Date and Time Posted: Wednesday March 20, 2024 - 6:20:28 pm

Saturday, March 16, 2024 Psalm 5:12: For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; With favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. The Team arose early this morning (around 230 AM) for our 3:00 AM drive from El Progresso to the airport at San Pedro Sula. God blessed this return trip as we arrived at the airport early, checked in, and boarded a flight that took off per schedule, arriving in Miami early. The Team went through customs, immigration, and security without any major delays, and was able to get some time to purchase some food and drink before boarding the flight to Atlanta. Upon arrival and receiving our baggage at the baggage claim area of Terminal T, we were fortunate to get a driver to take us to the hotel within 30 minutes, and allowing us to start our drive to the Tri-Cities by 3:30 PM. As with many mission trips, God provided excess funds above that which was required for the initial planned work, but these funds were not without purpose. The “new church assembly” of March 19, who were holding services in a congregant’s home, had been trying to pay for some land to construct a new church building. They had only achieved enough to pay part of the cost of the land, and did not have the funds for the balance; our excess went to that purpose, as well as to pay the variety of unexpected transportation costs in Atlanta (both coming and going). Our goal was to use the funds for God’s purposes and return with a $0 balance, and God helped us to achieve that goal. On the drive back to the Tri-Cities, it became apparent that we were going to have difficulties if we took the route through Chattanooga as I75 had multiple vehicular accidents that blocked traffic, and our GPS indication was a >1-hour delay if we took that route; hence, we changed our route to go through Asheville by going through the mountains to I40 East and then taking I26 North to Kingsport. We arrived uneventfully by 0930 at our initial departure point, the Ingles supermarket in Colonial Heights. The Lord blessed this group the entire trip, and showed us mercy to allow us to complete our planned service, and to aid in lifting up the pastors in the Ayapa area, as well as to proclaim the Truth – that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ lives, and saves still today! Amen!

