will be hostile to you. But behold, there is our God able to deliver us and make us show mercy to those who mock us and disrespect us. We are not legalistic since we are not imposing a work to be saved but we are encouraging to those who claim to be saved show some works for to the name of Jesus is worthy and if we are going to carry it, let's show His worth.Rejoice that He has put His Spirit in you.

“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

Hebrews 8:7-10 NKJV

Enjoying Opportunities

Hello Brothers and Sisters, 

The time here has been busy so I wasn't able to write an early report as I wanted to but also I'm trusting that the Lord Sovereignty allow me to wait until today so I could testify of somethings which happened this week.

Things in Puerto are going good, Dan and Ruthie Nagao are doing an awesome job in plugging the church together while I am here, there are always an encouragement when I'm there and so its good to have them working there. People are coming but some of them are kind going back and forth so pray that the Lord gives them conviction to be consistent in their walk and assistance to church. Dan and Ruthie has been receiving teams and friends helping them with their ministry and the church in pueblo Viejo, also now they have a relative visiting so pray that the Lord brings rest and refreshment to them through it. 

I've seen the wisdom and faithfulness of God going through all my life since, I started working at the airport and practice my English, when I would go to this ESL bible study hosted by the IMB, when I begin to work a an interpreter. And clearly I could see the purpose the Lord had in this trip, even tho if I kind of consider it unwise to be this long, the Lord's wisdom was demonstrated through it. At the beginning was a lot of questions of what I would do, but the Lord put me to rest at the beginning and showed me why I needed to rest even tho I thought I didn't deserve it and I needed to be doing something when I was here. Also I had the opportunity to serve in a youth conference in the institute I graduate from and it was really neat to see how some members of my team were encouraged to be content with the Lord rather than just win the competitions. On the last day, one of the girls of the team testifies of how the team was encouraging to her because we seek to have enjoyment working as a team for the Lord rather than just do stuff, so that was great. Also I had an amazing co captain who helped a lot, it was a good time in general.

Also I was doing some fundraising to get some tools I need, through yard sale and through working, so I had the opportunity to do some work this week. My other highlight of this trip after the youth conference, has been working for this old retired couple. They served at small southern baptist churches and it really encouraged me their faithfulness. He says that the Lord was calling him to minister at small churches and even tho it wouldn't be financially easy for him, but he worked and minister sometimes while she even tho knowing this man calling, she was with him always. They always talked about the goodness of God in their lives and how He gave them what they've need even tho wasn't a lot, but you could see the contentment and the joy of the Lord in them. I've heard many people talk about being satisfied in Christ, mostly in the subject of singleness which is kind of annoying sometimes, but interacting with this couple I just would hear them and see them and I've learned what does it mean to be satisfied in Christ. Satisfaction in Christ is to be faithful to your calling in an age of success because there is more important things to live for. So many people talk about satisfaction in Christ and how satisfied they must be but this couple just kept talking of the Lord's goodness and their gratefulness for it and I just could see what it looks like to be satisfied in Christ. Ive been really encouraged by them.

If you read this report on Sunday, July 17, pray for me as I go to preach at 2 churches and also working this week, I've really enjoyed hard work a lot. On the 26 I'm flying to NJ and maybe visiting with some friend but mostly seeing family so pray for the opportunities to share Christ with them.

Pray requests:

1.  Character: pray that I can be quicker to listen so I can keep learning from other people and also to walk in humility, love and faithfulness to the Lord.

2. Pueblo Viejo: pray for the people at pueblo Viejo and they can be changed by the power of God, and they get saved and the people who are going to church to be established in the Gospel.

3. Dan and Ruthie: pray as they minister in pueblo Viejo the Lord empowers them and encourages them as they share the goodnews with others.

4. Chacapampa: for those who don't know, I did spend a little over 2 months at the mountains and there was this couple Rita and Espiritu, Rita was pregnant and there as a risk on her pregnancy but she is ok and the baby also so praise the Lord, keep praying for them and their kids. Also for Jonathan and Franz, for Hermes, Luis and Silvio and the missionaries Liz and Henry.

5. Missionaries in Peru: Pray for TJ and Pamela Lindsey as they minister in Caja de Agua with the kids ministry, Buddy and Loren as they lead the church near by the main square in Puerto, Bud and Laura Lenz as they lead their orphanage in Cuzco and Puerto. Daniel and Becky Nuñez as they lead their church a little farther from town, Scott and Tracy Blackburn as they have the girls home.

6. Family: pray for my mother as she gets discipled and encouraged by the Ladies of my church back in Lima.

7. Mission teams: pray that there may be more mission groups encouraged to come to Puerto, whether I'm there or not whom can be an encouragement to the people there and also the local missionaries. If you, your church are interested in doing a short term trip for a week or a month or few weeks and months. Write back so I can share with you show you could help us, also if you are a doctor it would be helpful to have you for medical campaigns.

8. Finances: the Lord has been good in providing some jobs for fundraising to get some tools so pray that I can get more work this week before heading to NJ so I can do it. 

If you have any questions, suggestions or complains :D answer back this email and also let me know how can I be praying for you. Really please like #praying.

Love you all

Edher