Creator of Vines & Branches by Laura Williams

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:4-5

The Perfect Gardener

I am a terrible gardener. I love the idea of growing beautiful flowers in our yard and fresh herbs on our patio, but anytime I attempt it, it pretty much always ends in tragedy. Plant tragedy. Flowers eaten by bugs because I didn’t use the right spray. Herbs that turn into flower bushes because I didn’t cut them back in time—or at all. And inevitably, the sad, forgotten potted plant that has wilted and died because of neglect. This is what I do. Every. Time.

But God. God is the only truly PERFECT gardener. In the spiritual sense yes, but also in a very literal sense as well! God created the plants we see, he created the IDEA of vines, branches, trees, leaves, fruit, flowers—He created the plants that cover our world because they reflect HIS nature! 

God is a perfect gardener. His design is so immaculate, so detailed that we are only just beginning to truly understand all the beauty hidden inside what is visible to the naked eye. Even at the tiniest molecular level, under the strongest microscope, plants are wonderfully and intentionally designed with a system and structure to allow them to thrive. And we are designed with that same wonderful intentionality—not by chance, not merely hoping that we’d be able to make it. No, we were designed to live lives fully and abundantly as we abide in our Savior.

Common Creation

I think it is so amazing that Jesus chose to use a vine and its branches as the picture of how our relationship with Him was designed to be. He used arguably the most common creation in our world, living plants, as the picture of how we are to abide in Christ. This is something that I really love about Jesus. The way He teaches us about His nature and His love for us in such natural ways. Plants are everywhere! Everywhere we go, there are thousands upon thousands of sweet reminders in the grass, the trees, the branches above us. God uses the simple everyday parts of our world to show us such amazing things about who He is.

I think about God creating all the plants in the beginning, and I imagine His joy creating the first vines—knowing full well the imagery that was contained in such a common plant. The wonderful entangling of branches and leaves with the vines as they climbed up the first trees in the first garden ever made. He was creating picture after picture of His love for us. Picture after picture in His creation that showed His nature, His glory, and His goodness!

Then, years later, Jesus explained the vine and the branches to the disciples for the first time. He opened their eyes to what had been plainly seen but never truly understood until He opened their eyes! In the verses in John 15, Jesus showed, in a new way, how much we need to be drawing from Him. Our spiritual health, the fruit we are producing, and the growth we need is all completely reliant on HIM as our source. We are the branches drawing all we need from the Vine, Jesus. And His creation is a constant and beautiful reminder of this.

The Gardener’s Desire

We can clearly see God’s design for us to be intimately connected to Him in this passage. Isn’t it wonderful that God created us in a way that REQUIRES us to come to Him, to be dependent on Him? He knows how desperately we need Him, and He offers Himself as our strength, and gives us His Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we accept that things are the way they are simply because we do not know any different. But Jesus could have done things differently—He chose to create you and me because that was what He wanted to do! And He created us specifically in a way that causes us to thrive and grow when we are closest to Him. God designed us in this way because it PLEASES Him. HE wants to be near to US! WE need Him, yes! The branches cannot live without the vine. And yet, HE desires to be close to US. He wants us to be near to Him! 

We know that God’s nature is in us: just as we desire intimacy, love, relationship—these things come from HIM! God desires that we would abide closely in Him and spend time with Him. Knowing this has radically changed the way I view my time with Him. 

As a mom, I always want to spend real time with my kids—I want them to tell me about their day, to laugh with them, and to help them when they’re struggling. But when THEY express a desire for time with ME? That’s when I drop everything. If I know one of my children is waiting for me somewhere—I hurry to get there! 

Knowing that my Savior stands at the door of my heart, longing to come in and make His home with me! This changes my whole attitude toward intimacy. It isn’t my need for Him ONLY (though my need is inexpressibly great), it is HIS desire to abide with me that humbles my spirit and causes me to rush to meet Him.

So, Jesus gave us this picture: a vine and its branches. He is the vine, and we are the branches. May we remember what a good gardener He is, and may we see this wonderful picture in the common world around us. And I pray that we are drawn to closer intimacy with Christ as we remember how greatly He loves us. May we never forget all He has done to make it possible for us to come boldly to Him, welcome Him into our lives and hearts, and abide in His love.

