Anticipation with Preoccupation

Birth, first steps, the first school day, starting college, finding your first job, getting married and your first grandchild are all part of our progressive growth and maturity. They bring a mix of excitement with concern and joy with fear.

The growth of a church is similar. New believers, the birth of a church, the process of discipleship, and the recognition of leaders is the process which leads to a growing, mature and reproductive church that is able to stand and walk towards its destiny. Yes, it brings a mix of anticipation with preoccupation and joy with fear, but the leap is necessary because growth comes only when we take risks.

We moved to Matagalpa with the vision to plant five churches in North Nicaragua that are birthed with new believers and grow into self-governing, self-sustaining and self-reproducing Christian communities. This month La Fuente will continue in her development while Bev and I visit the United States. It has been 15 years since we arrived in Nicaragua, 13 years since we have visited the United States as a family and 10 years since we moved to Matagalpa. The trip is important for us. But more than being significant for us, it is vital for you, La Fuente. You must take the risk.

As we expand to other cities, La Fuente must continue walking and growing as a family. Our trip provides you a two month experience of living and learning without Mom and Dad at your side. It is a continuation of taking your first steps and going to the first day of class at school and finding your first job after graduation.

You are prepared. You are able.

Rise and shine. Be strong and courageous.

Christ is in you; He is your hope and future.

So be it.

God's Legatus

Legatus is a Latin Word for ambassador, envoy, or legion commander. One sent by a person of supreme authority to represent him in a given situation. Also Roman citizens sent by an order of the Senate to establish Roman government in a recently conquered province were legatus.

Paul in 2 Corinthians writes of this position in which we live when he mentions that we are “ambassadors for Christ.” The Message says, “We're speaking for Christ himself now.” Also we can see the same idea in Ephesians 6:20 when he says, “I am an ambassador in chains… pray for me that… [I may] boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” Paul clearly understood the call of God on his life to be His representative here on the earth.

We too have been commissioned as God’s legatus.

Jesus taught us to believe that the will of God is to be done on the earth as it is in heaven.

In Matthew and Mark he sent us as his envoys to the world when he said, “Go, and make disciples of all nationalities and races, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to put into practice all I have told you. These signs will accompany true believers: they will drive out demons in my name; they will speak in new tongues; they will take snakes in their hands and if they drink poison and they will not be hurt; believers will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed."

Jesus gave us authority to speak in His name. We are His legatus here on the earth. He has sent us to establish His kingdom here; in our lives, our homes, our neighborhoods, our cities, our nations, in all the earth.