My time in Central America was amazing. In Honduras, I met an American missionary / business man and his staff of 150 Hondurans at a 2,000-acre ranch in the mountains of San Marcos De Colon. Mission Lazarus is reaching Hondurans in about a 150-mile radius within their region by teaching them leather making, carpentry, and sowing skills, creating jobs on their coffee bean farm, giving 50 orphans a home and education, all while sharing the gospel and planting churches. I don’t know if I have ever been more impressed with a leadership and their vision to reach their region for Christ.
My time in San Marcos was very intentional. I was there to introduce 25 churches from the “The Churches of Christ” to the ministry of Prepare International and begin discussions about starting training schools for their pastors and emerging leaders. After the training, one of the Pastors said, “I learned today that the Kingdom of God is not a one time experience or a place we will one day go, but the Kingdom of God is an open door into the living reality of the presence of God on earth as it is in heaven.” During another session we talked about Christ reigning not just over the heavens and over the nations, but also in the hearts of men in which he begins to reorder all of life. To which the question was then posed, “Who is reigning over your heart, your family and your ministry? What needs to be reordered and put back into proper alignment with the reigning King? “ One pastor begin to have a vision of Christ reigning on the throne of his heart, but with tears in his eyes he shared there were also names of others written on that throne that he had given permission and authority to rule and reign also. As I led the pastors in a time of repentance, this pastor gave testimony, “those names have now been erased!” The reality of the Kingdom was setting this man free right before my eyes. ■ Tommy Hood