Posted By:Jerry McMurray

Date and Time Posted: Wednesday March 20, 2024 - 3:53:20 pm

Sunday, March 10, 2024 1 Timothy 6:17 (KJV 1900) Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. After only a few hours sleep, we awakened to find coffee ready for the Team’s consumption, as well as the facilities to allow the Team members to take hot showers. However, the electricity supply was not cooperative, and we experienced on of the typical “brownouts” of the electricity in this part of the world. Omar was able to get a backup generator eventually started to supply electricity for the compound. It was going to be a hot day, but not as hot was yesterday (the temperature on Saturday was nearly 100 degrees; today will have a high temperature of nearly 90 degrees, but it is expected to get hotter as the week progresses). Breakfast consisted of sausage, scrambled eggs, cheese, tortillas, orange juice and coffee. Upon completion of breakfast, a problem arose as Omar collected the Team members passports for safe keeping by locking them up in the Team House safe. One of the team members, Andy Anderson, had a problem as he could not easily find his passport. Some team members gathered around Andy for prayer, and I am sure that there were others in the USA praying for God to intervene in this situation. The prayer was answered within 10 minutes for the missing passport was in one of his suitcases “on the opposite side of where he was checking.” God answers prayers of His people as He says in Psalm 86:7 – “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: For thou wilt answer me.” After dressing and resting for a short period, the Team then boarded the bus for the short drive to the City of YORO, and to the Eglesia Bautista Berra church for morning services. The service was started by singing, prayer, and Scripture reading before the pastor took over. The service was then turned over to a Team member who stated that the Team is here to do God’s work - construction of churches, pastor training, and other activities in the name of the Lord. Pastor Steve then came forward to introduce the group members. The Bible says to be instant in season and out of season, and to be prepared to give a testimony. Steve then called the Team forward and introduced each of the members. The Pastor then introduced a song with congregational fellowship. Ephraim was then called forward to give an introduction. He informed the group that it was his third trip to Honduras, but first to Yoro. He then told them he was from Zimbabwe, and the main language (of 60) was Shawna. He then sung two songs - the first is entitled “God is Good.” We are here because God is good. The second song he sung in Shona, the principal language of people in Zimbabwe, but it is a country of many languages. He told the congregants that, if they recognized the song or knew the song, they should sing the second verse in their language, either English or Spanish. The song chosen was “How Great Thou Art,” and the church attendees responded with singing as requested. The services in Honduras consistent of frequent Scriptural readings, and this service was no exception, with a portion of John 14 was read by a church member, and this was followed by congregational singing and worship. The service was then turned over to Pastor Layton Bentley, who introduced himself as pastor of Darthula Baptist church in the United States. He started with a declaration: “We bring you greetings from your sister churches in the Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina.” He said that we are privileged to be here, and it was the first time that Pastor Layton was in Honduras. It is a beautiful country for it is the people that make it beautiful. He had been a pastor for 47 years - a long time - and the Lord has let him see many wonderful things. Seeing and meeting the people here are one of those wonderful things. He is getting older, and it is getting harder for him to travel. There is one thing that he has learned - the older he gets, the more amazing God’s grace is. He is glad that God allowed them to cross paths today. To begin his message, he had one verse of Scripture - John 11:39 – to read: John 11:39 (KJV 1900) Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. After prayer, Layton began his message. Jesus Christ left heaven to come to earth to fulfill the way of His father, and to provide a way for all of man to come back to God. There was no other way except for Jesus Christ, who had to pay the sin debt for mankind. He came, He fulfilled His purpose, and at the appointed time, He paid the sin debt for all of mankind. He came, and at God’s appointed time, He fulfilled the commandment of God by going to the old rugged cross. He looked up into the heaven and said “it is finished.” The Romans did not take his life, but He gave it. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you will not escape the fact that God loves you unconditionally. When He looked up from the cross, the Lord surrendered His life for us. You want to see how much God loves you - look at Calvary. Look at the price that He paid, and you will see how much God loves you. The Roman government put a seal on that stone; they put soldiers there to guard the grave. They wanted no one to touch it because Jesus had said that on the third day He would rise again. On the third day, very early in the morning, God sent an angel from Heaven to roll the stone away, and God victoriously, bodily raised Jesus from the Dead! God gave Him victory over death, hell, and the grave. The family that Jesus loved was open to Him; he wants to open the door to your life. God is good and God is great. Jesus was away when Lazarus got sick; he was dying; they called for Jesus to come to help Lazarus. Jesus tarried and waited until after Lazarus had died; He did not come when they first called for Him. Jesus then went with his disciples to Bethany, to the home of Lazarus; someone told Martha Jesus was here, but to her it was too late. Martha ran from her home, and she met Jesus in the way, on that a old dusty road, and Martha said: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus looked at Martha, and His heart was breaking, because He could feel her grief. God knows what you are suffering right now; if you are a child of God, God understands what you are feeling and thinking and facing. Jesus looked at Martha, and said: Martha -thy brother will rise again. She said that she knew that he will at the last resurrection- at the last days! Jesus looked at Martha and said: “I am the resurrection, I am the Truth; I am the life - he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” He asked Martha an important - Martha; believes thou this? What is it that you believe? The Bible teaches us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word God! Faith is believing; you might not see it with your natural eyes, but believing in the things that you cannot see is called Faith. It is impossible to please God without faith. Jesus asked Martha - where have you laid him? They took him to the tomb of Lazarus; there were a multitude of people there at that moment. Jesus told Martha in verse 39 - to take away the stone. At the tomb of Jesus, God rolled the stone away, and there was a miracle in the resurrection. At the tomb of Lazarus, God told Martha to have them roll the stone away. Man had nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was God’s doing; at the tomb of Lazarus, it was men who did the stone removal. There was a Miracle in the making here; I believe in all my heart that God has not changed since that time. He is the same God that walked on earth, and who suffered for us to give us life. There was a stone here that had to be rolled away. I believe with all my heart that there are miracles in the making. For you and for me, sometimes there are stones that hinder a miracle in the making. Sometimes these stones need to be rolled away - not by God but by us who are waiting on God to move. There is a verse of Scripture that Layton said he loves: Isaiah 30:31 - ‘They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings of eagles, they shall run, but not be weary; they shall walk And not fade.” There have been many times in his life that Pastor Layton has been beaten down so low, but when he comes to God, and calls on Him, even feeling that he cannot take another step, and God is saying in this verse of Scripture that, when you reach a point and feel like you cannot go one more day, He will be there, and He will give us the strength and courage and the boldness to take that step, and strength to take another one, and whatever it takes, He will bring us to the point of victory. There is nothing too impossible for God; there are stones in the Heart that needs to be removed for a miracle to unfold. Sin is such a stone; it separates us from God; it is possible for a child of God to sin, and bring that hindrance into his heart, against us as a barrier. We have a verse of Scripture for the child of God to move the stone of sin away, and that is 1 John 1:9 – 1 John 1:9 (KJV 1900) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we take that verse, we know He will help us. Isaiah 28:1 - Woe to the crown of pride. Pride is something we deal with in our lives day by day, and God hates Pride; the stone of Pride needs to be rolled away. There is a stone of “deafness” - Psalm 85:8 - I will hear what God the Lord will speak. The stone of deafness can rob you of your communications with God. Jesus said they have ears, but they cannot hear. The stone of deafness can hinder the miracle in your lifetime. There is a stone of fear, meaning inaction - Exodus 14:15 - Fear you not, and stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. If you are a child of mine, God says, no matter what you are facing, a child of God should not fear the world! Fear can be a barrier for a miracle in the making in your life. It needs to be rolled way. In closing, there is a stone of spiritual addiction - In Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world; against spiritual wickedness in high places.” There is a stone of spiritual wickedness, in high places of rulership, and it is wreaking havoc in your lives. There can be a miracle in the making in your lives, and the spiritual realm is fighting you from having a miracle. God is saying to roll the stone away, and give God the opportunity to work in your lives. Satan is trying to steal it from you; God is saying: “ROLL THAT STONE AWAY!” HOW DO YOU ROLL THAT STONE AWAY, AND CLAIM THE MIRACLE THAT GOD HAS FOR YOU? The Bible says in Revelation 12:11 that “they overcame by the blood of Lamb.” Children of God are overcomers, and if there is a stone in your life that is hindering you, you need help and God