Dear friends of Mexico Ministries:
I am on my way home from Mexico. A long time ago the Lord said to me, “Go,” and I am still going. He said, “Do,” and I am still doing - doing my best to obey what He asks of me. I believe obedience is a gift from God because I can’t do it in my own power. Think about it: obedience isn’t even really an issue until we are supposed to do something we’d rather not do (or not do something we’d rather do). Obedience isn’t always easy, and sometimes it takes us through difficult times and places. Without the grace of God at work in us, obedience would be unlikely at the best.
I’ve been pondering what Mary the mother of Jesus said to the servants at the wedding feast in Cana: “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2.5) That is what God calls us all to do, and there is no greater example of this than the Virgin Mary herself who responded to the unsettling news that she would bear the Messiah with, “Be it unto me according to Thy word.” (Luke 1.38)
When you think about it, the Bible really is a kind of long story of obedience and disobedience, beginning with Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, moving through to Abraham obeying God and leaving his homeland in search of a city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11.10) and Moses both obeying and disobeying (he obeyed by leading God’s people out of bondage, but didn’t lead them into the promised land because of his disobedience). On and on the story goes - prophets obeying the Lord and speaking His word when it meant risking their lives, apostles obeying Jesus and carrying the Gospel to the ends of the earth and dying for their faith.
King Saul disobeyed God, and then later attempted to make a sacrifice to restore his relationship. The prophet Samuel confronted Saul and spoke these immortal words: “To obey is better than to sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15.22). I was speaking in a church in the U.S. and a doctor was visiting that morning (his first and only time to visit). He later told me that God spoke to him and directed him to support Mexico Ministries. He immediately obeyed and hasn’t stopped these many years since. The doctor chose the better part: to obey.
In July I will turn 85, and some people ask me when I’m going to retire. Retirement isn’t part of the picture; obedience is the whole picture. God said go and I am going. God said do and I am doing. When God says stop, I will stop. Until then, I will be obedient. Thank you dear friends and partners for also being obedient to the Spirit as he leads you to stand with us in this work of the Kingdom.
God bless you all,
Larry