The evangelism series, “My House; an Altar for Jehovah,” was an exciting and Holy Spirit filled program for the Hispanic church district of Yakima.
Following the harsh challenges of quarantine time, we dared to launch 15-days of evangelism, to pray and bring a message of hope to the community. The title of this program comes from the initiative to invite our brothers and sisters to turn their houses into centers of worship. "Homes and Church" the central text was taken from 1 Corinthians 6:19, where the apostle reminds the church that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
A temple is a place where God is worshiped. If our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, it means that we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. We also speak of God's intention in Exodus 25:8 to live in a tabernacle to be close to the people. Taking this as a basis, we invited each family, each home, to be a tabernacle where the community can perceive a God who loves them and wants to save them. Some of those present accepted the challenge of converting their houses into church homes.
During the program every night, something impressive happened. Without a doubt, the Spirit of God was felt there. One that caught my attention the most was the response of a boy named David who, returning home with his parents, told them, "I want to be baptized. I want my name to be written in the book of life." To which his parents replied to wait a little longer. But this child insisted and was very emphatic. After hearing his arguments, the parents had no choice but to accept and the following Saturday, their son was baptized. The mother observed, with tears in her eyes and rejoicing, that sometimes we think the children are not paying attention to the preaching, but that they listen and understand every concept of the Bible expressed in the preaching. God is guiding the intellect of children.
In the same way, a non-Adventist family asked how they could make their house a spiritual home? We notice the great power of God when His word is raised, when His name is invoked and when the church, despite the challenges this pandemic has left, opens its doors to present the gospel to the community. We see how God touches and transforms hearts. Today our church has church homes, families who are opening their doors to worship with others, and leaders willing to evangelize and carry the message despite challenges. We thank God for allowing us to be a part of the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit.
