Ephesians Up Close and Personal

JameeAugust 10, 2017Uncategorized

Ephesians is a very practical letter written by Paul, talking about our new life in Christ and it is incredibly relevant for all Christians, young and old, and in between! Every Wednesday night at 6pm we met at Destino Cristiano to study one chapter at a time. The first week we learned the history and context of the book, which provides a backdrop and better understanding of how to interpret it for ourselves today. Ephesians is a ‘Prison Epistle’ meaning it’s one of the four letters Paul wrote and sent out while he was in prison. It is believed to be written ten years after Paul first went to Ephesus to spread the Good News and is addressed to the saints of Ephesus (or Asia minor), the faithful in Jesus Christ.

We noticed that Paul is not writing to special ‘Super-Christians’ who are labeled saints, but to the faithful in Jesus Christ, who ARE saints. The word ‘saint’ is hagios, or ‘holy ones, sacred; pure, consecrated.’ As the faithful to Jesus Christ, we are set apart as saints! That’s who we ARE and it is very important to know our identity. In the first three chapters, the letter describes how God has brought us near, into new life with Him (purely by his grace!), and then in chapters 4-6 Paul describes practically how that should look! As hagios, the holy, sacred, pure, consecrated, set apart faithful to Jesus Christ, how are we to live with our fellow saints, husbands and wives, kids, etc.? What do we do with the evil around us that’s constantly knocking on the door, and what is the Holy Spirit’s role in our new lives? The book of Ephesians is both practical and powerful!

We just came to the close of this six week Bible study and feel encouraged by the knowledge of what God has done for us, empowered to live our lives in the Holy Spirit, and inspired to go be a light and witness to those around us. God’s Word is life-changing, so don’t miss out on the next study!

Cabo Missionaries Minister at Destino, a Bilingual Christian Church

JameeAugust 7, 2017Uncategorized

In a July 2017 service at Destino Cristiano, pastors Randy and Luisina Mishler arrived from San Jose del Cabo with their four beautiful children to minister in La Paz. They are a dream team and greatly encouraged the congregation with the Word and worship. Luisina led our team in worship, teaching the band how to play a song they’ve never played without a track, “This is Amazing Grace.” They stepped up to the challenge and did a great job! Best of all, we got to lift up the name of our Lord together.

Randy shared a great word addressing the question of “how do we respond when affliction comes?” We all can identify with troubles, hard times, conflicts, you name it. Perhaps the reason why there are so many synonyms for ‘problems’ is because we pass through so many! For this same reason, God has a lot to say about the topic. However, what we read in scripture is not, “God will make your problems go away for you right now!” Instead, God teaches us that rather than directly taking away the affliction, He uses the affliction for our good and for His glory. Randy shared with us five blessings that come in these trying times.

The first blessing in affliction is that it draws us closer to God. The psalmist shares how his affliction turned his heart to the Lord, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. (Psalm 119:72)” Second, affliction makes us stronger! Romans 5:3-7 describes how suffering produces perseverance, which produces character, and character, hope. Isaiah 40:31 completes the thought, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.” Fourth, affliction helps us put our eyes on Jesus. One of the first things Jesus told Paul about his new life in him, was that he would suffer (Acts 9:16). Not the most encouraging of conversions! But Jesus was the one who caused the scales to fall off Paul’s eyes, and there would be no one else he would set his eyes upon. Through this, Paul learned the secret of going through afflictions was going through them with Christ (Philippians 4:11-13). The fourth and fifth benefits are that affliction prepares us for greater things, and through affliction we bring glory to God. David, for example, first had the trial of defending his sheep from the lion and the bear. His next trial, was defending a whole nation against the undefeated giant Goliath. Talk about a hardship that prepared the way for a greater assignment that gave glory to God!

As a church we are so thankful for the Mishler’s ministry. We are encouraged that we can rejoice in the hardships, knowing that we are growing closer to God, becoming stronger, fixing our eyes on Jesus, being prepared for greater things, and ultimately, living out our purpose of bringing glory to God!