is there to help you! God will give you the strength and the boldness to PUSH IT AWAY and let the blessings of Glorious God into your lives! After a short ride back to the compound, the Team had a light lunch, and had a few minutes to rest. Some of the Team boarded the bus for the short right to the church where the construction work was to occur this week. A quick examination showed a lot of things to be done: • Install the metal rafters, sheet roofing, and ridge caps • Install outlets, conduits, wiring, and lights for the church building itself • Install boxes for the church to install overhead fans • Run a conduit supply to the nearby shed, and provide overhead lights for the shed • Provide outlets and overhead lights to the two bathrooms • Provide conduit and wire supply to a building that appeared to be a storage building, but we were later told it was the Pastor’s house (a mattress had been “rolled up” in the building on which the Pastor slept). After a quick assessment, the Team went back to the Team House for the evening meal, and for preparation to go to church that evening. Sunday Night, March 10, 2024 Tonight we went to Iglesia Bautista Bethel church for the 6 pm night service. The church seems to be more modern than most, having a projector for the church calendar, as well as the usual sound system for the music consisting of drums, speaker, Yamaha keyboard, and apparent guitars. Wilbur was our bus driver for the short trip to the church, and the weather cooperated today as we prepared for the work ahead during this week. The church bulletin screen welcomed people to the church. The service was opened in Scripture reading from Psalm 100, followed by singing, and then Scripture reading from Psalm 89:1-2. The pastor then spoke a short while, before Omar went forward to introduce the Team from East Tennessee, and surrounding areas, that are here to present the Gospel this week. Steve Lyons then came forward proclaiming that the Team was glad to see you here tonight, and we greet you in the name of Jesus. Steve stated that the fact we are here today started over a year ago, and God placed it in our hearts to come and be a part of your service, and we thank the Lord for this opportunity. We faced much opposition yesterday as we traveled here from the States; anytime we see that we know that Satan is fighting the things of God. Our desire is to be a blessing to the church; to lift up the name of Jesus; to tell people the good news that Jesus saves; that there is eternal life on the other side of death. He stated that we feel the presence of God, and asked for prayers for Elijah as he is bring the message this evening. We are the “body of Christ’” with no language barriers, and thanks for allowing us to be here tonight. Pastor Chuck, from Dothan AL, was called forward for greetings from South Alabama. He thanked Steve for all he said, and also echoed that it is a pleasure to be here, and to worship and feel the joy of the Lord. Again, there were readings from Psalm 89:2 and Luke 21:1-4, followed by prayer and a collection for the church. Omar and Elijah came forward for the message. 1 Kings, Chapter 8, verse 21, and verses 30-46 were the references for tonight’s message. The Bible tells us that Elijah asked the people why they were between two opinions; either they follow Baal or follow God. Elijah wanted to preach on the thought of “getting on the same page.” those in Honduras and the United States worship the same God and have the same desires; we all should desire to see God work and to move. The only way God will meet with us is if we have the same mind. Elijah said he doesn’t want us to get distracted because we speak different languages and are from different places; his desire is that we worship together. If we walk between two opinions, we are divided, and as long as we are divided, we cannot worship God. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4 that we should endeavor to speak the unity in the bonds of peace. It means that we should be constantly trying; this week we should do all we can to be in unity. The only way to be in Unity is through the Holy Spirit; there is one body, one spirit, and called in one hope of our calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is above all and through all and in us all. In the reference in I Kings, it shows what God can do when people put difference aside and get on the same page. In verse 30 Elijah had all people come to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down; we come to church week after week, hearing the message, reading the Scriptures and sing the songs, but when was the last time that we felt the power of God. I believe God can meet with us this week, and if you do not, his prayer is that by the end of this message we will be unified, and we will agree and desire to see God move this week. The word “repair” means “healing,” and God is a God of healing, and if we ask him this week to heal our spirit, and to make us be in on one mind so that we can work with God. In this passage, we see that the altar was healed, and Elijah began to lay things on the altar, and prepared for worship. He put twelve stones according to the number of sons of Jacob. Tonight, we claim the name of Israel, meaning God proclaims; there are people who do not believe in our God, but he wants to proclaim God prevails. He built an altar in the name of the Lord, and if we want to see anything done, it must be in the name of Jesus, not in Steve’s name, in Omar’s name, in Elijah’s name, etc., but in the name of Jesus. He had water dumped on the wood, on the altar, with water applied 3 times. We have an altar here tonight, and if we will lay our heart on the altar and put our focus on God and give ourselves to Him and lay ourselves on the altar we can show God that we believe in God, and want to see Him move. The altar is a place to talk to God, and Elijah’s prayer is that you find the will of God. At the time of the sacrifice, Elijah prayed to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that Elijah did all the many things in the name of the Lord. Elijah comes tonight to tell the people that God is not only the God of NC, TN, and VA, but also the God of Honduras, and that He is Elijah’s God and your God. If He is not your God, you should accept Him as your God. Revival starts with God’s people in one mind and one accord. It says that the Lord God Elijah called for was to show His power so that He would be known; this day we do not care what the world thinks or says, but this week we will be coming and be faithful, believing God. In verse 37, Elijah called that God may make it known that God is real. Elijah likes to feel the presence of God, and he believed that if we trust God, the fire can fall. The miracle of the fire from heaven, and the consumption of the sacrifice, altar, and water all showed the power of God. The Bible says God is a faithful healer; if you believed God can do it, and you call on God and trust in God, we will see a revival and the fire will fall spiritually on His people, on this church, and all that are round about, and we pray that the revival of 2024 in that soccer field will be something talked about for generations, and that Honduras will never forget. In verse 39, when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and said that the Lord is the God. Elijah put the prophets of Baal, false prophets who did not believe in our God or our Bible, and there are people around that do not believe in our God. Elijah prayed they feel the presence of God, and that God will draw them in so that they will be on the same page as us. Congregants may have been faithful for a long time, and have not seen God move, and yet the Good News is that there is a sound of the abundance of rain. We may not see what God does right now, but Church we heard the sound of an abundance of rain. We hear some praise, some worship, and we hear God’s people praising His name. Be faithful, keep praying, keep reading, -why? Because we hear the sound of abundance of Rain. Ahab, an evil king, was the one wanted rain, and it did not rain on his house only but all of Israel. Pray, and God will send showers of blessings - holy rain - on Ayala and Yoro and all of Honduras, and that people will learn of our God. In verse 42, it says Elijah was being humbled because he realized by himself, he could do nothing, but with God all things are possible. God can bring a revival if we will get humble. John 3:30 says that “He must increase, and I must decrease” - Why? Because God can see and can bring the rain; Elijah tells us further to go up and look toward the sea, and his servant got discouraged for it was a long travel from Carmel to the sea. the servant had to go uphill and downhill, a long way, and living as a Christian, we go up hill and downhill; if we get discouraged, we will never see the rain. Elijah told them to go again, and again, until he saw a cloud the size of his hand. Just keep going - that is the main point - even if you have prayed for 10 or 50 years, then you might see tomorrow or Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday - YOU MIGHT SEE THE RAIN. Seek God and look for the rain. The servant saw what he deemed insignificant - the cloud the size of a man’s hand; God saw the faithfulness of Elijah and his servant, and because of that faithfulness, God sent the rain. God dipped his hand into the sea and showered it over all Israel. It was one servant and one man on his knees, and God blessed the whole nation. If we get on fire for God, and believe in the rain, we will see the blessings of God, and he will shower this area and see God move. Elijah sent to Ahab - the rain is coming, and if you do not come to the revival, you are going to miss it; Elijah wants you to be with us, feel the rain, and have God change your life as only He can. I pray spiritually that you will stand with us and believe God will send the rain. The heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain; Arab went to Jezreel, and the hand of the Lord was one Elijah. Ahab was riding in a chariot, and with the hand of the Lord on him, beat Ahab there. There are other beliefs and denominations, with their fancy chariots, and they are lying, but if we get the hand of the Lord upon us, we can run our race for the glory of God and beat them there. The question to the church - are you willing to get on the same page? Are you willing to pray for some rain? Do you want to see God move? The service was turned over to the Pastor for an altar call, and the Team fellowshipped with the congregation before returning to the Compound for a night of sleep and rest. God is going to bless the Team, and we are working to accomplish His work in this country, and to see salvation come to Ayapa.

