Author Archives: Aaron

The Book Of Colossians Visualized


The Book Of Colossians

Have you ever noticed how, as you read scripture, certain words receive more prominence than others? I was reading the book of Colossians this morning, and I couldn’t help but to see how much Christ was mentioned. It’s all about HIM and our relationship with HIM! Isn’t it supposed to be that way?

How much do you talk about Christ?

Wordle: The Book Of Colossians

Chapter 1

Wordle: Colossians Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Wordle: Colossians Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Wordle: Colossians Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Wordle: Colossians Chapter 4

The Story Of Jonah


This young girl knows storytelling more than most preachers! Listen as she recounts the story of Jonah with such emotion and expression! Her parents are doing a wonderful job.

Check out the video here:

The story of Jonah

Have You Considered Adoption?


child adoption.

Image via Wikipedia

My wife and I have been interested in adoption since before we even met. If the Lord sees fit, we would love to be able to adopt sometime down the road, either domestically or internationally. What a wonderful depiction of the Love of God. Just think of how many Bible verses describe His relationship with us in adoption terms:

  • “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains:” Psalm 68:5-6
  • “Thou art the helper of the fatherless. LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.” Psalm 10:14,17-18
  • “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” Romans 8:14-16
  • “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27

Here’s an article from the popular Colombian newspaper EL TIEMPO that relates the need for adoption in Colombia. There are more and more children being abandoned by their families in not just this country but around the world! They need a family. Will you be their family?

 

In the last 10 years, children placed for adoption from Boyacá has increased by 60%. In 2000, only 53 children from the department were placed for adoption. In 2009, there were 85, the majority of whom were placed with adoptive parents in or from Colombia.

According to Gloria Esperanza Medina Alba, Defensora de Familia (Family Advocate) for ICBF in Boyacá, the increase in the necessity for adoption has caused a great deal of worry for officials at ICBF. She stated, “The majority of children that have entered ICBF custody have done so on repeated occasions because of intrafamilial violence. Others enter the process because their parents are arrested, die, or simply cannot offer what is required for the children to grow in an adequate environment, which often occurs in the case of sex workers. ”

She continued, “We work with the parents who mistreat their children so that they can changes their ways, but often they return to their old ways, which is why the ICBF will make the decision to remove the children and declare them in a situation of adoptability.”

To date this year, 49 children (22 female, 25 male) have been placed for adoption — 28 to Colombian families and 19 to foreign families.

Medina also mentioned, “Right now, we have 25 children who already have an adoptive family assigned, but they are awaiting for the official placement or the official acceptance of the potential adoptive parents.” Additionally, Ms. Medina stated that at the moment there are 25 more healthy children that will be entering the Adoption phase of the process shortly.

In Boyacá, the statistics show that more adoptive families request girls, as well as children younger than age 7. In addition, the predominant age range of adoptive parents is 43-51 years of age.

From 1960-2000, 80% of adoptive parents were from foreign countries. In 2005, the law changed and now Colombian families receive priority. Now, it is more like 70% are Colombian and 30% foreign.

Most adoptive children in Boyacá come from the cities of Tunja, Sogamoso, Duitama and Chiquinquirá, with foreign adoptive families most frequently coming from Spain, Italy, France, the United States, Norway and Germany.

http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/boyaca/ARTICULO-WEB-NEW_NOTA_INTERIOR-8281940.html

 

He Cares About Them


2 Peter 3:9

“For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”   Ezekiel 18:32

I think we misunderstand God.

We might say he’s a loving God, but somewhere inside i think many seem to think he likes it when the unjust receive their punishment. That he finds some joy when someone “gets what they had coming” as they are cast into a devil’s hell.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Check out the following verses. Ponder them. Let them break you. Let them bring a tear to your eye. Let them show you the God that hurts for the hurting. The one who died to set them free and to save them eternally.

“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”   Psalm 86:15

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” Matthew 9:36

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”   2 Peter 3:9

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” Titus 2:11

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”   Revelation 20:10-15

As one man said, we should never speak about Hell without a tear in our eye!


¡Feliz Aniversario!


Today we celebrated 4 years since we started Iglesia Bautista El Faro (Lighthouse Baptist Church) in Dawsonville, GA. Without a doubt, God has blessed in huge ways! Check out a video we showed during the service after the jump.

How has God blessed you this year?