Will Torres | The Vision for Proclaim Church

Redemption Church has been privileged to partner with Will and Kristan Torres as they are following God’s call to plant PROCLAIM CHURCH in Boynton Beach. We are blessed to have the opportunity to pour into them, coach and disciple them, and celebrate the work God has called them to. We are excited for how God is working in their lives, and we’d love to have you watch this short video to hear more from Will about God’s vision for this new church. 

Proclaim Church Vision Night (9-23-18) | Photo Essay

Waiting On His Return by Daniel Williams

Jesus Is Coming Back!

This truth is important to say, important to live by, and important to remind ourselves. The Bible talks a lot about the imminent return of Christ, so I think it makes sense that we should talk about it too!

It seems like bringing up the rapture of the church and eschatology can be a sour subject for many Jesus-followers. A lot of people seem confused by studying the end times and say there are just too many different views and positions about this subject. People tend to fight with maps, charts and news reports in hand, and it makes sense that a lot of people want to avoid the subject for that reason alone. It has become an issue of division rather than a subject that we study and discuss with love for one another. For that reason, we, as the people of God, seem to have shied away from talking about it. People have been arguing so much on a position for so long that we have forgotten the person: Jesus. The fact remains that  Jesus IS coming back, and this is awesome! This is something that we should be talking about! 

We just recently finished our study about the afterlife, the rapture, and the day of the Lord in our Fundamentals of the Faith series of 1 Thessalonians; and you get the sense that Paul wanted people to know and live in the reality of Jesus’ return. 

Paul wasn’t shy about teaching new believers about how Jesus would return and how He is going to establish His kingdom here on earth for all eternity. In fact, he mentions this truth in every chapter of the 1 Thessalonians (1 Thes 1:9-10; 2:19-20; 3:13; 4:17-18; 5:9-10). Paul wanted these new Christians established in the faith, so he addresses the doctrine of the rapture.

And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. -Matt 9:15

In ancient jewish times it was common for a man to betrothed himself to a woman and then leave for a time. Being betrothed was much more than our understanding of engagement. It was understood to be like being married without actually consummating the marriage. The husband would usually give the bride’s father a gift of money for the woman (to take care of her and show the family how much he values her), and then he would go and prepare a place for the couple to live for their marriage. He typically would come back as soon he was done, and this would be as soon as possible. He would come back for his bride in a celebratory surprise for the whole town to see and they would finally get married, consummate their marriage and live together as one in their new home together forever.  (see passages like Deuteronomy 22:23-24; Ex 22:16-17; Matt 1:18; 25:1-10) 

I mention this tradition because the Bible (and Jesus Himself) commonly used this picture of Christ and His followers as a bride and groom (Matt 9:15; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:6-10). And just like a groom back in the ancient world, Jesus has gone to the Father to prepare a place for us (Heaven), has given us the gift of His Spirit as we wait for His return, and is coming back for His bride (the Church). And He is excited about this!

“…as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” -Isa 62:5b

Jesus is Coming Back for His Church! 

This is what is known as the doctrine of the rapture. The word “rapture" is not in the ancient Greek text, but comes from the Latin Vulgate, which translates the phrase “caught up” with the Latin word, “rapturus,” from which we get our English word, “rapture.” The idea of the rapture of the church where we will be caught up to be with Jesus is found in other passages as well like 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” 

The verb translated caught up in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 means “to seize, or to carry off by force.” 

David Guzik says about this text, “In the ancient Greek, the phrase to meet was used as a technical term to describe the official welcoming of honored guests” I love that idea that Jesus views us as His honored guests for all eternity and really wants us to be with Him: His Bride, the Church. Jesus said in Luke 12:8, “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God.” Jesus isn’t ashamed of us and is proud to call us friends (John 15:15). He has gone to prepare a place for us, sealed us with His Spirit and promises to come back for us (John 14)

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also. - John 14:3

So why hasn’t He come back yet? 

