Rejoice in Everything

Introduction

I am so happy to come here to talk about our ministry and what the Lord has been doing in Colombia. When I was getting ready for our presentation the Lord put in mi heard to talk about a special passages that has been during the pass year a blessing for me and for my family.

Being a missionary has been a beautiful journey. It has been the best desition than ever had and it has been wonderful since day one. During the last ten years I saw many times how powerful, merciful, awesome is God. He has been so faithful to me and to my family that I am deeply greatfull for his protection and provision along the way.

Before we go to the bible let me tell something that happened few days ago. I was having breakfast with a group of man. In that group was a pastor that asked me this.

Juan tell me what is the thing that you love most about Colombia and the thing that you don’t like most about America. It was pretty easy to me answer what I like most about Colombia but took me a lot of time to answer the other part of the question.

Finally I came with this answer. I think what I don’t like about America is the lack of patient. I love that here in America everything is so convenient. You can by something for Amazon and come to your house door really quickly. The customer service here is phenomenal and there is many things that can come to my mind that many times make me want to come back to live here. In the other side of this people is really adjust to quick things that people don’t have patient. You can see how frustrated people are when they have to be in a line, or wait for food, or have a lot of traffic. I can think on and on and in the question I probably my answer will be the same.

When you are a missionary you are going to need a lot of patient. Since we moved to Colombia our ministry has been wonderful but we had face many things in the last two years that instead of growing in our patient we lost it some times.

One of the things that we had learn over the past two years on the field is not to be control by our emotion because something the ministry is not going like you spect. Other times the ministry can go really well by your family is struggling with something. For example when we moved to Colombia people did not want to talk to you because of the pandemic can you imagine how frustrated was this for me as a Colombian guy because I though what I like most of Colombia is the people because they are so friendly. Or when you ministry is moving and everything is going in the right direction and someone tell you daughter that was born twi days ago has a problem in her brain and she needs to have a surgery and their is a possibility that she can die.

Those things can put you in a position when is really easy to be control by your emotions and lose you patient and your desire for ministry. So how the Lord help us in those moments, how he can encourage us in the mist of difficulties and problems. So lets go to pray and then to the bible.

Pray

Heavenly Father what a privilege it is to be call you son and daughters. We are new creatures thanks to you Lord. My pray tonight is to help us to reflect who you are. Not matter where we go or what we do that we can show how wonderful is be part of your family. My Lord also I want to thank you for this wonderful opportunity to talk about what you have been doing in Colombia. We pray for Cedar Hill Baptist Church to continue spreading the good news of your gospel. Please allow me to read the scripture and read it so your children can grow in their relationship with you. And your people say AMEN.

filipenses 4:4-9

Filipenses 4:4–9 KJV 1900

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

After reading this passage over and over I found that Paul has to main ideas for the people in Philippi. here is the first one

Peace of God

Paul wants for the Philippians peace because it was two ladies that helped him in the ministry but it looks like their relationship was suffering. The bible does not say what was the problem that they had but it says Paul beseech them to be in the same mind in the Lord.

but when I was reflecting in this verses a question came to me What it means to be in the same mind? Normally it means that a group of people are walking or pushing to the same direction. Also it means a good communication, coordination, a lack if conflict because everyone is going to the same place. But when you don’t have this you suffer because their is not good communication and where is not good communication you are going in one direction and the other people in other. Then, conflict arises to the level that you lose your peace. When you put this in a church situation I believe when you have problems with someone that you care at church you lose you peace so easily.

Your mint can think over and over in the conflict that you can’t rest and finally you lose your peace. This things happen sometimes because we as human beings let that our emotions control us. The other day I was in Ross buying a suitcase and I was waiting in line. So I got distracted and the cashier was calling for me and I did not pay attention and the person behind me yell at me so bad. I did not say anything but I was so frustrated by the time that I got the car I was mat because my mind was in the situation over and over that I lost my peace. Took me probably ten minutes to calm down and pray and asked to the Lord for forgiveness and peace.