Posted By:Jerry McMurray

Date and Time Posted: Wednesday March 20, 2024 - 3:50:25 pm

Thursday, March 14, 2024 Psalm 31:23 – O love the Lord, all ye his saints: For the Lord preserveth the faithful, And plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. The Team awoke to another beautiful day in Honduras, with a temperature that seemed cooler than other nights this week. The Ayapa area is dry, with a high dust concentration throughout the region due to the vehicles traveling on the local roads, and the dry conditions in the area. This was the dry season, which extends January through May of each year, and was evident by simply casting a light upward from a flashlight at night, and the dust is visible in the beam. This morning the Team had a great discussion before breakfast and was aware of the tasks ahead of during the day. The construction team will be focusing on the electrical as the roof construction was finished on Wednesday, and although there was a lot of work to do, the Team members were confident that they would get the work done. After a breakfast, again the Team departed in different directions, with Ephraim, Jerry, and Layton departing for the church for the third, and final, day of Pastor training. Today’s topics were to be Homiletics and Hermeneutics, with the majority of the time being spent on Homiletics – Preaching the Word of God. Ephraim started the training shortly after 9:00 AM with principles of preaching, followed by Layton providing his comments about his experience as a minister; Ephraim and Layton both provided additional principles. Those that are called to preach should not desire the use of rhetoric just to get man’s respect of your speaking but should desire to have persuasive words to “fan the flame of the Gift of God which is in you.” The preacher needs to preach Christ as a glorified, risen Savior, and use applications of their own experiences and interpretation to show how it applies to their congregation. The training ended with Jerry discussing the principles of interpretation of the Scriptures (hermeneutics), with the goal of interpretation to derive the interpretation that the original writer intended for the verses. One key is to look at the context of the Scripture – the historical, social, and political context of when the text was written – as a help in interpreting it (for example, the response by Peter to who Christ was indicated his desire for Christ to overcome the Romans and set up His kingdom now, which was a common belief by the Jews of that time). Use of references are valuable as long as one knows if any bias is written into the texts (an example are commentaries written by Catholics who show the bias of their religion in their writings). Guidelines for interpreting parables, psalms, and prophecy were next discussed, with training ending with an admonition to the pastors to “preach and teach the Word of God” so that God is uplifted by all that they do. The Construction Team left in the morning with the intent of not returning until VBS and the electrical work were completed. The children were taught the Word, and snacks and recreational activities completed the VBS. The construction group completed installing the conduits, lights, breaker boxes, wiring, and connected the electricity to confirm all works was completed and functional. They returned to the Team House shortly after 5 PM to prepare for the evening’s service in the soccer field. Thursday Night, March 14 2024 AYAPA PARA CHRISTO The Team walked the short distance to the soccer field for the service. The church members had already begun singing at the time that we arrived. Pastor Jhony was working with the projector that was displaying the verses on the screen for the audience to assure that the text was as clear and readable as possible. The Team, along with local pastors and members of Jhony’s church, surrounded Steve to pray for guidance and blessings on his preaching tonight. The service began with an introduction giving glory to God, and a reading of Scripture from Genesis, chapter one, verses 1 and 2, and Isaiah 12, verses 1-6. A song followed the Scriptural reading, and then another reading from Psalms 117:2. Pastor Jhony spoke for a few minutes to give glory to Christ for the week’s events. As a song was sung by the church group, the congregation fellowshipped. It was impressive to see the young children come up to the Team members to shake their hands. The next event was calling Elijah forward to give his salvation testimony. “Good Evening, Ayapa!” He stated one verse of Scripture -1 Timothy 4:12: Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Elijah thanked God for saving Him and all his blessings because we do not deserve anything that he gives. He stated that he is 17 years old and grew up in church in his whole life; his dad is a preacher, but that did not give him salvation, and would not take him to heaven. He was 8 years old when he met Jesus, and He became his savior. He changed his life and has been so, so good. He knows that he is young, but God has done a lot for him in his life. When he was 14, he went to a youth camp, and during the summer, on the Wednesday night service, as the preacher was preaching, God began to speak to his heart and said, “I want you to preach my word.” He was scared and went and prayed; he did not surrender to God, and he got up from the altar, and went back to his seat. He did not obey God, and God wanted him to preach His Word, and he told Him “NO” - the worst mistake never made. The youth camp was called the “Light on the Mountain, “and it was on that mountain that God turned on the light on his life. For 3 months, he ran from God’s calling, and had no relationship with God - could not pray, worship, or talk to God because he was not in fellowship with Him. He was rebelling, but 3 months later, he found himself on another mountain. The three months were the most miserable months of his life. If God’s perfect will is followed, he wants fellowship with His children; when we are disconnected from God, we are not living as we should. On “Mount Victory,” on a Thursday night, God broke him, and he went to the altar - sitting in the back and he ran to the front, fell on his face, and told God that he was sorry that he had not accepted the call. He had not done what God wanted Him to do. On that night, fellowship was restored, and he was able to talk to Him. For the first time in three months, he felt free, and the very next night, he went back to that altar on top of Mount Victory and surrendered to God’s call. It was hard decision, and he said that he could not do it without Him; God said without me you cannot do anything. He trusted God, and fully gave Him his life as a 14-year-old little boy. God has been better to me than I can ever be to him - he is my Savior, my friend, and my life. He was 14 years old, thinking that he was too young, but God showed him the verse in Timothy - it does not matter how old you are, God wants to use you - let Him take your life; you do not need to get out in the world - stay pure, stay holy, don’t touch alcohol, stay with your parents, and give your life to God. You might not be able to do much, but do all you can for Him, and He will bless your life. Elijah is a living testimony of what God can do if a young person will fully trust Him. The service continued with another reading from Psalm 145:1-5. Glory to God! Another song and prayer by Pastor Jhony, after which Steve Lyons came forward to proclaim God is here, God answers prayers, and God is Good. The Scripture reference is in the Book of John, that blessed Gospel, chapter 10, and reading only one verse. The first thing Steve wanted to say is to thank those that were here tonight, to all the wonderful pastors that hare here and for those we have met in the week; for those who sang; we have watched in amazement this week as people came to pray, as people came to service, and for the first two nights, as people helped us to overcome the power going out. While we may have a problem with electricity, we have no problem with the Power of God. They were able to pray with so many; the tears in their eyes; the spiritual glow on their face, and to know that people had spent time with God. What a blessing. We started planning this trip over a year ago, and we knew we would have at least 3 preachers that would participate; God set in order the services - on Tuesday Pastor Layton preached abut giants and the anointing, and about going forward for God; last night, brother Ephraim preached about “what about now?” Several weeks ago, Steve received (from God) the message for tonight; it is a message for those who are discouraged and broken; it is a message for those who have doubt in their lives; it is a message for those who have fallen. It is the message of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. One verse tonight - verse 14 of Chapter 10 of St. John’s Gospel - Jesus said: I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and my sheep know me. After prayer, where Steve addressed the different languages, but when Pastor Jhony prayed it was the language of God; we love God, and we are the sheep for the flock. We ask for richest blessings on everyone. Meet with your people tonight. These things we ask in your name.” The setting for this verse is important - it is the last days of the ministry of Jesus Christ, and in a few days, He was to perform the greatest miracle. He would go to Bethany, and call Lazarus forth from the grave; that would set in motion the conspiracy to destroy Jesus. Jesus was looking at the cross of Calvary and knew that He would soon fulfill the word of God. He looked at his disciples and left them this message - a message of his own making: I love you; you are important to me; I will always take care of you. Do you realize we are the sheep of God’s spiritual pasture? It is God’s desire to look after us. We have the privilege of walking here in this country this week; so many came to shake hands, and Steve said he did not know when he has felt so welcome. We have much in common; his home is a long way away from here, but as a child of God, we both have a home in Heaven. We will go to be with the Great Shepherd. Do you know how important sheep are to God? Those who have asked God into our hearts have forgiveness of sin, and we know what salvation is like, to be a part of the family of God, his precious sheep. When Jesus spoke those words to his disciple, these words would have been powerful and meaningful; they would have understood this to be a promise - I will take care of you. We live in a very dark world now; so many Satanic forces to destroy the family and to convince you there is now hope-nothing to be happy about. Maybe he whispers to you that you have so much sin in your life, but Satan is a liar; Jesus loves you, and the days they would have understood. There was nothing that the shepherd would not do to care for them. Shepherds in God’s Word -God loves the Shepherds - he’s the Good Shepherd; the Great Shepherd; and pastors are “under” shepherds. When you hurt, they hurt; when you have a need, they try to fill it. Our team of 12 arrived very late Saturday night, and were here for a day or two, and we learned that the people of the church had gathered here to pray at 4 am, praying that God would move in this soccer field; lives would be changed; prayers will be answered. These shepherds/pastors love you that much, and God loves you infinitely more. He loves us so much He sent his only Son to be the Lamb that was slain that we might have forgiveness through his blood. Jesus is the Good Shepherd – Steve said it made him think of the Christmas play/cantata in December. In the USA, they give what they think he important roles to people to be Joseph, an angel, the innkeeper, and Mary, and then there are the shepherds - we’ll make the rest of the kids “shepherds” just because those roles are insignificant or less important. God seeks it in the opposite way - you think about the shepherds on this earth. The first martyr of the faith was Abel who was killed because of his faith in God. We think of David, and how God reached in the field to pick him as king, even though his own father did not have faith in him. God made him a giant killer, part of the family of God, and one day from King David, will the Son of God be born. We think about Moses and his fame and wealth in Egypt; when God wanted to make something out of him, he made him a shepherd, and showed him how to take care of the sheep. Jesus is a Good Shepherd. Jesus is the Son of God, born in a manger - where else would you expect a sheep will be born. On that night he was born, God sent a multitude of angels to speak to the shepherds to say unto you, born this night, is a Savior. The shepherds were hated by the world, but they were loved by God. I believe on that precious night we cannot begin to understand the magnificence of the angels that filled the sky, and their voices came like thunder, and God said: “I have provided the perfect lamb!” 33 years later, Jesus turned to his disciples, and said never forget I am the Good Shepherd. As humans, we get discouraged - feel like no one cares - feel like there is no hope, but Jesus loves you. If ewe read this full chapter, we would see that Jesus starts off by telling the disciples that He is the DOOR. He is the only way of salvation provided by God. My amigos, you can be a great person, respected in the community, successful in business and life, maybe important, maybe having great wealth like Zaccheaus but you will never see heaven unless you go through the door that the good Shepherd is. Jesus convicting a person, you begin to understand it is all about salvation. It is not the things we do; we say, it is all about Jesus, the Lamb slain for the world, who shed His blood that we might have eternal life. I would say that if you have not invited Jesus to come into your life, now is the time - tonight is the night - do not let Jesus pass you by. The Bible said that He calls, inviting you to that which is good, and perfect, and the peace and joy that God can only provide. The Bible goes on and tells us that Jesus looks after His sheep, calling us to His pasture. He wants to “nourish us” - He wants us to be healthy and strong and confident. There was a man called Simon; Jesus called him Petras, Peter - the Rock, and when looked upon Jesus, he could face the storms of life. We can face life and discouragement and know are better days ahead. We can look at the world around us and say this world is not my home. One day this “little sheep” will see the resurrected Savior in all of his power and glory. No one will hurt Jesus again; He allowed himself to be nailed to a cross; He allowed a gang of thugs to strip Him and put a crown of thorns, but one Day He is coming back again, and He will “split the eastern sky” and His sheep will go to meet Him. We have everything to look forward to, and nothing on this earth that is worth staying here. He nourishes our soul - the greatest sacrifice. We say thank you for the week, the welcoming, the pastors allowing us to interact with them, and yesterday Pastor Omar took a group to March 19, a newly created assembly of believers to stand on a piece of ground that will be a new church for God. People there were praying for God; they came out to greet us; people made special food; we worked on projects; people made sure we were safe; they made sacrifices; they did heavy lifting, and but with the hands of Heaven, I thank Jesus for His sacrifice. We will never need another sacrifice to be acceptable to God, and died a sinner’s death -even though He was perfect - He took upon Himself the sins of each one of us - of Elijah - that we might have eternal life. What A GREAT SHEPHERD!!! Jesus goes in chapter 10, talking to his disciples, and wanted them to know that He had sheep that are different from you (meaning the Jews). We thank God that Jesus loves Israel; when He came, He “grafted us” Gentiles in, and he had other sheep - we are the other sheep, undeserving, but that is the unimaginable, immeasurable, the impossible to understand love of God towards us. 33 years before Jesus said these words, Simeon beheld the SON of GOD in his arms, and thanked God that he had seen the glory of God. There is no other sacrifice for the Jews or for the Gentiles for the sinners, Jesus came and died so we would be the sheep of His Pasture. Steve asked for the music to begin, and for Jhony to come and pray, and the other pastors to come forward, and to invite the broken people and lost to come forward for prayer. The soccer field is a great place to cry out to a holy God and ask for the forgiveness and the joy of your salvation. Jesus wants to heal marriages; Jesus wants to heal broken hearts; Jesus is your only hope for He takes broken things and makes all things new again. Our Team has seen miracles all this week - the plane that won’t fly - things that should not happen, but we have seen answered prayers. He has mercy on His sheep; there is no distance too far away from God that He will not answer; Steve concluded by saying that fathers should not let Satan take your family (meaning to life for God, to teach your children as the leader of your families, and to life for God day by day). After that, Pastor Jhony gave an invitation, and we witnessed many coming forward. There were at least two who came forward to give their lives to Christ (including a young man that Pastor Omar preached a message to on Sunday, March 17th, named Juan). Many asked for prayers for life situations and medical needs, and we were amazed that two men came forward to surrender to preach the Gospel! Glory to God for all His blessings, and we are happy that rejoicing in Heaven occurred this night for precious souls that were saved! The Team walked back to the compound and to begin preparations for the trip home starting Friday. God had blessed this team of 12 men who surrendered their time and resources to God. As it says in Psalm 2:11 – “Serve the Lord with fear and Rejoice with trembling.” We rejoice in the fact that Jesus Christ was given all the glory for the miracles and work that were accomplished this week.

