Nella storia, Nabot possedeva una vigna in prossimità del palazzo del re Acab nella città di Izreel. Per questo Acab desiderava acquistare la vigna per poterla utilizzare come orto. Poiché aveva ereditato la terra dai suoi antenati, Nabot si rifiutò di venderla ad Acab. Frustrato per non poter acquistare la vigna, Acab tornò nel suo palazzo e si coricò senza mangiare nulla. Sua moglie, Jezebel, dopo aver appreso il motivo del suo turbamento, gli chiese beffarda: “Non sei tu il re?” Disse allora che gli avrebbe procurato la vigna. Per fare ciò, inviò una lettera, sotto il nome di Acab, agli anziani e ai nobili della città di Nabot, ordinando loro di istituire Naboth proclamando un digiuno e ordinando a Nabot di sedere in un “posto prominente”. Due testimoni, indicati come “mascalzoni” da Izebel, furono quindi chiamati ad accusare falsamente Nabot di aver maledetto Dio e il re. Dopo di ciò, lo avrebbero portato fuori città e lo avrebbero lapidato a morte. Gli anziani e i nobili accettarono di eseguire le istruzioni della lettera. Il piano fu eseguito esattamente come previsto e subito dopo la morte di Nabot, il re Acab andò a prendere possesso dell’ambita terra. Come punizione per questo incidente, Dio decise di giudicare il re Acab e tutta la sua famiglia.

Come era ai giorni del re Acab, così era ai giorni di Gesù, e anche oggi.

Nabot è un presagio di Gesù. Erano entrambi uomini giusti che avevano ricevuto una vigna dal loro Padre. Allo stesso modo, i poteri e le autorità terrene come i re, i principi e gli anziani tramano insieme per giudicare e incriminare i giusti e prendere loro la terra.

Oggi un fenomeno simile si sta verificando anche in tutto il mondo. Chiese e altre istituzioni cristiane come le scuole vengono rilevate e trasformate per altri scopi dai poteri mondani:

1. Le chiese e altre proprietà che sono state fatte per promuovere il regno di Dio vengono acquistate o semplicemente prese per uso secolare come musei, uffici, ristoranti, abitazioni, ecc.

2. Le chiese e le istituzioni cristiane più antiche vengono sempre più conquistate da leader liberali e non spirituali a causa della continua influenza del mondo o dell’intervento diretto dei governi di alcuni paesi, così che intere congregazioni sono sviate.

3. Le chiese vengono demolite e bruciate

4. Chiese, leader cristiani e cristiani sono pubblicamente odiati, calunniati, falsamente accusati e giudicati dal mondo e dai media mondani.

Per favore prega affinché, in mezzo a tutto questo, la chiesa, i cristiani e i suoi leader non soccombano alla paura dell’uomo e siano corrotti o svenduti, ma piuttosto vivano con la saggezza del timore di Dio e obbediscano e piacciano solo a lui. Pregate anche per i persecutori e i capi mondani, affinché si allontanino dalle loro vie ignoranti e malvagie, temano Dio e si sottomettano a Lui. Pregate affinché la nostra comunità cresca con leader devoti ed erediti bene la storia cristiana e i vigneti in modo che possano essere continuamente utilizzati per il loro scopo originale di promuovere il regno di Dio in Europa e nel resto del mondo, fino al giorno del Signore.

Surely, we wish to be the ones living under God’s blessings and avoid the curses for ourselves and our members. In this chapter we can see that Israel went through a famine that was lasting 3 years. There was a continuous famine as the land did not produce much fruit. After three years, David sought the face of the Lord, and the Lord said to him, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”

At this time Saul and a big part of his family had already died and David was king for a long time. This is how scary sin is. Sin does not go away, it just piles up and it brings curse, unless we repent of it and make restitution. What had happened was that although the people of Israel had sworn to spare the Gibeonites, Saul had sought to strike them down and annihilate them. The Israelites did not keep their promise towards the Gibeonites. Saul tried to kill them all. There was the blood of the Gibeonites crying out to God from the ground. When David found out about this source of the curse, he called the Gibeonites and he made restitution to them.

Sometimes is not enough to just repent before God. Like in the cases of Zacchaeus and Onesimus, sometimes there is the need to offer restitution, and sometimes there is the need to ask forgiveness to the people we have done harm.

