by Michael Miller, Jr. 7.12.21

Covid has taken its effect on the churches of Honduras in many ways. Since the beginning of our closure of the country back on the 16^th of March 2020 people gave up on the faith. They gave up on the Pastors. Gave up on their fellow church family. Just plainly gave up and started to live life in a survival mode that ignores all spirituality and looked to fleshly living. What suffers from this? The soul of each person and the children who need to be raised in a church family with Biblical teachings. Our Lord throughout the Bible gives us choices. We can choose to follow God and His leading in our lives or we can choose to walk away. The lay leader in the white shirt named Antonio asked us to come out and to kick off the first church service since the closing. He didn’t know if we will have none or many. All he knew was something was needed to be done and said to the people. With the hope to light a fire for God once again. Glenda and I traveled into the mountains that are located 45 minutes south from Tegucigalpa and a part of the Valley of Angels tourist area. We knew this area well, because of the food handed out to all the people in this area back in September of 2020. This encouraged us because they knew us and will feel comfortable to come and listen. We had 20 adults and about the same in youth/children. The title of my Sermon was, “The Choice is Yours.”

I read from the NIV Deuteronomy 30:11-20 “11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

After preaching for 50 minutes on the choice they will need to make that evening; to live life in obedience to God and His word (the Bible) and or live life in disobedience and choose death and destruction. I also talked about how many people choose to live a life semi-dedicated to God. I also, mentioned many churches as well, run their churches in a semi-obedient method to God’s word. I looked to the old leaders, the people listening and asked if anyone would like to start living a life of pure obedience to God, that runs against the grain of the worldly living and thinking. The congregation stood up. People came forward. I prayed over them and quoted Ephesians 1:4-14 so they would understand that living a life as a Christian is serious, with hope, with power, and without restraint in Jesus’ mighty name. I then felt led to pray for all those who were sick, in pain, and for their family members who didn’t come. We declared in Jesus’ name to be healed and Jesus made it so!! Can I get an Amen!! One woman told Glenda that she came with body pain from head to toe for a long time and it was all gone. She was healed. In these troubling times we live in we are faced with one decision and one alone. To declare Jesus as our Lord and Savior and live as He expects us to do or to deny Jesus and live a semi-obedient life. Our daily prayer is for the Body of Christ to grow Hot and on Fire for Jesus. Not cold or lukewarm. 

Declare with us, to everyone you know, that Jesus is alive!!