Thats why Paul says in verse 7

filipenses 4:7

Filipenses 4:7 KJV 1900

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

because if we want to have peace in your live your mint and your heart has to be in the right place. it has to be in Jesus

then Pauls says this in verse 9

Filipenses 4:9 KJV 1900

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

if you are with me in this passage you probably see this. God wants to give us peace, he wants for us that we live peace. So he promises peace to us in Christ Jesus. Also, Paul explains that he just does not want to give us peace he is peace and he wants to be with us.

Therefore because He is peace he can give us peace.

But wait a moment lets go to see the reality of live. When we have a problem with someone or when or body is suffering with a illness our mint focus over and over in that particular situation or problem that we can not rest and we don’t have peace. What is the solution for that Paul said

Filipenses 4:8 KJV 1900

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Paul is really clear in what are the things that he should thing. and when he said think in these he is not giving us a suggestion he is giving us a command. So I decided to think in what are the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, a good report, and on and on. I found many things but then I decided to try to find the source of all those things in I realize that Paul is telling us to think in GOD. so if you go to verse 8 in put who is instead of things are you are going to see this verse like this.

finally brethren, whatsover who us true, whatsover who us honest, whatsover who is just, whatsover who is pure, whatsover who has any virtus, and who is worthy of praise, think in him.

He is peace and he wants to give you peace and how you are going to receive peace when you think in him. Not matter where you are or what you do or the problem that you have think in God. Fall in love with him and I promise you that he are going to give you the peace and the rest that you need. . The second idea of this text is

Rejoice in the Lord

verse 4 says

Filipenses 4:4–6 KJV 1900

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

What it means rejoice? the idea of this word is being full of happiness, So Paul points this word to the Lord but because he said it twice he really wants to do a emphasis in this idea of happiness of this rejoice is has to be in the Lord and he said always.

Paul gives us this command of being happy all the time in the Lord and it is really interesting for me that this words come from Paul because when he wrote this letter he was in prison ready to be murder. If you have studied the life of Paul you probably know that he went through so many things that is really difficult to understand that we must rejoice in the Lord always.

So I started thinking How we can rejoice in the Lord always then I decide lets go to the bible and see what it says. I found two reasons to rejoice in the Lord always.

Paul says the Lord is at hand other version says the Lord is close and another one says The Lord is coming. All of this is because Paul want to let us know that we don’t have a God that is really far away that is impossible to reach. He is close to us and we can go to him because he is waiting for us.

I have a three years old daughter and something that I love about her is that everytime that I go out to do something for our ministry when I coma back home she runs to me screaming Papi and she jumps to me and hugs me and then my oldest one comes doing the same thing. So every day that I go out I just want to come back home to have that feeling of happiness and I think it is the same with the Lord. He is just waiting for us to go him because He loves us . the other reason to rejoice in the Lord in verse 6

Filipenses 4:6 NKJV

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

The last part of this verse Paul said Let your request be made know to God. Paul is encouraging us to go to the Lord to communicate our problems, our circunstances. One of the most amazing thing in communication is when we speak and we are listened. I love this about our God that he is always ready lo listen what we have to say. Paul also clarify how we have to communicate to him by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

A year ago I was having a really hard time with my youngest daughter’s situation. When the neuro surguon told me my daughter can die during the surgery. So she went through surgery and then every two o three days she went through a treatment that many times make her cry I say to myself why this is happening to us. So during that time a cry a lot almost for two months every day. You know what was beautiful during this time is that i cry out to the Lord so many times and people around the world was praying for my daughter and my family so with time the process became easier. And you know what my daughter is ini a perfect condition it is a perfect baby that I can see every day the grace of God upon her.

Conclusion

Dear brothers and sister we can finish this reflexion tonight with these we all need peace and happiness and the Lord our God is ready to give us but we have to go to him and fall in love with him, Enjoying his present in our lives every day if we do that I promise you that you are going to have the happiness and the peace that we need to live our lives here in earth.

Havenly Father I come to you with my heart to pray for your people in this church to fill them with joy and peace. To give them the rest that they need but also Lord my prayer request to you Lord is that they fall in love to you that you give them the desire to study you to know you to live for you because I know how beautiful is living for you. God I thank you for Jesus Christ our savior because he is our perfect example and how we suppoeus to live our life here. Please teach us to walk like he did it and to live for him. In your holy name with pray and your church say Amen.