Well, God is not cruel—letting us suffer here on earth as He looks from heaven, rather, He has delayed because He is a God of love! Jesus is coming back because He radically loves His Church and this same love has caused a delay. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17 we see that Jesus WILL come back for His Church, but we need to trust that His timing is perfect. He hasn’t come back yet because wants as many people as possible to repent and turn to Him (2 Peter 3:9-10). And even through He hasn’t told us exactly when He is coming back, we can trust His Word. And He expects us to live in purity and expectancy for His return. 

“And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” -1 John 3:3

No one knows when the rapture will take place so we must live in expectancy. This is good for us because we can tend to be complacent as Christians. One of the main reasons I believe God didn’t reveal to us when exactly the day He would come back was so that we would live for Him every day. God doesn’t just want us to say a prayer to have “fire insurance” from hell and forget about Him. Jesus wants a relationship with us and for us to worship Him as Lord. When we believe we can see Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, at any moment, it helps purify us (1 John 3:3). This reality helps us understand our priorities and how we are to live right now in light of eternity (Colossians 3:2-4; Psalm 90:10-12). 

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” -Ephesians 5:15-16

What a hope we have as believers in Jesus! And the Bible tells us this hope will not disappoint (Romans 5:5).  So, we should be ready for His return and live in light of this wonderful truth. Let’s live for Jesus every day telling people this wonderful news that there IS a God who loves us, has died for our sins, gives us His righteousness, and makes a way for us to be His honored guest in Heaven for all of eternity. The rapture is just one of the beautiful doctrines of the Bible that shows us the wonderful character of Jesus, so let’s receive His Word by faith and live accordingly. 

Jesus is coming back. Although many people in the media or even our friends and family may not be thinking about this or talking about this reality, we are to encouraged to apply it to our hearts. As we ponder the great love of Jesus and how this doctrine shows us more of His wonderful character, let us be encouraged and live believing that Jesus could come back today!

 “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” -1 Thessalonians 4:18

Meet Pastor Luis & Kim Vargas!

We are really excited to introduce you to Pastor Luis and Kim Vargas, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Bachiniva, Mexico. You may already be familiar with the House of Blessing Orphanage because we have been actively supporting Jason and Jackie since they started the orphanage in Bachiniva in 2012. What you may NOT know is the reason Jason was familiar with the tiny mountain town of Bachiniva in the first place!

Jason Sanchez (missionary and orphanage director) is originally from Washington State. Jason served on staff as youth and worship pastor under his dad, Pastor Ron, for many years. Pastor Ron’s sister is Kim Vargas! Jason’s Aunt Kim and Uncle Luis were the first ones to venture down to Bachiniva and follow God’s call to minister to the people there. It was this connection to Bachiniva that allowed Jason and Jackie to become familiar with the area of Bachiniva and see the need for a Christian orphanage there!

Pastor Luis and Kim moved from New Mexico to Bachiniva with their 5 children in 2004 to start a church for the people there. The church began as Pastor Luis began to teach through the book of John to a group of adults and their children outside in the patio of Luis’ sister, Armida’s, house.  After a few services outside, the church moved inside a comercio (a small grocery store) that was in Armida’s house. They met there for about two years. During that time the Lord stirred on many people’s hearts to come alongside the work. Since 2006 they have been worshiping in a beautiful church that was built with the help of many churches. 

When Jason and Jackie began to build the orphanage in Bachiniva, Pastor Luis and Kim immediately offered their support and have been actively involved in that ministry as well. Redemption Church has taken several mission trips to visit and serve at the House of Blessing Orphanage, and each visit has also allowed us to connect with the Vargas family and the beautiful church fellowship there. Pastor Daniel has even taught (with the help of a translator!) at their weekly services!

Please join us in praying for Luis and Kim and their family as they continue serving Jesus and the people of Bachinva. It is not an easy place to live or pastor. They are in constant need of encouragement and support. Redemption Church is supporting the Vargas family both in prayer and financial support, and we would love to have you lifting up the needs of their family and community along with us. God is doing great things in Bachiniva!

Hope in The Darkness by Kristan Torres

The grass wither, the flower fades: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 40:8

According to Andy Haley from stack.com (last updated September 23, 2015), did you know these things happen every day in our bodies?  

