Worship Service

We entered the doors of the church on a beautiful and bright Sunday morning.  There was a few folks there eagerly awaiting to hear the North American preached God's word.  The church quickly filled with the children.  As everyone gathered and continue to come from all directions and walks of life the service began.  We allowed Carlos one of our translator to help in the worship service.  We opened the service up with singing hymns.  Ginger was asked to open the service with prayer.  Pastor David came up to welcome everyone to church.  Team leader Kaye was asked to come forward to introduce her team members.  We proceeded in singing "Victory in Jesus".  Kaye was ask to come forward so the church could sing "Happy Birthday"  to her.  Pastor Mike read out of Psalm 133 and the offertory prayer was led by church member Karen.

The North American team from Oakdale Baptist got up to sing "Are You Washed In the Blood of the Lamb" and was accompanied on the guitar by Pastor Mike.  What a beautiful job done by some beautiful people who sang with love for their Lord and Savior.  Pastor Mike asked the question "Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?"  to the congregation.  Amen came shouting throughout the church building. Their second special was "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder?"  We all got tickled at Carlos when he did not know how to translate "yonder".  Meida called out to him what the translation was and we all chuckled as they continued singing and praising the Lord.  Carmen, Suyappa and Anita along with Jenelle sang a quartet for their church family.

Pastor Mike was asked to come forward to bring the message which came out of Luke 19:1-10.  He and Carlos started an amazing journey talking about a tax collector named Zacchaeus.  I honestly had never heard the message about the little man in the tree as I did this day.  It was a day where you did not want the sermon to end.  So I apologize Pastor Mike if I do not do your sermon justice but here it goes. We look different, we live differently, we speak differently but we all have the same blood of Jesus, we honor and serve the same God.  Everyone was shouting amen as he said this.  As God speaks we need to listen to HIM not me and what I say.  You show God's great love and hospitality to all of us this week and we are forever grateful for this. Each of you welcomed our group with open arms as Jesus would do showing his actions through your lives.  He shared how he was going to talk about "Honduran Love".  He looked up the word Honduras and it means "depths".  God's love is deep just like the meaning of the word Honduras. What matters most is that we know Jesus totally and not what we have and do not have in life.  This does not matter.  All that matters is we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

As Jesus was entering Jericho crowds of people lined the streets he was coming down. There was one very small man in stature who could not see this man called Jesus. So this small man climbed up into a sycamore tree to check out this man Jesus.  Now as Jesus was entering Jericho he already knew Zacchaeus was looking for him.  So Jesus reached out to Zacchaeus as he came closer to the tree.  Everyone stood back in awe and why was Jesus talking to such a sinner as this lying and cheating tax collector.  This man is a sinner they said.  He is nothing but bad to all people.  Pastor Mike shared when he saw Jesus meeting Zacchaeus it reminded him of this Honduran love, a deep love.  God wants a deep love with us, God loves us and desires a relationship with us. As Jesus entered Jericho there were 1000 of people with many needs wanting Jesus to heal them.  There was the blind wanting to see, the lame wanting to walk, the demon possessed wanted to be cleansed but with all the people on those streets that day Jesus chose one and told him "I am going to your house today"  Zacchaeus was just hoping to get a glimpse of Jesus maybe on that day but no Jesus saw him and called him by name to come out of that tree because he was going to his house.  Don't you know folks were saying, "Jesus you do not want to go to his house." "He is evil, a cheater and a liar."  Zacchaeus was a small little man like a lot of us as Pastor Mike smiled, who is a sinner, like all of us sitting in this church today. Jesus wants us to come out of the tree so He can go home with us today.  How did Jesus know his name.  He called him by his name.  Jesus knows all of us and our hearts.  God sees us as we are the good and the bad.  He knows where we live, how we live, he knows our heart conditions, he simply knows all things about us.  We should live our lives daily in that awareness as we are always in the presence of the Lord.  Jesus reached out to a man with a lonely dark life which no one else liked.  He wants us as well. Jesus wants to take us just as we are sitting on a branch.  We need to come off that branch and give our lives to Jesus.  He takes us just as we are, sins and all. If you are saved then come out of that tree and live your life for Jesus.  Let go of the life of sin which so easily can entangle us.  Pastor Mike shared a story about a boy who thought he was playing with worms but instead he was playing with baby rattle snakes.  The snakes were slowly biting him and  slowly stealing is life away from him.  Just like those venomous snake bites on this boy is sin in our lives.  It slowly seeps its way into our lives and bites away out our relationship with our Lord and Savior.  At first we do not even know it is sin.  Sin can look deceiving and we not even know it is sin.  Sin will separate us from God.  So today we are all sinners saved by grace if not this is an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and receive freedom from the bondage of sin.  So if you are reading this today and you need to climb out of the tree to meet this wonderful man called Jesus please do it today.  Tomorrow may be too late.

Luke 19:1-10