Bro. Buddy Martin - Studies

HF154 - Sabes tú que Christo te ama?

To:  Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From:  "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Sun March 6, 2006 9:48 am
Subject: Bible Study HF154 - Sabes tú que Christo te ama?

Hebraics,

I was raised in my early years in the Mexican-American culture in  California, so I do a minimal job of speaking Spanish. I can survive, barely. When I'm in Latin-American countries I get Nathan to interpret for me. In one of our mission trips to Belize (formerly British Honduras) I felt impressed to ask Nathan how to properly say, 'Do you know that Jesus Christ loves You,' in Spanish. He gave me the phrase, 'Sabes tu que Christo te ama?'

This study carries in it a testimony to the one message that we've been given to share with the world. It is the message of God's love.

This is Bible Study HF154 - Sabes tu que Christo te ama?

I've been in and out of Latin America on mission trips a number of times. This time we were among the Mayan Indians in the mountains of Belize. Walking down a mountain trail with some of our group, I noticed that an old Indian gentleman had stopped at the side of the trail to let us pass. That's when it happened.

I stop and said to the old Indian, "Sabes tu que Christo te ama?" The elderly gentleman put his hands on his face and began to weep. I could hardly believe my eyes. Instantly I did my best to consol him. But my Spanish was so meager that I felt at a loss. I assured him of God's love. His eyes were still wet with tears as we parted.

Now my heart was broken. How can one simple statement have such an  effect on anyone. But now I also understood why the Holy Spirit impressed me to use that phrase. The love of Jesus is the message of the cross. The old Indian did not need to hear a message of condemnation. He lived in a state of condemnation. He needed to know that God really truly loved him.

These Indians were steeped in idolatry. Fear controlled their lives. They had mountain gods, and witches, and dark spirits at work in their lives. As I preached that evening in the thatched building I could literally feel the oppressing spirits. The darkness felt so strong that I had to leave the building for a moment for fresh air. (This was an open-on-all-sides building.) Yet the message had to go forth, and it did. More people were added to God's holy kingdom. Was Satan mad. You bet. Could he do anything about it. Not a thing in the world.

This was only one of a number of instances where the Lord had me speak to the Latin-American peoples about God's love for them. Here are some more moments. We were in a barrio (village) south of Reynosa. I had a Mexican-American singing group with us. We walked through the barrio inviting the peoples to a service that evening. A wealthy Christian woman had made her courtyard available for our use.

The courtyard filled up. Again I am startled but for a different reason. I had never seen physical conditions on that level. One person literally had tumors hanging from their body. Again I asked the Lord what He wanted me to say. He said that I was to tell them three things. First, tell them that He loved them. Then tell them that He wanted to heal their lives. And finally tell them that they must learn to walk in His ways.

That barrio saw our first church raised up in Mexico. It was all a result of telling the people that Jesus Christ truly loved them. We also saw a deaf mute in a wheel chair speak for the first time. He didn't speak clearly but everyone was excited. I was later told that the deaf mute was singing in the school yard.

Then we had a team in Honduras near the border of Guatemala. It was during the time that war was going on in El Salvador. (We could hear the cannons firing.) Again I ask the Lord what He wanted me to say. He said, "Tell them that you come as an ambassador from the kingdom of God and that you have a message for them from the King."

The building packed out. Men were in the windows and bunched up around the entry area. Children pressed to the front. Mothers with their babies filled the seating. No seats were left. It happened again. The moment I said, "I come as an ambassador from the kingdom of God, and I have a message for you from the King," it became totally silent. You could hear a pin drop.

What message did I have? You guessed it. I preached to them God's love through the cross. It happened again. At the end of my message, and old Indian gentleman stood up, began walking to the front. He was coming to meet his King. He heard. He believe. He came. The altar area packed with peoples. The kingdom was enlarging.

I have many more such stories about the power of the gospel and of God's love. Time forbids me from sharing too much. Let me add just a couple of short illustrations. We were in another mountain village in Honduras. I began to preach the message of the cross. At the end of the message I saw the crowd part. Everyone's eyes were fixed on an elderly woman.

You guessed it. But here's the twist. The elderly woman was a witch and had held considerable sway over the non-Christian peoples of that village. This night it was to be different. She was coming to meet her King. She heard the message that God loved her too.

Shall I go on? I stood behind the casket of a young man who had died. It was also in Honduras. Again I preached the simple message of God's love. And again the peoples lined up across the front. They were presenting themselves to the King. He accepted them all. (Seems I was seeing just a bit of what Billy Graham has seen by the multiplied thousands.)

I think you are getting the picture. Let me continue on by simply saying that if the gospel of Jesus Christ is not about the love of God, it is no gospel at all. The gospel is good news. It is happy tidings. Why would God send His Son into the world to die for our sins, if it was not because He loved us so much. That is the reason. To preach any other gospel is to mispreach. There is no other gospel.

It is the gospel of God's love that melts the human heart. Yes, judgment has its place in the message. Sin must be dealt with. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came, He would convict the world "concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged." (John 16:8-11)

For those who reject Jesus Christ, the message must become clear on the issue of judgment. This is the message to the world. But the message must be imbued with the purpose of the cross. The cross is the measure and message of God's love.

Yes, I've seen times where mockery was evident. We were holding  meetings at a banana plantation. This time the crowd had a strong mixture of homosexuals. Their intent was to keep the gospel from going forth. It was a moment of strain, but it broke. I am aware of a moment when everyone became silent. This always happens when the King is heard. I don't know how many came to the Lord. I hope the bondage of homosexuality was broken over the peoples.

And, yes, Nathan has been shot at and has had rocks thrown at him while doing mission work in Latin America. Yet in all this he helped start thirteen churches in the most troublesome area of south Mexico. Nathan and his partner were not black-top missionaries. They went were the blacktop stopped, on donkeys, and then further on foot. Was it worth it? A thousands times more. Eternity will tell the story.

If it seems that I am bragging in any of this, please be sure that you are missing the point. This is to testify to the love of God. Any boasting to be done is to be directed to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have seen the power of God's transforming love in the most sinful of lives. Never can I take credit for any of this. I will always love the statement Charles H. Spurgeon made when he was asked to write a defense of the gospel. He said, "The gospel does not need to be defended. It is like a caged lion. Turn it lose. It can take care of itself."

Perhaps I do have another point after all --- It disturbs me greatly when I hear of preachers treating sinners as though they were dogs, and abusing God's people as though their lives had little value to God. Who is the man that would abuse the very ones that God loves so deeply? Jesus did not tell Peter to beat His sheep. He told Peter to love them, to care for them, to feed them.

My point is that God has given us a message. The message is the  message of the cross. One thing must always be made clear. The people need to know that Jesus loves them. He loves them enough to come and live with them, in their heart, and all the days of their life.

Jesus is a great Savior. He is a Savior that finishes what He begins. This is why the Bible says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. And wasn't it Jesus who said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand." Yes, I believe it was Jesus who said that.

What do you have to say?

Feel free to contribute to this study.

Blessings,

Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host 
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/

"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)