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Wishing you
and your family
a happy and safe 4th of July!
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Next weekend all of the United States will be celebrating Independence Day; there will be games, food, music, dancing, fireworks and so much more! As we think about the nationwide party that is about to take place it really gets us thinking about the party in heaven this past Sunday night. Two people from one of our local churches came to Christ! We attended Ebenezer Church, in San Pedro, with a team from Central Church in Collierville, TN. Pastor Luis gave an invitation at the end of his sermon and a young lady and a man came to the Lord! As Pastor Luis prayed to thank God for their decision it was overwhelming to see this 13 year old girl with tears of joy rolling down her face. To think that this girl was celebrating her new-found freedom in Christ and of the party that must have been going on in heaven is truly something extraordinary!
This month has brought many similar joys with having hosted 5 teams in the past 3 weeks. It is always so encouraging to have many brothers and sisters in Christ here working alongside us and giving their love to the people of Guatemala. The teams from Florida, South Dakota, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee were here this month and they built a total of 3 houses, worked on the retaining wall at Happy Tummies, held VBS, Happy Feet and spent a lot of time loving on our Abuelitos and Happy Tummies kids.
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Pastor Luis' Corner
In a few days we will celebrate Independence Day, one of the most meaningful days in the United States. Thanks to God, the writers of the Declaration of Independence and many others, independence was declared and won from the British government. The United States obtained liberty; but let me ask you, what is your concept of freedom?
Luke 4:18-19:
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The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Maybe at a later date we can talk about the first part of this scripture that refers to the poor. Today, I want to focus on the 'prisoners' and the 'oppressed'. For many people the word 'freedom' means that you can do whatever you feel like doing. This, however, is not true; because if you run a red light because you simply felt like it you could actually lose your freedom. So, freedom means that we have the green light to do good things that please God.
The Bible says that when you use your freedom to do whatever you feel like doing you become a slave to sin, and you lose your freedom. This could mean things such as addiction, bad habits, family issues, etc. This verse clearly talks about someone who is captive, a prisoner. We can be prisoners of our own guilt, of not being able to forgive, of anger and bitterness, of being unhappy, or not knowing how to love.
Romans 6:16:
"Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
Sin has the capability of making us slaves and followers of God's biggest enemy. In the first scripture mentioned, Jesus says that he was sent to give sight to the blind. He is not talking about physical blindness, but about those who are blind to the truth.
Jeremiah 5:21:
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Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:"
Ephesians 1:18:
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people."
Jesus finishes by saying that he was sent to free the oppressed. The best freedom that we can enjoy today is not being independent from another country but to go from something that does not please God to something that does please Him.
1 Corinthians 3:17:
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
If you do not have this, I invite you to consider inviting the spirit of God to dwell in your heart so that you may enjoy true freedom
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If you would like more information about what God is doing through Impacto and would like to partner with us please feel free to contact us through the following:
Impacto Ministry
9690 Shepherds Creek Place
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