1. You get shorter (gravity).
2. You gain weight.
3. Your hormones fluctuate.
4. Your heart rate changes.
5. You’re more or less likely to get hurt (more likely in the evening than the morning).
6. Your body temp peaks in the afternoon.

Our bodies are constantly changing, and so are our emotions.  But to someone who is depressed, this is one of the hardest things to believe; that they won’t always feel this way.  But as the verse above says, the “grass wither, the flower fades” – nothing on this earth lasts forever, except for the Word (Bible) and promises of God.  

So, if we apply this principle to feeling depressed – this is actually good news.  As I sincerely promise all of the clients I work with who are experiencing depression, they won’t always feel this way – and it turns out to be true.  

Depression eventually lessens; sometimes through therapy, sometimes medication, sometimes nutritional and lifestyle changes, sometimes through circumstances changing, and sometimes through a whole combination of these things and more.  Always through prayer; although not always in the timeframe we would want.  But the depression does eventually lift.  

Depression is not “one size fits all”.  Everyone who experiences depression, experiences it in a different way.  

Some people cry, and others can’t find any tears.  Some people eat more, some eat less.  Some sleep more, some less.  Some people find it hard to function and others bury themselves in tasks and responsibilities.  Some people’s depression comes and goes, others experience depression that weighs heavily for what can seem like a lifetime.  

Just the same, the answers about why the depression is there are not necessarily easy either, and sometimes it takes some time to figure it all out.  Relieving depression is also not simple, or formulaic.  Believe me, I wish it was…  

But what I do want you to know is that if you are experiencing depression, you’re not alone.  

I have walked with many people down what may seem like a very dark path, and I have seen as what little light there is becomes brighter and brighter, until the depression is in the past rather than the present.  Isn’t that what we all want?    

Let’s look at Psalm 42:5 first: 

5Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Here the Psalmist acknowledges the depression he is feeling, but he almost instructs himself to put his hope in God and declares that he will praise Him, reminding himself (and all of us) that God is his Savior and his God.  

Part of the darkness of depression is feeling alone.  Feeling like no one understands you and wondering if maybe God has even forgotten you since you aren’t experiencing relief.  See here what David wrote in Psalm 13:2:

2How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

In the midst of depression, you wrestle with your thoughts; trying to figure out why you’re feeling the way you are, or you wonder why you are going through the depression in the first place.  David understood.  He describes here the agony and frustration of not knowing when the sorrow in his heart will end.

Just a few verses later, his tone (and his focus) changes:

5But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6I will sing the Lord’s praise,

for he has been good to me.

Now, truthfully, we don’t know that experientially his feelings changed as quickly as reading one verse to another.  What he wrote may have been a summary of what he had been feeling over a time period.  It may have taken time for him to actually cry out to God in his suffering and then to praise God.  In fact, it takes time for most anyone going through depression to experience this change, or for some, to even be able to praise God.    

We see David reflect here on God’s promises to us of his unfailing love, and salvation.  David, similar to the Psalmist in Psalm 42 above, then declares that he will “sing the Lord’s praise” and reminds himself of God’s faithfulness.   

What can we learn from these passages?  

1. We won’t always feel the way we feel; our emotions change. 
2. We are not alone; God is always with us, and others have gone before us, felt similarly, and experienced God’s faithfulness, closeness and relief.  
3. There is something we can do in the midst of depression which will provide some relief, and that is to cry out to God – tell Him all that you are going through, and trust that He’s listening.  
4. “Instruct” yourself to praise God, because it’s likely not the first thing you’re thinking of when you feel depressed.  But, praising God, singing to Him, is not only honoring to the Lord, but it’s good for us.  It can provide perspective and relief.  

Keep in mind, if it takes you some time to get to this place of praising God, it’s okay.  It will not be helpful to put pressure on yourself or feel shame because you’re not ready to do this.  Again, everyone’s experience is different.    

Finally, what I’ve written here isn’t everything, but I pray it’s a start.  Please reach out to someone in your community, church family, christian counselor or trusted pastor if this message is speaking to you, and you’re feeling stuck and alone, like the darkness is engulfing you, like there are no answers and nothing is working.  We’re here to help.

