“The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:23-25
For several months, the ladies of the church plant have been studying through the book of Hebrews. This study has been encouraging, especially as we are constantly reminded that Jesus is better. This month, we will be studying the comparison between Jesus and Melchizedek. This has been such a rich study because it presents us with a type of Christ, whose purpose was to point us to a better Priest who continues forever. As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the Resurrection this weekend, our hearts are filled with thankfulness to the one who offered himself “once for all” (Heb. 7:27). The veil was torn, and a new way has been made. Praise the Lord for the new and better covenant through which we have direct access to God! If we are looking for something better, we will find it in Jesus.
At the beginning of the month, we enjoyed some vacation and family time. It was such a blessing to be able to step away from the pressures of life and ministry and be able to rest, refresh, and enjoy time together as a family.
Prior to our trip, the men of the church held a meeting to discuss leadership training through the Bible Institute. Part of church-planting involves developing leaders who will be able to lead the church. However, in the culture here, it can be hard for the men to commit. It was a profitable time of fellowship and conversation, and several men have committed to studying. This past Saturday, April 1st, was the first day of the semester. There were 11 students in attendance, most of which were men. Please pray that these men will continue to faithfully study God’s Word. The classes that the students are taking are the book of Acts and Christian Life.
We are thankful that the believers are coming back to our Sunday and Wednesday meetings. At our mid-week meeting, we had to move to the church building because there are too many people to fit in the believers’ homes.
Last week we met with our Area Leader to discuss our goals for the coming year. One of our goals is to establish 5 contacts with whom we can start evangelistic Bible studies. A contact is a specific individual with whom we are seeking to develop a redemptive relationship. It is not just a random person we meet and converse with; it is someone that we are intentionally pursuing for the purpose of an evangelistic Bible study, with the hope that they will place their faith in Christ for salvation. We have several people in mind, and we are setting up goals to help us further develop those relationships. Please pray that God will give us wisdom to know how to consistently have intentional contact with these people.
As in many churches around the world, we are looking forward to special Easter services this weekend. We will hold a Good Friday service and a Resurrection Day service. Lisa has enjoyed working with several groups to provide special music for these services. Please pray that the Lord would be glorified, and that any unsaved attendees would see their need to put their faith in Christ for salvation.
In addition to working on contacts, Jeff continues to hold the Thursday night Bible study and fill in with preaching and teaching as needed. On Wednesdays, he is teaching on the spiritual discipline of fasting. Lisa has the opportunity to teach the ladies meeting on April 15th. Please pray for her preparation as she teaches through Hebrews 7.
Thank you for your faithful prayers for us. May the Lord give you
great joy as you reflect on Christ’s sacrifice this week.
Jeffrey, Lisa, Simon, and Titus
The Double Scoop:
The boys had a great time on vacation, and they loved playing in the water. It is fun to see the boys playing together, and Titus always wants to be involved in what Simon is doing. Simon goes through periods when he doesn’t want to speak Spanish, but right now he is in a phase where he enjoys Spanish, to the extent that he wants us to translate all his English books into Spanish.
Praise and Prayer:
Praise: Refreshing family time
Praise: Good start to Bible Institute
Pray: Believers’ growth and commitment to the Lord
Pray: Wisdom in building contacts
Pray: Easter services
Pray: Lisa teaching the ladies on April 15th