Posted By:Jerry McMurray

Date and Time Posted: Wednesday March 20, 2024 - 10:52:27 am

Friday – March 15, 2024 Luke 6:35 - But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. It was a blessing to serve with the members of this 12-man team this week and to help the people of Ayapa and San Diego. Every member of this group was dedicated to serving the Lord in a manner that might bring glory to the Savior and only to Him. We enjoyed meeting the gentlemen from South Alabama at the start of the week, and hope that they will support Crosspoint Ministries in Honduras with many teams in the future. The Team had awakened to the last day of our stay here in Ayapa at the Team House, and we had great fellowship this morning before breakfast, discussing what happened last night, and the great time we had with our brothers and sisters in Christ in this area during the week. Our breakfast today consisted of toast, cereal, cantaloupe, coffee, and jellies. We had been told that we were to be packed by 8:00 AM for the drive to San Diego for the church christening. Breakfast of toast, cereal, cantaloupe, yogurt coffee. By 8:00, we were ready to load the bus, and shortly thereafter, made the short commute to San Diego. The pastor, as well as several members from the church, were present and ready to dedicate the work to the Lord. The members sang a few songs, the pastor spoke briefly, and the entire team and congregants stood in a circle, with the Pastor and Ephraim giving a dedication prayer. It was humbling to see the Pastor so joyful for what had been provided this week as the small congregation did not have the finances to take on such a project, but as usual, the Lord knew their need and made a way for His people to supply that need. After a short time of fellowship and picture-taking, we boarded the bus for a short trip to Yoro. Yoro is a nearby town – the financial and mercantile center for northern Honduran mountains – with a population of approximately 20,000 people. The bus was stopped in front of a grocery store and a pharmacy, allowing the Team members to buy some Honduran coffee and snacks (including a favorite of several Team members, Montequilla butter cookies!). After this shopping delay, we boarded the bus for the long trip through the mountains back toward San Pedro Sula. The airport is located East of the city, and the Team were to spend Friday night at a hotel in El Progresso. In El Progresso, the Team piled off the bus to order burgers, fries, and drinks from a Burger King! Once we were back on the bus, the driver took short cuts to try to get us to our hotel; however, the main road was at a standstill, a frequent occurrence daily on this highway. We took over a half-hour to move 1000 feet, but eventually we made it to the hotel, and disembarked to go to our rooms. That evening we had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel and enjoyed food and fellowship. MJ had asked a couple of questions that prompted each member to respond – what was the thing you enjoyed the most seeing during the week? What was the thing that was most difficult for you to do? Many answers were given to the first question, but the most-repeated answer was seeing the response to the crusade invitations, and the many who came forward to Christ. Our bus driver responded that he was impacted by our dedication to hard work and serving the Lord. As we ended the day and went to our rooms to get ready for an early departure to the airport, knowing that our service to the Lord had born fruit and that our labor had not been in vain.

Posted By:Jerry McMurray

Date and Time Posted: Tuesday March 19, 2024 - 9:57:24 pm

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 Acts 26:18 - To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. The Team awoke to another great day of beautiful weather, and great fellowship as we ate breakfast, and prepared for another day of service. As before, the Team split into those going to the Pastor Training (Jerry, Steve, and the translator David), and those who went to the construction site to continue the electrical work and the roof installation. The Pastor training on Wednesday focused on discipleship – the meaning and expectations for disciples of Christ. The use of the term “disciple” was not first used by Christ for it applied to others, including the disciples of John the Baptist. The term “disciple” (Hebrew YASAR) means to instruct, and in the New Testament, the term expressed the idea “to learn” (Greek word is MATHANES). The church needs to awake to call her to train the feeblest of its members to know that Christ counts on every redeemed person to live wholly for his work. Disciples were encouraged to be “dust with the dust of their rabbi,” meaning that they should walk so closely behind their teacher that the dust kicked up from his sandals would fall upon him. We are living in a time of a deficiency in disciples, particularly in North America and Europe. Discipleship is a life-long journey describing the Christian life as a life of following Jesus and 100% dedication to Him. Steve then provided copies of the book “Twelve Ordinary Men” (in Spanish) to the pastors and proceeded to describe the focus of the book – the lives of the 12 disciples of Christ. They were “ordinary men” called to proclaim good news to the world – the doctrine of salvation, and a suffering Christ who gave his life for all mankind. The conclusion of the training was focused on the foundation of discipleship, being: 1) following the crucified Lord, meaning confessing Him as Lord, believing in the cross, and bearing the “way of the cross” in your life; 2) following the exalted Lord, giving him glory for all things in our lives; and 3) following the missionary Lord by spreading the Gospel to those around us in our lives. After returning to the Team House for hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch, we then boarded to bus for the ride to San Diego. The construction actions continued, and the VBS was held from 2-4 pm. Ryan provided the main training, and the group of children (nearly 60) were given snacks prior to recreation. Wednesday Night Service - March 13 2024 • After a delicious dinner of pork chops, fried plantain, rice, and salsa, the Team prepared to attend the evening service. This evening some of the Team walked to the soccer stadium for the night service. At the stadium the electricity was off, and a generator was started to provide the power for the instruments and for the lights. However, to install the lights, and get the stage set for the service, the beginning of the crusade was delayed by over 30 minutes. • Pastor Jhony began the service with a few words, followed by a song led by the members of the local church after a reading of Scripture. During the first song, the speakers ceased working, (another example of Satan working against the service); however, the crowd did not cease singing the song and clapping and completed it. Power was restored to the speakers, to allow a congregational prayer time. Pastor Jhony then took charge of the service in preparation for another congregational song. • Pastor Jhony introduced a number of the local pastors that were in attendance of tonight’s service. Afterward, one of the leaders then introduced Omar, who invited Ryan Neal and Andy Anderson to come up to the stage to give their testimonials. Ryan grew up in a non-Christian home, and his parents still do not know the Lord as their Savior. Ryan said this is not making any kind of judgement about his parents; they would say the same thing themselves and is simply a fact. He stated that his path to becoming a Christian started in junior high school, where some of his friends invited him to church. He attended infrequently, and it continued until high school, at which time he realized that the pastor was making sense with his sermons. He knows now that it was God drawing him to the family of God, and it was at that time he gave Jesus his life. There is a difference in giving Christ your heart verses making him the Lord of your life. It is easy to allow Jesus to be your Savior, because the gift of God is free. but to be the Lord of your life, it means you need to give yourself to him 100% of the time (being a disciple). Ryan said he was ashamed to say that it took this mission trip to bring him to the realization that Jesus was Lord of part of his life, but not 100% of his life. Ayapa Yoro Honduras is a beautiful place with beautiful people. Ryan encouraged them to not be like him; don’t wait until you are over 50 ears old to give 100% of your life to Christ. The songs that we song have a lot of truth in them: for example, “For There is No Other Way, and to “Be Happy in Jesus,” and “To Trust and Obey.” Proverbs chapter 3, verses 4-6, which say to trust in the Lord with all of your heart; lean not on your own understanding; in all of your ways acknowledge him, and He will direct your path. This is a beautiful place with beautiful people, and he encourages you to give yourself 100% to the Lord without delay. After Ryan, Andy came forward to give his testimony; he goes to Darthula Church in southwest Virginia. He stated that he is very nervous because he does not do this (giving his profession of faith), but the Lord spoke to him, saying “Andy, you need to get up there and tell these wonderful people that without Jesus Christ in your life, you are not going to make it.” There was a time when he was not a nice person, and used to make fun of Christians, and now that he has Jesus in his heart, he has come a long way. He was in a marriage that was not good, and it had alcohol in it, and all kinds of trouble; he always thought he was a person who could fix it himself, but he could not. He could not because Jesus Christ saved him from himself, and it was more than once. During his family problems, and drugs, and with an alcoholic wife, the family was suffering. When he was going through those problems, he thought he could fix it really easy, but this failure led him to sit down out in the woods, hunting with his father, and his thinking that suicide was the only way out . Jesus spoke to him and said that he was not done with him yet. Now