11/11/07
Testimony:
“Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete…” There is joy in serving God… true joy.
Many times we are challenged by suffering – or more accurately – by the possibility of suffering when we ponder the real meaning of serving God. He is sovereign and He uses suffering according to His purposes; it will be then a lie to deny that possibility (since it’s also possible in every season of life), but our meditation should not be about suffering but about joy and satisfaction.
Isaiah 53 quotes that after His suffering Jesus was satisfied… so; is it possible to find joy even in suffering? I believe so; and more accurately – taking away the fear that suffering shadows on my focus - I believe there is always joy in serving God, no matter what that service requires. When we serve God we are in first row to see God answering prayers and when He does it - as the Scripture of introductions declares - our Joy becomes complete. Here is one story:
Luis is a young man about 30 years old, whose deep, deep Indian accent does not play well with his very modern - although also very modest – attire. He got me completely out of base when he came directly to me asking “¿es usted el padrecito?” (Are you the ‘little’ priest?)… it took me couple minutes just to figure out why he was asking me that… Remembering the beginning of the story is having the same weird effect on me as I write… I got out of an event with the youth at the Church in Riobamba; I did my part on it and I think it was a good event but my heart was very heavy; I was asking God in my heart… “Am I doing things right oh Lord?”, I needed to have a time of prayer so I left the event before it was all over. As I drove looking for a place to meet whit God, this old and big Catholic Church shone with full illumination on the top of the only high place of the city called “la loma de Quito” (Quito’s hill). Well I was looking for a place and without much thinking I just drove there. No specific reason was on my mind, especially no reason to go a Catholic Church, something I don’t usually do.
When I entered the Church with my Bible in my hand, planning to spend some time praying; I saw they where cleaning after a wedding and it seemed they will close soon. I had to admit that as soon I got in I did not feel I made a good decision choosing a place to pray so I was turning back when Luis came to me with the strange question… It could be the Bible in my hand I think… well, after couple seconds trying to figure out Luis I was able to listen with attention; he needed somebody to talk with and somebody point me. When I started to listen I had that familiar feeling you have when you see God is doing something and you just need to drop everything else and join Him.
Luis just got the news about his sudden brother’s death; a dear brother for him; and Luis was trying to go back to his hometown to join his parents and his brother family for the burial. After the apparent calm Luis reflected I could see he was devastated inside. He had two problems; his heart was heavier than mine and he needed financial help to travel his hometown… after the flash first discernment about the real motives of this young man, and the firm confirmation in my heart that he was truthful; I just listened and asked questions to see where his heart was with the pain and with God. I asked him to come with me out of the Church to talk and he seemed surprised for the ‘priest’ willing to go out but he followed me. Eventually they closed the Church while we were talking at the street.
I asked Luis if he knew God and he answered me “… of course; I have been faithful to the mass almost every week!”
Testimony:
“Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete…” There is joy in serving God… true joy.
Many times we are challenged by suffering – or more accurately – by the possibility of suffering when we ponder the real meaning of serving God. He is sovereign and He uses suffering according to His purposes; it will be then a lie to deny that possibility (since it’s also possible in every season of life), but our meditation should not be about suffering but about joy and satisfaction.
Isaiah 53 quotes that after His suffering Jesus was satisfied… so; is it possible to find joy even in suffering? I believe so; and more accurately – taking away the fear that suffering shadows on my focus - I believe there is always joy in serving God, no matter what that service requires. When we serve God we are in first row to see God answering prayers and when He does it - as the Scripture of introductions declares - our Joy becomes complete. Here is one story:
Luis is a young man about 30 years old, whose deep, deep Indian accent does not play well with his very modern - although also very modest – attire. He got me completely out of base when he came directly to me asking “¿es usted el padrecito?” (Are you the ‘little’ priest?)… it took me couple minutes just to figure out why he was asking me that… Remembering the beginning of the story is having the same weird effect on me as I write… I got out of an event with the youth at the Church in Riobamba; I did my part on it and I think it was a good event but my heart was very heavy; I was asking God in my heart… “Am I doing things right oh Lord?”, I needed to have a time of prayer so I left the event before it was all over. As I drove looking for a place to meet whit God, this old and big Catholic Church shone with full illumination on the top of the only high place of the city called “la loma de Quito” (Quito’s hill). Well I was looking for a place and without much thinking I just drove there. No specific reason was on my mind, especially no reason to go a Catholic Church, something I don’t usually do.
When I entered the Church with my Bible in my hand, planning to spend some time praying; I saw they where cleaning after a wedding and it seemed they will close soon. I had to admit that as soon I got in I did not feel I made a good decision choosing a place to pray so I was turning back when Luis came to me with the strange question… It could be the Bible in my hand I think… well, after couple seconds trying to figure out Luis I was able to listen with attention; he needed somebody to talk with and somebody point me. When I started to listen I had that familiar feeling you have when you see God is doing something and you just need to drop everything else and join Him.
Luis just got the news about his sudden brother’s death; a dear brother for him; and Luis was trying to go back to his hometown to join his parents and his brother family for the burial. After the apparent calm Luis reflected I could see he was devastated inside. He had two problems; his heart was heavier than mine and he needed financial help to travel his hometown… after the flash first discernment about the real motives of this young man, and the firm confirmation in my heart that he was truthful; I just listened and asked questions to see where his heart was with the pain and with God. I asked him to come with me out of the Church to talk and he seemed surprised for the ‘priest’ willing to go out but he followed me. Eventually they closed the Church while we were talking at the street.
I asked Luis if he knew God and he answered me “… of course; I have been faithful to the mass almost every week!”
- “So” - I said - “then; you do know what God says about death?”… He was not able to give me an answer looking puzzled and unable to hide some shame because his ignorance on the matter. Well… I had the Bible right there in my hand so we went together through some Scriptures when Jesus talks about death. He received those much needed words into his heart; fighting against tears when I connected the message of Jesus with his own need of hope and peace. You can imagine what came next; the Lord Jesus gave His testimony through the Spirit and Luis opened his heart to Him, receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior for first conscious time!!
After praying for Luis and his family in that hard situation they were living I was able to take him to the bus station and also provide for his trip…after all of this, while we were driving and talking about other matters, Luis stopped and asked me… “Then… who are you?” and after a pause I replied “Well, I’m a servant of the Lord our God!”… while I spoke these words I felt the sweet voice of God telling speaking to my heart in that language does not need words…”well marcos, what was the question you had in your heart before going to that Church?”
After praying for Luis and his family in that hard situation they were living I was able to take him to the bus station and also provide for his trip…after all of this, while we were driving and talking about other matters, Luis stopped and asked me… “Then… who are you?” and after a pause I replied “Well, I’m a servant of the Lord our God!”… while I spoke these words I felt the sweet voice of God telling speaking to my heart in that language does not need words…”well marcos, what was the question you had in your heart before going to that Church?”
- “Nothing” - I replied - “Nothing Lord, no more questions, just gratitude to you and praise full of joy in my heart…”
I’m sure meeting Luis was not a random thing. Our conversations was planned above to happen just in the right time for both of us… may be even the place was very significant.
One week later I receive a phone call from “El Corazon” (The Heart), a small town deep in the mountains of the Cotopaxi province in Ecuador… the deep Indian accent was now familiar from the other side of the phone… “I was calling you ‘little’ pastor to say thanks, from me and my family. I told them about our conversations… we have received peace… I’m at peace…”
- “Not to me Luis, not to me; to God be our thanks for the great things He has done!”
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