Salvation for All

“I desire all to be saved!” Jesus came as the Messiah promised to the nation of Israel; but he also came for the salvation of all people. Epiphany is the great realization that God provided a “pan-salvation” to save us from the pandemic of sin. The bright star that guided the wise men to Christ […]

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Who’s in Control?

By Pastor Alejandro, Sora, Panama These past six months have been full of challenges – from one moment to the next – our lives have been affected in different and unexpected ways. The impossibility of meeting together, leaving our homes, working freely… these restrictions have made people feel like they’ve lost control of their lives. […]

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Way Maker

That Is Who You Are! In the midst of these most challenging times -working around curfews, quarantines, lock downs, and very limited funds – God is opening doors and allowing some of our faithful leaders and teachers to open up their schools and after school programs. After many months, the children once again have the […]

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You Fish…

… I Will Determine The Catch During this time of social distancing, I have been fortunate to spend time next to a lake… a lake with a lot of fish! Sometimes, the catch has been very good; other times – not so good. That’s the way it happens when we are witnessing and sharing the […]

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Staying in Touch

… Encouraging, Praying, and Praising The standard practice for greeting church members during a church service in Latin America is hugging…. everyone. It takes much longer than the quick, four-to-five-handshakes-without-moving-from-your-pew method we use in the states. The Apostle Paul must have been part Latino because he used the hug-and kiss-each-other-on-the-cheek greeting practice with the members […]

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A Light Shines Through…

…Melting the Darkness The season of Lent tends toward dark colors like purple, gray, and black…. somewhat like storm clouds. Living underneath the canopy of these clouds and inclement weather can feel cold, heavy and quite depressing. It is wonderful when we see the sun break through the clouds, melting away the darkness, bringing light […]

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Tell Me Again…

…That Jesus Loves Me! Valentine’s Day is a time set aside for the expression of love. We know that somebody loves us… but it is nice to hear the love expressed in words. As children of God, we know that Jesus loves us. The Scriptures declare it; His actions prove it. However, we tend to […]

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A Decade to Disciple

Raising Up the Next Generation I saw this picture at the Tampa Convention Center when attending the LCMS convention in July. It reminded me of the disciples… after Pentecost: their attention turned toward fulfilling the Great Commission; casting their nets to save the lost; and fending off the evil attacks of sin, death, and the […]

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Fiambre

During my trip to Guatemala at the beginning of November, I had the chance to taste a new dish: Fiambre. It’s prepared by several family members on November 1st to celebrate the gift of family (past and present). They share in the preparing, the serving, and the enjoying of this diverse delicacy. November is a […]

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Redemption

…A Children’s Story I saw this statue at the arboretum in Overland Park, KS; it reminds me of the redemption story (from an old Catechism supplement book) that I share during our teacher training sessions with our international teachers. Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: A boy makes a beautiful wooden boat; when he takes it […]

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