The Multicultural Ministries Office of the Global Church of the Nazarene - Roberto's Reflections for Monday, 16 June 2014

The Multicultural Ministries Office of the Global Church of the Nazarene - Roberto's Reflections for Monday, 16 June 2014

Immigrants in the Bible: For such a time as this!

Daniel and his three friends as Immigrants:

And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.(Daniel 1:3,6)

Babylon conquered Jerusalem and Daniel and his three friends were carried to Babylon as captives of war.  They were forced by war to become immigrants in the land of Babylon.  As Hebrews.  Daniel and his friends had been instructed in the fear of the Lord God according to the Mosaic Law. 

A test came into their life when “the king appointed for them a daily portion of the king's dainties, and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at the end thereof they should stand before the king.”   Daniel and his friends knew that the food in the king’s palace had been sacrificed to idols before it was prepared for common use.  Even though they were slave captives of war they didn’t want to participate in eating and drinking that kind of food.

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.   Now God made Daniel to find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs.”

God honored Daniel and his friends decision to be faithful to their upbringing in the Mosaic Law.  “Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.”

Practical lessons from this reflection:

1.The importance of purposing in our hearts not to be contaminated  with idols

2.The value of friends who share godly convictions to support us in times of difficulty

3.God honors those who stand for righteousness and gives them favor in the eyes of others

Ethnic Group	District	Churches	Members	Worship
Hispanic	Alabama North	11	630	607
Hispanic	Anaheim	26	1,211	1,447
Hispanic	Canada Central	8	992	846
Hispanic	Canada Pacific	2	90	98
Hispanic	Canada Quebec	2	40	48
Hispanic	Central California	33	1,104	1,482
Hispanic	Central Florida	19	1,383	1,515
Hispanic	Chicago Central	13	985	1,094
Hispanic	Colorado	6	387	361
Hispanic	Dallas	11	568	419
Hispanic	East Tennessee	1	18	5
Hispanic	Georgia	5	251	208
Hispanic	Illinois	2	78	102
Hispanic	Indianapolis	1	24	32
Hispanic	Intermountain	2	94	60
Hispanic	Iowa	2	190	166
Hispanic	Joplin	2	75	22
Hispanic	Kansas	7	493	448
Hispanic	Kansas City	4	626	440
Hispanic	Kentucky	3	70	52
Hispanic	Los Angeles	12	1,377	1,423
Hispanic	Louisiana	9	254	329
Hispanic	Metro New York	39	2,601	2,559
Hispanic	Mid-Atlantic	17	1,673	1,220
Hispanic	Mississippi	7	236	157
Hispanic	Missouri	1	32	40
Hispanic	Nebraska	2	48	26
Hispanic	New England	10	294	577
Hispanic	New Mexico	8	262	312
Hispanic	North Arkansas	4	153	121
Hispanic	North Carolina	6	107	124
Hispanic	North Central Ohio	1	40	81
Hispanic	North Florida	2	110	198
Hispanic	Northeast Oklahoma	4	205	145
Hispanic	Northeastern Indiana	5	23	7
Hispanic	Northern California	20	593	987
Hispanic	Northwest	2	35	37
Hispanic	Northwest Indiana	2	107	104
Hispanic	Northwestern Illinois	1	44	94
Hispanic	Northwestern Ohio	1	85	76
Hispanic	Oklahoma	1	80	49
Hispanic	Oregon Pacific	2	189	77
Hispanic	Philadelphia	3	71	54
Hispanic	Prairie Lakes	9	135	41
Hispanic	Sacramento	1	80	63
Hispanic	South Arkansas	7	253	236
Hispanic	South Carolina	2	156	110
Hispanic	Southern Florida	22	2,844	4,441
Hispanic	Southwest Indiana	1	12	34
Hispanic	Southwest Latin American	27	1,093	1,647
Hispanic	Southwest Oklahoma	3	59	59
Hispanic	Southwestern Ohio	1	-	-
Hispanic	Tennessee	4	312	338
Hispanic	Texas-Oklahoma Latin	30	1,406	1,556
Hispanic	Upstate New York	1	54	49
Hispanic	Virginia	18	643	586
Hispanic	Washington Pacific	3	90	126
Hispanic	West Texas	19	725	983
Hispanic	Western Latin American	35	2,810	2,612
Hispanic	Wisconsin	2	60	63
Hispanic Total	-	539	30,639	33,525

CALL FOR PRAYER

Hispanic Ministries Facilitator - Roberto Hodgson
Hispanic Ministries SRT and District Hispanic Coordinators
Hispanic Pastors and Churches
Hispanic National Master's Plan Conference in Miami - Sept. 18 - 20, 2014

EVENTS

June 27 - John Nells Birthday
July 6 - Michael Gatkek Birthday
July 8 - Samuel Chung Birthday
July 9 - Pascal Permis Birthday
June 17 – 19 - PALCON - ENC
June 23 – 25 - PALCON - SNU
July 10 – 13 -  National Nazarene Haitian Convention – Dorchester, MA
July 28 – 30 - PALCON - PLNU
July 31 – August 1 - Chinese, Samoan and Filipino SRT Meetings - PLNU

Multicultural Ministries vision is to encourage the development of strategy and initiative to reach the USA/Canada mission field through the visionary leadership of the ethnic facilitators, and their strategy committees.

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