December 2024 Update

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is doing well. Thank you very much for your support as you pray for the work God is among the indigenous people here in Bogota. Pray that the word of Christ would speed ahead and be honored and that the gospel would advance throughout the world unhindered. May our desire be to proclaim the light of the gospel to those who walk in darkness. So pray for the clear and bold proclamation of the gospel of Christ. God is faithful. He is with us as we go forth to tell the gospel story. So pray that the word would bring forth fruit.

Please continue to pray for me as I work among the displaced indigenous in Bogota. There are thousands of them living in parks and shelters throughout the city. We have been visiting them each week to evangelize and disciple. Last month we did a relief project for two shelters. One couple working on the team just returned to the States, so we are now short two people. Several national partners are working with us. Pray that more will join us in the task. Pray for us as we plan for the new year that we would have the wisdom to know how to engage the indigenous most effectively. I will likely begin to focus some time on learning one of the indigenous languages.

Please continue to pray for my visits with both ‘Mike’ and his family and ‘Silas’ and the Wounaan. I meet

with them separately each week to pray and study Scripture. Pray that our meetings would be fruitful. Silas is a believer, and there is a small Wounaan church. Pray that that church would continue to grow and be a strong healthy church. Pray for Mike and his family as they struggle through life and that they would come to know our Lord.

Please continue to pray for the ministry in Las Cruces, a low income neighborhood. Pray for the small

church that has been planted. Pray that Daniel and his family can reach out to the community there and see

many people come to Christ. One of the things we are seeking to do in the coming year is mobilize local churches in Bogota to become (more) involved in the displaced indigenous work. Pray that we came help them see the need that is right here in the city. Pray for us as we seek to train them to effectively work with indigenous peoples and to get them to think more deeply about the issues involved in the work. We

are working to get together short training videos for volunteer workers. Pray that these videos in conjunction with in person training will be beneficial.

Right now, I am in the States to spend time with family for Christmas. I return to Bogota on New Year’s Eve. Pray that I will have a good time with family and friends while I’m here and that I can be refreshed. Pray for me as I travel back next week and get back to work among the displaced indigenous. I hope each of you has a very merry Christmas. Let us praise our God for the incarnation of the Son who was given that we might have life and that all who come to hime in faith might be saved.

Matthew, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, applies this verse to Christ (Mat 1:22). The verse echoes the proto evangelium in Genesis 3:15 about the skull-crushing seed of the woman. It teaches that the promised messiah would be born of a virgin and be called Immanuel, (which means God with us). Jesus is indeed God with us. Jesus is the Word who was with God, who was God, and who became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth (John 1:1, 14). A few chapters later Isaiah would identify this Immanuel as a Child who would be born and a Son who would be given whose name would be called. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6). Before Matthew quotes this verse, he says that this child would be called Jesus for he would save his people from their sins (Mat 1:21). And Isaiah tells us how he would save. "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed" (Isa 53:5).

As we celebrate the incarnation of our Lord, let us not forget why he came. He entered earth to reverse Adam's fall through his perfect life, vicarious death on the cross for our sins, and victorious resurrection. Before his ascension, Jesus (who is Immanuel God with us) gave us the great commission to preach the gospel to all nations with this promise: "Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Mat 28:20). God in Christ Jesus is still with us as we go to the ends of the earth telling the gospel story and calling sinners to turn to the Lord and be saved (Isa 45:22) in hopes that those who walk in darkness would see a great light in the Son who was given (Isa 9:2; John 1:4-5, 3:16).