Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! I’m so thankful that you took time out of your day to read about what God has been doing here in Ecuador. I hope that this post finds you and your family well and that it will also bless and encourage you to seek a deeper relationship with God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The past two months have flown by as I have continued to teach my students English and, most importantly, from God’s Holy Word. I have a small and faithful group of students and I continue to come up with new ways to teach them despite the challenges of an online format. Please pray for my students. Pray that their hearts would be open to receive the Gospel and to put into practice what is written in God’s Word.
Restrictions have lifted somewhat here in the country and churches are finally allowed to meet so long as they follow strict guidelines. Everyone must continue to wear his or her mask and each person’s temperature must be taken prior to participating in the church service. Yesterday marked the first Sunday that Huachi Chico Baptist Church met in person since the pandemic began. We met across the street from the church in an open space so that we would have more ventilation, but it also gave us the opportunity to share the gospel with all of our neighbors too! It was such a blessing to see everyone in person again!
Over the past few days, I have been reflecting over the suffering that we see all around the world. Suffering is not to be unexpected in the Christian life but rather it is to be expected at different times throughout our walk with Christ. The Lord says to us through Peter in 1st Peter 4:12:
“ Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;”
So we should not be surprised at the trials and tribulations of this life. But we should take each trial, each “fiery ordeal,” as an opportunity to grow in faith and to have a deeper love for our Savior as we depend upon Him. The Lord also tells us in the book of Romans that He is always working for the good of those who love Him:
“ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
So in Christ Jesus our sufferings have meaning. God is accomplishing something in us that can only be accomplished by allowing us to suffer. But what could be so good that it is worth the pain that many of us are going through right now?
“ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ”
So the glory of God that will be revealed in us is so great, that Paul, who suffered so much throughout his ministry, said that it is not even worth comparing the two. But these verses do not address the significance behind suffering. What is suffering achieving for us?
“ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
And here we have the Lord’s answer. Many times we feel like our suffering is meaningless. I am sure the apostles felt this way while Jesus was in the tomb. Martha and Mary could not understand why Jesus delayed in coming and let their brother Lazarus die. All of us, while we are in the midst of our suffering begin to doubt and to ask the question: Why? This is our answer. God allowed suffering to happen to Mary and to Martha so that His glory would be revealed. God also allowed His one and only Son to suffer and die to save sinners. Not because we deserve it, but for His honor and His glory. We have all suffered throughout this year. We all had hopes and dreams for this year that did not come to pass. Some of us have lost our jobs. Some of us have lost loved ones. But God says to you, that if you are in Christ Jesus not one second of your suffering is wasted. It is achieving for you an “eternal glory” that far exceeds the “light and momentary troubles” that you are facing today. So I urge you, if you have not repented of your sins and received the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, do it today! Let today be the day of salvation for you! All of the suffering that you have gone through has brought you to this moment, has brought you to the foot of the Cross so that you might be saved and that you might share in Christ’s glory. For those of us who know Him and have been called according to His purpose, let us trust Him. Let us take our eyes off of the “light and momentary troubles” that we are facing and let us fix our eyes “…on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Thanks again for taking the time to read my blog today! Please continue to pray for me and for my students and for the people of Ecuador. If you feel led to give to this ministry, I would greatly appreciate your support! There are two ways that you can give online. The first is through this link: globaloutreach.org/giving/missionary-details/jonathan-green or, if you are giving through Dahlonega Baptist Church, you can use the following link: app.securegive.com/dbch/dahlonega-baptist-church/donate/category and designate the funds for “Jon Green Ministry.”
May God bless you and keep you and uphold you with His righteous right hand.
Blessings,
Jonathan Green