The Heart Behind The Refresh Conference by Daniel Williams

I am very excited to invite you to our second REFRESH CONFERENCE in Delray Beach, Florida! It has been awesome to see the Lord bringing His Church together in unity in so many ways throughout Palm Beach County since we gathered last August. I want to take just a few minutes to share with you the HEART behind this year’s conference and give you an idea of what it’s going to look like this November.

THE THEME: GOD IS

Our conference theme for 2018 is GOD IS. Our guest speakers will be sharing from the Word and also from personal experience in ministry to remind us who GOD IS. When we have our foundation set on the character of God, we are able to live lives boldly trusting in Him in every circumstance. Our prayer is that your faith is built up and your heart is encouraged through this time as we devote ourselves to the wonderful truth of who our GOD IS.

WHY A CONFERENCE? 

Starting in 2017, the Lord put it on my heart to put on a conference for some of the LOCAL CHURCHES in our area to ENCOURAGE and EQUIP them. 

Many youth and young adults go on retreats and grow exponentially because they are taking time away to purposefully seek God and give Him that time. These are special times when many look back and say that God did something truly special in their heart or they heard something from Him that changed their life from that point on. Retreats and conferences are just awesome places to seek Jesus and let Him work in your heart! 

However, many of the people in our congregations have never been to a conference or a retreat as an adult—the cost and the time away from work make it difficult to take time away and get to some of the amazing conferences there are around the country. This is why we are bringing the conference here!

WHO IS INVITED?

This year’s Refresh Conference will be open to all adults who want to take 2 days to seek Jesus and hear from Him. Every local church in the area is welcome to participate. Many the churches that are participating are smaller, newer churches which have planted within the last 5 years. These are servants of Jesus who are working very hard to share Jesus with the lost in our area and to disciple and love those in their churches. I’m excited for this opportunity to worship and seek Jesus as ONE BODY together and bless some of these churches who, like us, do not typically have the resources to attend or host a large-scale Christian conference. I also know that when the churches in our area are all healthy and strong in the Lord, not only is it good for them, but it is good for our community. This is why the purpose of the REFRESH CONFERENCE is to encourage and equip the servants of Jesus in our area.

WHO ARE THE SPEAKERS?

Our first speaker will be David Guzik from Santa Barbara, California. David Guzik is a pastor, Bible teacher, and author of a widely used Bible commentary. Millions of people have used and been influenced by David’s online Bible commentary on sites such as Enduring Word and Blue Letter Bible. David has been in Christian service for more than 35 years, including two church plants, serving as a missionary in Germany, and as director and teacher for Calvary Chapel Bible College Germany. David’s insightful teaching will inspire and bless all who are able to come. You can learn more about him and his ministry at www.enduringword.com

We will also be welcoming Jason Sanchez from The House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico. Jason served as the youth and worship pastor at Calvary South Hill in Puyallup, Washington for several years before moving with his wife and daughter to Bachiniva, Mexico to start an orphanage for children in need in 2012. Jason's love for Jesus and His Word will be a great encouragement during our time together. You can learn more about Jason and the House of Blessing Orphanage at: www.thehouseofblessing.org

WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE AND COST?

$50 per person

Trinity Lutheran Church

The REFRESH CONFERENCE is scheduled for Friday-Saturday, November 9-10th and will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church on North Swinton Avenue in Delray Beach. We will have an evening session on Friday night, and on Saturday, there will be a continental breakfast and time for fellowship followed by one morning session and a catered lunch. We will close with a final afternoon session. The cost will be kept low at only $50 per person in order for as many people as possible to be able to participate.

HOW IS REDEMPTION CHURCH INVOLVED?

I am very excited to be coordinating this conference for the churches in our area, and I am praying that our church can get excited with me about serving and helping make this happen! Trinity Lutheran has agreed to allow us to use their building for the conference which is awesome because their facility has a larger sanctuary as well as a dining hall we can use for our lunch and fellowship times! We will definitely be needing volunteers to help with things like greeting and registration, some administrative help, and various other areas. We are not offering childcare because we really want all of our Redemption Kids volunteers  to be able to attend the conference themselves! So, be sure to arrange childcare for your own children soon. Remember, the heart of this conference is to encourage and equip the servants of Jesus in our area—this includes us! So, plan to ATTEND and SERVE in whatever ways the Lord has equipped you!

