Sometimes You Have To Eat Lunch Twice

A scheduling change put us in a small bind Sunday. We were scheduled to minister in a church on Saturday evening but they called and requested a change to Sunday morning. We were able to make the change and everything went well in the Sunday morning meeting. Ten people responded to a call for sinners who wanted “living water”.

For us though, Sunday morning was a time of real stretching. The missionary Paul upon entering cities preached the gospel in the synagogues. He also visited the pagan temples “examining” their articles of worship (Acts 17:23). Paul preached the gospel wherever he went. We have preached in homes, apartments, bus repair yards, small churches, big churches and if God allows us we will preach in the cathedrals and basillicas that cover this nation.

Sunday we ministered in a church whose basic doctrine of salvation is very different from our understanding of scripture. They are also deeply legalistic, controllling and separatist. How did we end up preaching there? Their heart for missions opened the door and, like Paul, we preached truth in the place of religion.

Kevin preached out of John 4, the story of the Samaritan woman, and Jeremiah 2. The Samaritan woman was slave to a lifestyle of sin and immersed in heritical religion. Jesus met her at the point of her need and offered something different.

Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:9-10)

Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:13)

The well in the story that Jesus, the source of “living water”, was resting against represented the two major religions of the region, the cistren of the Samaritans and the cistren of the Judaism. Broken cisterns that could hold no water. The best any religion can do is attempt to control behavior, it can never save anyone. Only Jesus, the source of living water, can save.

After service, as is the custom here, we were invited to lunch at the Pastor’s home and thus the reason for our dilemma. We already had accepted a lunch date with another group of Pastors and church leaders from a different church for that afternoon. The solution, we thought, was to call the other Pastor, tell him we would be a little late and eat twice. The first lunch, chicken soup, rice, steak and french fries. The second, fish soup, rice, coleslaw, potatoes, platinos, yucca, fish, doughnuts and another dessert. We should note here that Kevin has lost almost 40 pounds and Christine 15. We were stuffed fuller than Christmas turkeys.

But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus *said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. (John 4:32-34)

We ate twice physically and spiritually because at the second lunch Christine was able to share with the pastors and their wives something that deeply impacted them personally. The pastors’ wives were talking about their children’s waywardness and their concern about the children’s salvation. Until now, Christine has been careful not to sit with the Spanish speakers without an interpreter close by. But prompted by the Holy Spirit to join the ladies where they were sitting, Christine ventured away from the group and the interpreter.

After assessing the conversation, Christine was able to give her personal testimony. She shared the verse given to her by the Holy Spirit to ease her concern over the spiritual condition and the care of our children and grandchildren. Though the verse was given to her many years ago, it was especially helpful when it was time to leave them behind to minister here in Colombia.

For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. (2Timothy 1:12)

The pastors and ladies were comforted to know God’s promise is yes and amen concerning our children when we entrust them to Him. 

We were very full and satisfied Sunday.