A Year in the Life at Destino Cristiano

JameeJanuary 1, 2016Uncategorized

A lot happens in a year, especially for a bilingual Christian church in La Paz Mexico that is just two years old. As many of the foundations have been set, we are prayerfully adding projects and programs as the Lord leads.  The following is a partial list of all that has been accomplished in one year at Destino Cristiano, a nondenominational church in El Centro, La Paz.

  • Officially became a bilingual church
  • Officially started our Leadership Team
  • Led multiple people to Christ and salvation
  • Received our Xterra SUV as a donation
  • Baptized several people in the Sea of Cortez
  • Counseled many individuals and couples
  • Created a Valentine’s Day Party at Nueva Creacion
  • Started our annual Women’s Conference
  • Had our Easter Program and Easter Lunch
  • Completed the Spanish version of the Solid Rock Road Manual
  • Completed the Spanish version of the Solid Rock Road Book
  • Did our first bilingual Solid Rock Road training for Todo Santos (graduated 10 people).
  • Launched the Destino Website ( destinocristiano.com )
  • Produced 4 Destino newsletters
  • Translated newsletters into Spanish
  • Created a weekly announcements program via Email
  • Systemized our guest information
  • Started the Adopt-A-Family Program
  • Expanded the fanctuary
  • Expanded the Foyer
  • Added Children’s Church rooms and designed the spaces
  • Redesigned the stage
  • Expanded the preaching portion of the stage
  • Upgraded our sound system
  • Constructed a sound booth
  • Fed 70 people at our Annual “American (Canadian) Christmas in Mexico”
  • Added 25-plus seats
  • Built shelves in the supply closet
  • Built shelves in the pantry
  • Built shelves in the toddler room
  • Added bench seating
  • Started an English Bible Study
  • Started a Spanish Bible Study
  • Started Movie Afternoons
  • Evangelized on the Malecon on Halloween
  • Hosted a successful Tour at Nueva Creacion
  • Oversaw painting team at Nueva Creacion
  • Planned and implemented Christmas at Nueva Creacion
  • Helped win Nueva Creacion a $3,000 grant
  • Secured our first Mission Group for 2016
  • Fought and won multiple battles

 

 

 

How to be a Pastor

JameeSeptember 30, 2015Uncategorized

If someone were to ask me, “What’s the best advice you can give for becoming a pastor” I would first talk to them about all the basics. For example, read the Bible, attend Bible college, pray more, love others more than yourself, and be sure to serve your church. But then I would give the most important piece of advice about becoming a pastor: Be Yourself!

There is only one you. God made you unique. He made you for His purpose. And while you’re very well aware of your imperfections and shortcomings, you will always feel most comfortable in your own skin. You don’t have to be the smartest, the wisest, the funniest, or the greatest preacher. Just be you!

It’s important to sit under and learn from pastors, mentors and teachers, but you can’t get lost in the midst of your training. Just as David couldn’t wear someone else’s armor, you can’t wear another man’s crown.

You have your own crown. Wear it proudly.

Blog: A Bilingual Christian Church in La Paz

JameeMay 22, 2015Uncategorized
Blog: A Bilingual Christian Church in La Paz

Destino Cristiano is a bilingual Christian Church in La Paz. But what does this mean? How do English-speaking pastors share the word of God to a mostly Spanish-speaking congregation? And how do these members of the congregation share the deep things of their hearts?

This is a puzzle that only God can put together. Since arriving on the mission field in La Paz in April 2013, God has given us the pieces to this puzzle as we have needed them. We have our vision, and what we believe God wants to do with us and through in our Christian church in La Paz, but He is the Master Builder.

As the Master Builder, God holds the plans, and he is preparing the phases and the steps because we need a strong foundation to build from. First, God is putting us with Spanish speakers because we need to learn the language. But more than that, God wants us to connect with our hearts and minds, and to become comfortable with a culture that is foreign to us.

At the same time, we are being vulnerable and transparent. We are letting Spanish speakers into our world, sharing our culture and our hearts with them. We all agree that love is a universal language, and so everything stems from this. And it’s about respect. We are not trying to change a culture, but to change hearts. This may in turn, change some aspects of the culture. And along the way, we are changing from the inside out, even re-examining some of our cultural beliefs and norms.

Eventually, we will speak Spanish. But until then, we will continue to serve the people of La Paz in whatever way God wants. Destino Cristiano is His house.