Please begin praying with me that Jesus will continue to direct us as we plan out the details of this conference, that many people will participate, and that God is glorified through all of our efforts. I am really praying that it is a blessing to the churches and believers in our area.

Register now at www.redemptiondb.com/conference

Be blessed,

Pastor Daniel

May's Baptism (8-18-18)

Off To Mexico!

Redemption Church has had an ongoing relationship with the House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico since it was founded in 2012. We have been privileged to take several missions trips to visit and serve the children and staff there as well as having orphanage director, Jason Sanchez, come to visit and share with our church community here in Florida. Last Summer, we sent our first Intern to serve for a 9 month internship at the House of Blessing, and we are very excited to let you know that another member of our church--Bryan Schrager--will be leaving for a 2 month mission trip to the orphanage in September! 

Please take the time to read his letter below to learn more about his upcoming trip and how God is leading him. We are very encouraged to see Jesus at work in this ministry, and we would love to have you join us in praying for Bryan and the House of Blessing Orphanage.

---

A LETTER FROM BRYAN

Dear family and friends,

Sometimes in our lives, in order to grow we have to take steps of faith. I am very thankful to say that God has been working faithfully in my life throughout the last year by having me take many of these steps! I am writing to share with you a little bit about what God has been doing in my life and where He is leading me next.

Last year, I was able to take on the position of Volunteer Coordinator for my home church, Redemption Church Delray Beach. This means I have been responsible for scheduling all the volunteers who serve at our church services on Sundays as well as various other events throughout the week. I have grown a lot as God has used me in this way to serve my church family. 

I was also very privileged to go to Bachiniva, Mexico with my Pastor on a week long missions trip last February. We went to visit and serve at the House of Blessing Orphanage which serves and provides for children in need in the small mountain town of Bachiniva. It was on this trip that the Lord put a desire in my heart to return there and serve for a more extended time. 

I am planning on serving for a 2 month Internship through the months of September and October. I will be helping to care for the 17 children currently living in the orphanage as well as providing support for the staff and volunteers. The House of Blessing Orphanage is a very special place as it provides not only a safe home for these children, but also allows us to provide consistent schooling and supplies, health care, and most importantly a real and authentic opportunity to show them the love of Jesus! You can read more about the orphanage at www.thehouseofblessing.org

At this time, I am asking for people to join me in praying for this time as I leave to serve in Mexico. I am also hoping to raise $1500 to help with the costs of travel as well as my stay in Mexico. If you would like to be a part of what God is doing in my life and in this special ministry, you can go to www.redemptiondb.com/give If you choose to donate online, please e-mail sue@redemptiondb.com to let us know that the donation is going toward my Internship. Checks (with my name in the memo) can also be mailed to:

Redemption Church Delray Beach

P.O. Box 832039 

335 East Linton Blvd.

Delray Beach, FL 33483

Thank you so much for all of the ways that you have invested in my life and been a part of my journey in following Jesus. I am excited to keep you up to date on how God works through the coming months. I will remain active on facebook throughout my trip and will be available by phone and e-mail as well. God bless you!

Sincerely,

Bryan Schrager

My Story | Jason Sanchez

My Story | Jason Sanchez on Closed Doors

Jason Sanchez, Director of House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico, shares how God radically changed his view of closed doors in his life. Experiencing many years of being unable to have children of their own, Jason and his wife Jackie went through the grief and disappointment of God closing that door in their life. What happened as a result is the amazing and beautiful story of God working through these circumstances to open their hearts to seek the adoption of their daughter from Ethiopia and starting an orphanage in Mexico. “As I began to look at the things in my life, I realized that God closing doors is for a very specific purpose. And not only for a purpose, but it’s for something even better and greater that He wants to do.” It is only after going through it that you can see, it makes perfect sense what God was doing. “When you take a step back in your life and you look at things through that lens and through His word and through His promises, it will make you kind of excited for closed doors…Learn to embrace closed doors and watch the greater things that God will do in the midst of difficulties and hardships, knowing that God loves you.” Catch up with Jason at www.houseofblessing.org.