Church in Tijuana

We just wrapped up a small church service here in Tijuana, Mexico.  Lariate and I hosted 10 of our new friends in the community space for a time of prayer and scripture reading.

We began by acknowledging the Sovereignty of God in every situation (Romans 8:28-39).  We acknowledged that we are not here by accident or fate, but because of the gracious and powerful hand of our God who has led us here.  We took some time to proclaim God’s sovereign control over our illnesses and praise Him for the ways in which He has shown Himself powerful and in-control over this past week. 

Next, I shared the account of Jesus healing the paralytic in Mark 2:1-12.  We noted how Jesus—sensitive to this man’s physical needs and able to heal him —addresses this man’s greatest need.  2,000 years later, the question that Jesus poses to the scribes finds it’s relevance in our lives:  “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'?” (v.9) 

Which is easier?  Physical healing?  Jesus Christ—who is God—can easily bring physical healing.  In this passage, He does it with a single verb;  “Rise!”  Oh, but how the shadow of the cross falls heavily upon our Savior as He considers the weightiness of saying “Your sins are forgiven.”  We praised God for the willingness of the Son to endure the road to Calvary, to suffer and die in our place, for our sins, as a willing substitute.  We praised God for salvation and acknowledged His ability to meet all of our needs—physical and spiritual.

We closed our time by praying for one another—for healing, comfort, strength, and joy.  Our God, who is faithful, has already begun to answer those prayers.  Rejoice with us!

On Mission in Mexico,
Dhondi & Lariate