a few years later (20), he was saved by Jesus Christ, and now his life is so much better. It is not perfect, but now he loves God, and he loves his church family; and he would not trade them for anybody. You might think Andy has it ok now; he will be 65 next month, and he found out in January that he has cancer. It is OK, because Jesus Christ has his life, and where he goes now or 20 years from now, it will be OK. Put your faith in Christ, and live for Jesus Christ, and it will be better. Thank you, people of Yoro, for I am your brother, because Jesus Christ says all believers are brothers and sisters. If you have not given your life to Jesus, it is not too late to do so. If you are not saved, come on up tonight and turn your life over to Jesus, and he can guarantee it will be OK. Thank you, beautiful people of Yoro, for having us here. The next event in the service was another congregational singing, and prayer. Pastor Omar then introduced Omar, who introduced Steve. “God is Good All The Time.” Steve said they had such an amazing testimony this evening, and asked Ephraim if he could introduce him to the people of Ayapa. He stated that, prior to Honduras missions, he had not met Ephraim even though we live in a small town; Ephraim loves Jesus, the Bible, and people. When Covid was racing in our area, Ephraim worked at the hospital, and was a minster on staff there in the hospital. Because of the disease, the hospital was closed to families; all had to wear special gear, and all were afraid of the disease except for Ephraim, who would set with the people who were not going to make it. All of the scary things about Covid made people afraid, but Ephraim would set in the rooms with those dying to pray, testify to them, and to be with them until death claimed them. Ephraim is a great minister that loves people; he is always on the mission field, and he fears no evil, loves Jesus with all his heart. Ephraim stated that he wanted to greet the people in the name of Jesus, who rose from the dead, and who saves in Ayapa, and who is the dearest savior. He stated he wanted to bring greetings to the people in Ayapa from his family in the US. When the people of his home nation, Zimbabwe, heard he was coming to Honduras, they said that Ephraim should bring greetings to brothers and sisters in Honduras. • Ephraim then began his message with the question he asked - what are you living for? Is this life that you have in this world, what are you doing with your life? Ephraim posed the question that if you wait until you transition from this life, what will be your next destination? Ephraim wanted to tell the people that the man standing before them is standing here because God who sends him at the right time to show a miracle. You probably have not meet someone from Zimbabwe in your life. Ephraim said it was his first time in Ayapa; it it was not for God, and for Jesus, whom he accepted as his savior, he would not be here tonight standing before you tonight. It was the miracles of salvation that he is here tonight; it was what Jesus did for him on the cross; we are sharing about His goodness here. We are talking about the power of the cross, and thinking of the power of the resurrection, Ephraim said that he came here to talk of the goodness of God. He wanted the people to know that one day, when this life is over, when we transition out of this world, there is one thing that he is proud of – one thing he is proud of - that his name is in many places: Zimbabwe, Mozambique; in America, and what gives him the greatest joy is that his name is written in the book of life! One day, when He has been called, his name is going to be called also. Tonight, you have a blessing of having a man from Zimbabwe to hear him say to you that nothing can separate us from the love of God – AGAIN, NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. He grew up in a village where is still no electricity; even today there is none there. He was not surprised when the electricity failed here, but with without electricity, God is still God and is still on the throne with Jesus. He then sang a song, and asked Omar to read the passages for tonight. He sang the song in the Shona language of Zimbabwe; he only sang one verse, and he requested the congregation sing it in your own language (When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder.”) Omar then read from the book of Galatians. We should look at Galatians in the conditions of the people at that time. The people tried to access God through transitions and the law, and the traditions and the law did don’t serve them and did not give them forgiveness. When the time had fully come, God sent His Son to bring salvation to everyone. The traditions were unable; the law was not able to save anyone; it fell short, and there was need for Jesus to come. Where Ephraim came from, before Jesus, people were trying to approach God through dead people, through dead ancestors, but they realized that the dead people could not save the living. They needed to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Because our ancestors died and was unable to raise from the dead, this contrasts Jesus who rose from the dead, and is able to raise us from the dead. What things hold people from believing in Jesus; what traditions are hindering you by holding onto them. For the Galatians, it was the law of Moses, and it was thousands of rules and regulations. For the people in Athens, it was the idols that were sitting everywhere in the region. They had so many gods, and they even had a transcription for one god that said it was written to “the Unknown God.’ They were saying that beneath the idol in case they miss one of the gods, and might anger him/her; let us say that we have an idol for them. Paul said that the one he was preaching to them is the one who created everything; he is the “unknown god” that they Athenians were worshipping. All of their ignorance, when you did not know the true God, and living however you wanted to live, God is not holding you to the condemnation of your sins, but He will forgive you; today is the time for you to worship the true God. The time is now to know the true Creator. The Son of God, called Jesus, was given to save us for sin, and pay the price. What is holding you as an individual is whether you accept His Son, and not the many things you have tried in your life. Ephraim does not know the ways you tried to get satisfaction, or tried to get fulfillment in this life, but he wants to say to the brothers and sisters, now is the TIME - TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION, and surrendering your life to the Lord. Why is today the day? Why should you surrender your life today? There are things you need to know before Ephraim leaves the pulpit tonight. The God we are talking about is the one knows your condition; He knows the state of your heart! What do you mean by the condition of your heart? In Romans 3:23, we are told simply that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that condition of sin is known by God. You cannot go and enter heaven in that condition, and the Bible tells us that the only way to make a way to Heaven and forgiveness is through Jesus Christ – IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST! He knows our condition and knows we need salvation - we need to be saved! Today is the Day of Salvation? Why is He saying that? Because He is in the business of saving you and me and saving all of the world. Ephriaim quoted John 3:16 - whosoever believes should not perish but have eternal life. the Word of God in 1 Timothy 1, verse 10, is a fact that needs to be understood that Christ came into world to save people, of whom Paul said he was the worst, and Ephraim is one of them. He is SAVED - by the grace of God. Now is the time for us to surrender our lives to the Lord. Why is God saying that? He knows our every need - our physical needs - he knows our spiritual need. He knows our biggest need and that is a Savior. The Lord Jesus knew everything of the Samaritan woman, and she did not know she had a bigger need than water; when she had the interaction with Jesus, Jesus said to her: If you only knew the one who is talking to you, you would have asked for something that is very important - you would ask for living water.Her problem was spiritual; she needed to be saved. Jesus told her to go to her husband; she said she did not have one now; she had had many before, and there was a deeper problem for she did not know how to make good choices. She needs spiritual guidance. We need to be saved so that we can make good decisions. Ephraim reiterated that he did not know the problems of the congregation, but that Jesus knows your every need. If you need is to be saved tonight, Jesus is able to save you. The word of God says - Seek you first the kingdom of God, and all things will be added until your.” Our God is a caring God, and Ephraim wanted to say to the congregation, that if they had not given their lives to the Lord, now is the time. Pastor Steve mentioned that Ephraim worked in the hospital. Last week he talked to a man on his deathbed, and he said: “Pastor, I do not know where I am going, I do not know if my sins are forgiven.” Pastor told him that if he had accepted Jesus as his Savior, to which he said he was not sure, to which Ephraim replied that Jesus loves you and is ready to accept you and save you now. If you die believing in Jesus, you are in good hands. We do know when death will come; are you ready to face the Savior. What is your destination? Where are you going? iOS God going to receive you? You have the opportunity to accept Jesus tonight. If there is anyone who wants to believe, the pastors will help you if you come forward. Omar stated that the invitation had been given, and that you have heard testimonials and the Word of God. Again, as the team watched, many came forward for prayer for life conditions, healing, and a few came forward to give their lives to Christ. The Word had been sowed, and the Team returned to the Team House knowing that another day of service had concluded, and that they did their best to be obedient to the Word of God and to His calling.

