...from Bill's desk...

Sunday night while preaching at Larco Presbyterian Church, the lights went out, pitch black, during my last point. I said to the darkness, "Do I continue?" And the darkness responded, "Yes!" So, I continued letting them have it while they shined their cell phones in my direction.

I preached on the Ethiopian Eunuch. What a glorious passage! Luke loves to show Isaiah fulfillment in his two-volume work (cf. Lk 4.16ff.). Well, if the Eunuch is reading Isaiah 53, he's also surely read Isaiah 56:3-5. Remember that Mosaic Law didn't permit Eunuchs to enter into corporate worship in the temple. But, Isaiah 56 looks to the Messiah--and faith in Him gives "a name better than sons." But how? Mosaic Law prohibited Eunuchs from entering, just like sons of Aaron with defects being restricted from service, just like sacrifices being unacceptable if blemished. God demonstrates his holiness, perfection publicly to teach his people he is not a back pocket God like the pagans'. But, when the perfect, holy sacrifice appears to take away our defects, there is no longer any use for those laws. The powerful, yet marginalized eunuch now finds total acceptance. How many Christians are blocked in their growth by some obstacle or past sin, which they feel will always impede their being truly "within God's walls." The Eunuch surely did. But, the Gospel wipes it all away--even defects seemingly irreversible, unchangeable, severe. Well, I pressed it--I'm thankful for the Gospel--and I'm seeing more thankfulness for it among our people.

I'm currently teaching Greek I and II, and an Introduction to OT class in our SBR Seminary. We went through a general timeline and now are going through the individual books--in Genesis right now. But, this latter class is taking me a long time, just because I haven't developed handouts yet.

I’m heading up to Cajamarca today for Presbytery with Wes and Cullen Baker and Ricardo Hernandez. We are actually examining Ricardo, our first seminary graduate, for ordination, along with Juan Marquina for Licensure. I will stay till Sunday night to also attend a vigilia (all night worship service) in a rural church and worship in the Los Rosales church on Sunday.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. We keep you in our prayers as well.

Blessings, Bill