Thoughts from Costa Rica

I was moved and humbled the other night when we were given an impromptu concert in the church by the little family that used to live there. Marjini, who is 5 was singing along with her grandfather, Sylvio. No holds barred, just singing out strong. Singing for Jesus. I occurred to me that he probably taught his daughter to sing when she was young too. We used to be able to hear them singing to Marjini as she was going to sleep. I saw three generations changed by Jesus in the joy and peace of their faces as they sang. I had to leave as my tears ran down my face.
That is what the gospel is all about, changed lives. Redeemed for Christ, love and joy received. We make such a mess of things with our politics and need for significance in the work that we do for the Lord. When really it is so simple. We strife for power so that we can have things at our churches go our way. Whether it is the color of the carpet or the type of music that is played. We want to control what words our pastors use and are appalled if a swear word is ever used in a sermon. When we are offended by someone or something we are quick to cast judgement on the person that has offended us and do not see that God is using that situation to make us grow. To solidify our priorities. Instead of going to the person who has offended us we take on a crowd of sympathetic friends who only know our own perspective, which of course has been skewed to make us look good and our offender to look bad. It´s such a crock of shit. There, now are you self righteously upset because I used that word and don´t see how vile and offensive your actions are to the Lord. That is how he sees it you know. He spits us out of his mouth like vomit because we are useless to Him in spreading His gospel.
We have a lot of repenting to do to come back to the message of the gospel of Christ. When I see the value of those lives changed. The joy that they receive. How important is my petty offense. Will I lay aside my pride and my own self importance to come back into His will. To do His work.
People it is not worth it to lose one soul, they need Jesus. So do I.