Posted By:Jerry McMurray

Date and Time Posted: Tuesday March 19, 2024 - 8:48:35 pm

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. -Revelation 2:19 We can rest assured that God knows our works, our service and love, and our faith in performing our mission work in Honduras, for God keeps a record of our lives and work for His name. We awoke to another dry and beautiful day in Honduras, and after a breakfast, the Team split into three groups to start today’s work. One group, Jerry McMurray and Layton Bentley, went to Bethel church with our translator, David, to begin the Pastor’s conference. The majority of the Team were taken by bus to the San Diego church to continue the work on the roof, completing the installation of the purlins (purlings) in preparation for installation of the tin on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. A few members of the Team were taken to a hardware store to buy the needed electrical supplies to continue the electrical work. The Pastor Conference was well attended, with 20+ attendees (pastors and wives) listening to the lectures. The first day was dedicated to “Family,” with teaching on God’s divine order for the Family; how Satan is trying to destroy that order through the sins of abortion and homosexuality and other perversions; the relationships of the family unit, particularly those of the husband as he is the leader of the family; the wife and children’s responsibilities in the family; and finally ending with the design of God’s children as members of a permanent, eternal family. The training ended on Tuesday with fellowship among the pastors and teachers, members of God’s “Familia.” Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. - Ephesians 6:13 The construction teams returned to the compound for lunch, at which time we left again for San Diego for the VBS and to continue construction. The VBS was attended by nearly 40 students, with Elijah conducting the training on the first day using the Biblical story of David and Goliath. Steve noticed the many distractions that Satan had planned for the VBS – a dog chasing a chicken around the yard of the church; a neighbor that cranked-up their stereo just when we began VBS; noise of the roof became excessive during the teaching, especially during the concluding sections; and finally an ice cream truck drove into the lot and parked, playing their music until they parked their vehicle (you cannot make up how many things that distracted the children). Because no snacks were available, ice cream was purchased for the children for 39 kids, receiving change of $150 (Honduran dollars) from two twenty-dollar bills (exchange was 24.8 Honduran dollars to 1 US Dollar). The Team Members helping with VBS, particularly Elijah, Steve, Ryan, and assistance with a local missionary, MJ, enjoyed playing games with the children until VBS was ended that day. All members stayed until around 5 PM, at which time we went back to the Home for dinner and preparations for the nightly service. For dinner, we were treated to a dish called “jalapeno chicken,” and although it had jalapenos in it, the sauce for the chicken was excellent, similar to an Alfredo sauce in Italian dishes (but not as heavy). Tuesday Night - Crusade Night #1 After dinner, the Team prepared for the short bus drive to the soccer stadium where the crusade was scheduled to occur. The Team had previously heard the music system from the Team House that afternoon, and noted that they have a high-volume system capable of projecting the music and message to the entire community! The church had prepared the soccer fields with the installation of a number of chairs from the church, and had put their projector, screen, and projector for the stage. At, or nearly at, 0700 pm, the power to the soccer stadium shut off, but prayers were answered when energy was restored at 7:09 (prayers were answered again). All ministers and pastors were called to the platform for opening prayer and song. The service began with a reading from Psalm 98:3-6, a song, and readings from Psalm 66. The Pastor Jhony came forward to declare it was his privilege to start the crusade. He stated that God is in control, and that there is vibrant life is in Jesus Christ. Several pastors of other local churches were mentioned, and that the crusade was for glorifying God. He got the crowd to chant “Ayapa for Christ!” Steve then told that the Team had come a long way to tell the crowd that Jesus lives. Miracles happen every day through the power of Christ - forgiveness of sin; eternal life is our eternal promise because of what Jesus did on the cross. He stated that we started our journey on Friday, and Satan has put up many barriers. He tried turning out the power tonight, but God has great things in mind for this revival because He is in charge of all things. We came to hear His word sung and praised; Steve stands before you today to tell you Jesus takes what is broken and makes everything new. He then thanked the church and attendees for allowing us to be here - to the many pastors - all those who prayed. In the US there are thousands praying for this service that we can see miracles - God is able. There is an empty tomb that says He can do anything; DIOS is here to change your life. Amen. • Pastor Jhony then came forward, and to thank the team members for coming to Honduras. Jesus is a liberator. Henry came forward to give his testimony; it was in a crusade like this 37 years ago that he became a believer. He told the crowd that they must believe that Jesus saves to be saved. Abundant life comes through Jesus Christ. This was followed by a reading from Psalm 133:1-4, and an additional song and prayer by Pastor Jhony. The service was then turned over to Pastor Layton Bentley to bring the first message of the crusade, with Pastor Omar acting as the translator for the message. Layton stated that he was thankful and grateful for the opportunity to stand before the attendees tonight. He said that he understand that the Devil is doing everything that he can to hinder this revival. He stated he had been a pastor for 45 years, and he still gets “butterflies” in his stomach when he gets behind the pulpit. He stated that: “In myself, I can do nothing, but through Christ he can do all things.” He had spent much time in prayer for the message that he is going to bring tonight. He knows from the depths of his heart that God has his hand upon the message. He hoped that it would be a blessing. The reference Scripture was from1 Samuel, chapter 17, verse 50 . Many years ago, God was the God of Israel, and He was their king; but Israel wanted to be like other nations, with a king they could see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They wanted a king they could reach out and touch, but God wanted to be their king. He permitted Israel to find themselves a king, and they looked all around for one suitable, and they found a man by the name of Saul. He was head and shoulders above all the men, and he had all the outward appearances of a great king. God told his prophet Samuel - go ahead an anoint him and make him a king. Saul became the first king of Israel, and God continued to bless Israel. He also continued to bless Saul, but Saul began to have problems - he had a problem with pride, and pride will bring you down. Saul was taking all the glory for what God was doing, and God saw he could not use Saul anymore. He spoke to Samuel, his prophet, to go to Bethlehem to a man called Jessee, and he has a son - God said he could not use Saul anymore. Go up to Jessee’s house - he has seven sons, and one of them is to be anointed to be king over Israel. Samuel filled his horn with oil, and went to Bethlehem, and met the man named Jessee. Samuel told Jessee to bring all his sons before him; the eldest came first - he was tall, dressed neatly, and has the outward appearance of a great king. Samuel said to himself - surely this is the one God will anoint; God told him “Not so” for he was looking at the outward appearance of a man. God looks at the inward appearance of a man. Are you glad God looks at our inward heart instead of the outward appearance? They all passed, and God did not say to anoint any of them. Samuel asked - Is this all your sons? Jessee said he had one more, the least, and he is out in the field taking care of the sheep. Samuel told Jessee that he was not to sit down until he is brought before him, and Jessee sent for “little David.” When “little David” came before Samuel, God told him - “He is the one!” God told Samuel to anoint him as he is to be king. God takes the little, the people of no importance, ones who no one knows, but God knows all people. He knows the faithful; he knows our weakness; but God is the difference between the little and the big. The great prophet Samuel took the oil and poured it on David. The Bible said the Spirit of God moved on David. Many years ago, as a young man, Layton was in trouble in his life. He had done everything possible in the wrong way; his life was mess, and he even hated himself. His soul and spirit were troubled; he was seeking something to make him feel good. He tried everything, and then he came face to face with the Spirit of God. He convicted his heart; told him all about Christ; his soul and his spirit wanted Christ as his Savior. He prayed the sinner’s prayer, and by faith he received Jesus Christ as his Savior. He did not hear thunder in the background; he did not see lightning flash across the sky; but his life ever changed from that day. The Holy Spirit was on the outside came into his heart, and the Holy Spirit changed him - he was born again. In heaven, there is a book called the Book of Life, and God wrote his hame in that book, and it is spelled out; one day Layton is going home - to a place that God has prepared just for him. He is going to meet loved ones that are there. He has had people ask - what do you think heaven is like? The Bible says that eye has not seen; nor ear heard; or even entered into the heart of man the things in store for those that love Him. Layton says he believes in Heaven; there are flowers blooming there that have never bloomed in earth; there are colors we have not seen here on earth. The love of God there is so great that it will flood our souls, and the peace and harmony that is there will flood our souls. What a God that we serve! In the days of David, Israel was at war with the Philistines; David’s brethren were fighting the war. David was at home with the sheep; Jessee sent David to check on his brothers, and when David arrived, Israel was on one hill and the Philistines were on another. The Philistines had a giant by the name of Goliath; Goliath was cursing the God of Israel. He was so big that it brought fear to the hearts of all Israel. When David saw what was going on, he was furious - this giant was cursing his God. No one was fighting; David volunteered to face the giant. Saul tried to give David his armor, but after David tried it on and saw it did not fit, he discarded it. There are some things that just do not fit in our life; do not wear them. By Faith David walked into the valley to fight Goliath with a shepherd’s sling and five small stones. Goliath was infuriated when he saw the small boy, and that he came out to face him in battle. The littlest will fight the biggest; the largest will fear; the small had a sling and a stone, but God had one thing that Goliath did not have - David had one thing that Israel God! By the anointing of God, David could face the giants in his life. If you are a child of God, God can give you an anointing. Years a go that was a man by the name of Mel Trotter, a successful businessman, who began social drinking. It started little and grew until he became an alcoholic, and later became the town drunk. He had a stink on his body, and people would go to the other side of the street to keep from smelling. He had no friends, despised by all; he had a little 15-year-old daughter, and God took her home. He went to the funeral home to say goodbye to his daughter, and he looked down into the casket at his daughter; he took her shoes off her body, and went out and sold those shoes for enough money to buy a quart of muscatel wine. He walked into an alley, and every nerve in his body craved the liquid; he took the cork off the bottle, and Holy Ghost conviction fell on Mel Trotter. This man was loved by God, and God had a plan for Mel Trotter. Mel Trotter but the cork into the bottle, and he looked up, calling into God that he will cling to the cross. God saved Mel Trotter and brought him up, and he became one of the world’s greatest evangelists to the alcoholics that the world has ever known. Listen - sometimes the world will give up on us, and we even give up on ourselves, but the Lord is able to change lives. He is a God of mercy, calling for us to reason together with Him. Though we may be red like crimson, we shall be white like wool, for God can mend the vilest of sinners. Church - there are some giants in our lives that we face - alcohol, drugs, and other additions - in his ministry, he has heard doctors telling people that there is no way because of the diseases they have, but then the Great Physician comes in heals their bodies. He is the creator and created man from the dust of the earth; He can heal those who are ill. There can be financial problems, and people are hurting; the world is going crazy, and everything is getting so expensive. We work ourselves into a frenzy, and the financial problems we face are like the very same giant that David faced in the valley. But listen - Church - you have the anointing; great is He that is in you than is in the world. The devil is trying to destroy the institution of the family, and it is today being broken by society. The things that we face in the family can bring fear, and appear giants, but God knows how to slay those giants. Layton said he did not know their hearts, or what they are facing; there could be some in the audience that have never been saved. It is very important to know that Jesus is coming back in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and if you are not saved, you are to be left behind - you do not want to face the trouble coming. Layton said that some of the audience could be here, and not where they need to be in their relationship with Christ, on the wrong path in life, and not able to experience joy in their lives until they come home. We have a seat at the table with Christ, but you will not have that joy and experience unless you know Jesus as Savior. There may be people with medical problems, and who do not know which way to turn, but Layton said he knows a God that can do what no none can do. God will be the same tomorrow, and maybe the Holy Spirit is call to their hearts tonight. The altar is open tonight for those to come forward for anointing, and for prayer. At that time, the invitation was given to the audience. As the Team watched, many came forward for a variety of reasons – to be anointed because of a medical condition; to ask for prayer for their lives; and to rededicate their lives to Christ. God had moved mightily in the audience tonight, and the Team returned to the Team House for a night of rest to prepare for the coming next two days of construction, VBS, and preaching. May God continue to bless the Ayapa community, Bethel Church, and the pastors and members thereof.

