Strawberries, Bananas, and Pineapple, Oh My

 We had such an amazing blessing this week, as we received a huge abundance of fruit, including strawberries, bananas (those small, wonderful tasting ones,) pineapple, and guavas, not to mention the large variety of vegetables - but no tomatoes. Guess they are not in season - (but everyone is asking for them!) Another missionary from Matamoras had called and brought 100 boxes of prepackaged food (mostly dairy, such as a gallon of milk sour cream, cottage cheese, fresh mozzarella cheese, potatoes, apples, chili chicken, and 2# packages of shredded chicken).  What a blessing. Everyone went home with a big box of veggies, fruit, and a box of dairy products. Also included was a letter from our President, encouraging them in this time of Covid. 

                                              Our faithful ladies packing food - this was toward the end of the supply,                                                             but as you can see, the boxes still were full

                                                   this amount of food was given to each family

                                       

                                     as well as a box of the dairy products provided by another ministry. One of our                                          ladies unloading one of 100 boxes for us, while missionary Vanessa looks out                                              for her own son in the trailer.   

Abigail was a women with beauty and brains. Her name meant "Whose father is joy". She brought gladness wherever she went. She had strong religious witness and a large knowledge of Jewish history. Her husband, Nabal, was the direct opposite. A bear of a man, harsh, rude, and brutal. He was also very selfish, stubborn, and ill-tempered. An unbeliever, he bowed to the Baal god of the world. Abigail begged for mercy from King David, telling him to pay no attention to her husband who was a fool. Today, sometimes a lovely face hides an empty mind, but Abigail was lovely as well as intelligent. She knew God and even though she lived with a bear of a man, she remained a saint. She had the tact of a wise wife and the religious principles of a good woman. After Nabal's  death, David asked for her hand in marriage and she became his wife. There was also another Abigail, who was the half-sister of David. They had the same mother but a different father. She married Jether, had a son named Amasa, who was a leader in David's army. 

Pastor Vance started a new series this Sunday in the book of Philippians - which is another of my favorite Books of the Bible. What are the basics of being  follower of Christ? Our world today needs the glory and joy of the Bible. Governments come and go, but the Word of God stays the same forever. Apostle Paul wrote this letter to city of Philippi while he was in prison on Rome. He is thanking the people for all they have done to help him. 10 years prior to this, Paul went to Philippi to preach as there were no synagogues there at the time. He heard of a prayer meeting near the river where he met Lydia, the first convert in Europe. At that time there was slave girl who made money for her owners because she could foretell the future. Paul drove the demon from her, thereby making her useless to her owners. They became mad and had Paul and Silas thrown in prison. They sang praises to the Lord all night long and witnessed for the Lord. An earthquake shook the prison in the morning and Paul and Silas were released. Paul and Silas soon left, but established the church in Philippi.  10 years later, the Philippians heard of Paul being in jail and took up an offering to help him. The theme of the book of Philippians is  joy. The second emphasis is on Christlike thinking. The summary is gospel centered thinking that brings lasting joy. Our spiritual connection is eternal. Paul was filled with emotion and love for those in Philippi. That fellowship is called Koinonia, which is the deep relationship that holds us together. Satan wants to get the upper hand by using social distancing to allow us to cool off in our relationship with Christ. Connect with other Christians to build each other up - don't let the world keep us from connecting with each other. Cherish your gospel centered perspective. Paul was living in a world of uncertainty just as we are in the world today. Things have not been looking good, but remember, God is up to something. He will leverage the unrest for His glory. We cannot let this uncertainty paralyze us. We have to find joy in the unrest. Do you cherish and nurture your Christ-centered relationships? Do you see life through the lens of the gospel so you can maintain an attitude of joy and thankfulness? 

Now that the elections are over (or are they) remember to respect the office of the President.