Setting up the foundation of a building is an important part of the success of the future of that building. Fred Nelson (My contractor- Daddy)

We are here in the Dominican with our good  Dominican friends and pastors, Juan and Mia Martinez.  We are working side-by-side building the foundation of a very young and new church.  The building we are building is not of brick and mortar but of living stones.

1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood…  

We are setting the groundwork for a very important task. Getting a people ready to share the gospel of Christ and preparing for the return of our Lord.

Sam and I have been teaching, on Thursday nights, the importance of knowing the Word of God.  We have been going through the entire Bible, so the congregation has a framework of who God is.

The Families of our church here are so beautiful and so hungry for more of God.  It’s been an amazing journey into their lives.  We are enjoying watching God set this little church on fire for Him.  There are challenges for our congregation to overcome and there are times when we see the hurts and needs of our church.  In these times, we understand the importance of seeing God as our Builder.  He helps us build up the people in their firm foundation, which is in Him.  When there is not enough to go around, we share how God is more than enough!  God will supply all their needs

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.

Then we trust God to do what He says He will do.

Our beautiful little church is so eager to learn about God.  We are in the Ephesians 1-3 stages:

Learning who we are in Christ:

Ephesians 1:4 For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love 5) He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will… 7) In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

 And where we are seated:

Ephesians 2:6) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus… 13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

To Understand His Purpose:

Ephesians 2:15 …His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two (Jews and Gentiles), thus making peace, 16) and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

Ephesians 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11) according to His eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Finally God’s Has a Human Dwelling Place:

Ephesians 3:21) In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a Holy Temple in the Lord. 22 And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.

So many times churches run on Ephesians 4-6, the duties of the church (serving) without first teaching Ephesians 1-3  who we are in Christ. We want the foundation of the church to be built on who they are in Christ so the duties come naturally and the “burn out” is non-existent.  Read all of Ephesians, you will be blessed and encouraged!

We covet your prayers for Your Dominican Brothers and Sisters.  We ask that you would pray that God would build the foundation and that it would not be built with human hands.  Pray that God will supply all their needs…

Psalms 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house,

the builders labor in vain.