Posted By:Jerry McMurray

Date and Time Posted: Monday March 18, 2024 - 10:07:32 pm

Monday – March 11, 2024 Acts 20:35 (KJV 1900) I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. The Team awoke to a beautiful Honduras day, and a good breakfast before boarding the bus for travel. Today was simply a day of physical labor and preparation for the week. It was determined, on Sunday afternoon’s visit to the construction site, that at least 8 men were needed to lift the metal rafters into position on the church; thus, most all of the team went to San Diego for construction action this day. Upon arrival, we found that we had some assistants available, including Wilbur, one of the Cross Point Missionaries in Honduras to help the teams. Wilbur’s salvation story, which I learned later in the week, was an encouragement to me for all those churches and workers that prepare the Samaritan’s Purse shoeboxes for children for Christmas and see that they are not in vain. Wilbur grew up in a poor village in Nicaragua, and had little toys and gifts in his life. He had heard that those going to a church on a given day were to receive some toys and gifts in a box, and he eargerly went, thinking that he was going to get a lot of toys. Upon looking in his box, he was somewhat disappointed to see few toys, many personal hygiene items, but there was a tract – a document – that he read, and with curiosity, went back to the church to hear more about the man called Jesus. That lead to his accepting Christ as his Savior, and it was all because of a shoebox, and the work of some dedicated Christians in some dedicated church. Wilbur was an invaluable aid, for he was full of energy, and worked constantly during the week to see that the work progressed for he believes it is calling to help those who are serving Christ in the mission field. Much was accomplished during the day on Monday, with all of the rafters being installed, and many of the cross-beams; these were mostly welded in the shed area. The group installing outlets in the shed, bathrooms, and the pastor’s building, ran out of materials by late evening, and plans were made for a trip to Yoro early Tuesday morning for purchase of needed supplies. The Team were transported back to the lodging for lunch, and returned to the site to continue work, ending before daylight ended. After dinner, and fellowship, the Team retired to get a good night’s sleep for Tuesday would be the start of the evangelism activities, with Pastor training starting at 9:00 AM each day through Thursday; 2:00 PM VBS at San Diego; and nightly crusade in the soccer field. The weariness of the Team members was welcomed, for they accomplished much of the construction on Day 1, as well as preparing for the coming days ahead. Prayers for this team were being answered as we continued to serve our Lord in all that we did this day.

Posted By:Jerry McMurray

Date and Time Posted: Thursday March 14, 2024 - 7:07:06 pm

Saturday, March 9, 2024 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? Hebrews 2:4 The Team awoke this morning full of energy, and looking forward to successful travel this day. There re many things that are wonderful about mission trips, but one of the most important is to be able to see the signs and diverse miracles that happen during the time of service. Little did we know that our trip that day was to be full of such miracles and answered prayers. After breakfast at the hotel’s dining area, a decision was made that the “shuttle” provided by the hotel would take too long in getting the team to the terminal; thus, two taxis were called, and the Team departed the hotel shortly after 9:00 am. We successfully managed to get to the terminal gate, and waited three hours for our departure. Boarding the plane was the least of our problems, for it seemed that Satan was placing obstacles in our travel from the very beginning. After pulling out from the terminal, we saw the plane pull to the side, and the pilot shut the engines down due to a one-hour delay by the Miami airport for weather conditions (a significant storm was located between us and Miami, with a line of storms stretching from the Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean). We waited patiently for an hour, and then the pilot announced the delay was continuing, and pulled the plane back to the terminal. We were told that they did not know when the plane would depart; we contemplated leaving the airport to check on other possible travel plans (including possible driving to Charlotte and flying out Sunday morning; switching airport arrival destinations in Honduras, but that did not seem to help to shorten the delays). Eventually the pilot told us that the delay had been lifted, and the plane departed three hours late for Miami. We knew that he flight to Honduras was scheduled for 0605, and we were arriving at 0600. Our flight attendant was attentive, and sympathetic to our situation, and since there was a “group,” they checked on the departing flight. We found out, as we arrived in Miami, that a “miracle” had occurred, and that prayers for our travel had been answered, as the flight was delayed until 0645 departure time. I stated that, as in the “OJ Commercials” (for the youth, these were commercials nearly 40 years ago where OJ Simpson, a football running back, was sprinting through the airport terminal, jumping seats just to catch his flight); we had to “sprint” from gate D60 completely across that section of the airport to terminal D2, and had less than 35 minutes to do so (our phones indicated a 27-minute walk). After this “jaunt,” and the safe arrival of all of the team, we boarded the plane for Honduras. As we sat on the plane, we heard the first delay – there was no pilot yet for the flight, and it was about 45 minutes later that a pilot arrived. As the pilot began preparations, it was discovered the our luggage had only partially been loaded, and that there was a delay to load the rest. Upon that delay, there was a final delay due to not having a “gate crew” to move the plane from the terminal. We left Miami nearly 3 hours after our scheduled initial departure time, and arrived safely in Honduras as we neared the midnight hour. It was a blessing to see that our contacts from the compound had arrived to pick us up, and after a quick pass through customs, we were on our way. We had originally been told that we might stop for hamburgers as we left the airport; our late arrival time made that impossible, but we were pleasantly surprised with Pizza Hut pizza and water for our sustenance. Again, it was answered prayers, for it seemed for a while that we would not arrive in Honduras on Saturday, and it might even result in cancellation if we could not arrive until the middle of the week. God answers prayers, miracles happen to those who trust God, and look for them, and it was a day of miracles on Saturday. On Sunday morning, we arrived at the compound at 3 am after the 3-plus hour drive through the mountains of Northern Honduras. The Team members are ready and look forward to a week of service for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Pray that our words and deeds point the way to the one who can save the lost, and that our actions glorify only the Risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

Posted By:Jerry McMurray

Date and Time Posted: Thursday March 14, 2024 - 7:00:45 pm

Friday, March 8, 2024 Matthew 28:19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. The team met at Ingles in Colonial Heights for the long drive to Atlanta for the Saturday flights to Honduras. The Team posed for a picture before promptly leaving the parking lot and beginning our journey to the Holiday Inn Express near the Airport. Arrangements had been made for six rooms for our twelve-man group (Jay Barb, Steve Lyons, Terry Kern, Jerry McMurray, Ephraim Tshuma, Beeler Mullins, Layton Bentley, Elijah Gentry, Philip Younce, Henry Hartsock, Andy Anderson, and Ryan Neal), as well as for them to retain our vehicles for the coming week. As we progress, we fellowshipped in the vehicle, with the more experienced missionaries relating past mission miracles. The rain began near Knoxville and continued for the balance of the trip. The hungry group stopped at Culvers in Knoxville (Kingston Pike) for “butter burgers,” salads, and drinks. Upon preparation for departure, Elijah informed the group that he had purchased 12 pints of their chocolate ice cream for our enjoyment (and enjoy it we did). However, one of our group, Andy Anderson, was unable to enjoy his ice cream as he was busy driving the Darthula Church Bus, for which we were grateful. As we neared Atlanta, however, the first impediment arose with backed-up traffic due to multiple vehicular accidents on I285. This caused a one-hour delay in arriving at the hotel, with the rest being reduced by an hour since we had to leave the hotel at 0900 to arrive at the airport for our flight to Miami. Pray for our Team as we begin our service for the Lord in Honduras, and pray that lives are touched and souls are saved!

Posted By:Jerry McMurray