What was the conclusion? It says that, after restitution was made, God answered prayer on behalf of the land. That means that before, although the Israelites prayed for the land to bear fruit, the prayers could not be answered. Why? Because of the sin and curse they were under. After there was true repentance and restitution through David, the prayers on behalf of the land were answered and the land was blessed and started to produce crops well. Conclusively, the famine ended. How was that possible? Through David that sought the Lord till he explained him there was a curse and the reason for it. So for us, how important is this? If there is unfruitfulness, we need to seek the face of the Lord as we live.

As Christianity grows and as our community grows sins pile up more and entangle, and we can easily come under curse. It can be the sins we ourselves committed against others or like in this case it can be even the sin someone else committed in the past. In Europe, particularly, Christianity is quite old, and there is such an extensive history of sins of believers, churches, and religious leaders. The old state churches can be regarded as Saul, and the new vibrant churches as David. Amid that what kind of people do we need to be? Not the people that just judge and condemn others adding sin to sin and curse to curse, but rather we need to be people like David and like Jesus.

We need to become the lambs of God that take away the sin of the world, that disentangle the past sin, that release our people from sin and curse and rather open the way for God’s blessing to come down. In the case of David, he even had to pray and make restitution for the sin his opponent Saul had committed. In the case of Jesus, he prayed and offered his body and redemption to the very ones that were killing him.

May the Lord inspire and strenghten us to live a life of redemption following the life of Jesus.

There, 12 leaders from the 12 tribes of Israel return after exploring the Canaan, as God had guided them through Moses, and shared their reports. Although they all went together and saw the same land, 10 of them gave a report of unbelief and 2 of them – Joshua and Caleb – gave a report of faith.

Listening to the report of the majority, the Israelites cried and despaired. They started to grumble against Moses and God, starting to conclude that the Lord was bringing them to this land to let them fall by the sword. Some of them consider and are about to decide to go back to Egypt.

As we go through our path of faith and face challenges in our ministries it can be easy to become confined in the small picture and just see and analyse the outward reality that may sometimes seem bleak and discouraging. However, faith is knowing in our hearts the simple truth that we were called by him out of the world where we once were slaves, that he makes us go through the desert to purify us, train us, turning us into a holy nation, and that he will allow us to enter and conquer Canaan land, an abundant land filled with idols from other nations that we should destroy and purify like heavenly salt.

Similarly, the one who called us will justify us, sanctify us, and ultimately glorify us. God is good and faithful from beginning to end and he will surely bring about his promise. May we be the ones that like Joshua and Caleb can live interpreting our life with faith and planting that faith in others through a report of faith. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land and give it to us. Only do not rebel, do not be afraid. The Lord is with us.

In Samuel 14 we can see that through the boldness of Jonathan that decided to go alone to the enemy camp, and the encouragement and companionship of his armour-bearer, eventually the battle against the Philistines was won. As they went forward alone, the opportunity arose where they were able to attack the Philistines taking them by surprise. Single handed, they were able to kill around 20 of them. Meanwhile panic and confusion sent from God arose among the Philistines that started to run away in all directions and to strike each other. Seeing that from afar, king Saul and the other Israelite army troops came and attacked the fleeing Philistines, eventually achieving a great victory for Israel.

What we can learn from this story is that through the boldness and bravery of even just two people, the way could be open for the whole army to win the battle. Through the breakthrough of two people, all the people could breakthrough. In mission, and in business it is also like that. If there is one person that can go out with boldness to explore the enemy territory, eventually the way may be opened, and the opportunity may arise and be seized. If one person reaches a breakthrough, this can raise moral and confidence, and open up the victory for all.

After the settlement of the Europe OC and TM, the priority for 2020 will be mission expansion. Four families will be sent in the second half of January to France, Spain, and Portugal.

P. Nathanael family will be going to Paris, P. Javier family to Lisbon.

Additionally, P. João family will be moving to Barcelona that will become a pivot to support Europe missions and do missionary journeys throughout the continent.

The three countries will also be strategic to form a network with Africa, Latin America, and their new OC’s.

For the year 2020 the next priority is to open the countries of Italy and the Netherlands and in this way complete all the G20 countries.

5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Paul’s attitude and philosophy of his mission work are clearly stated in this verse; he served and worked as “a servant of Christ.” A servant, doulos in Greek, was a term Paul used to indicate his self-identity as he served the Lord.

A voluntary life of devotion and sacrifice for God’s Kingdom was a basis of every work he did. He confessed, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” (1 Corinthians 9:19)

Paul’s portrait of his own identity is a mandate to everyone who follows the life of a believer. Once you are saved, you have absolute freedom to choose a way of life. With the new life born through Christ’s blood, Paul “made himself a slave to everyone” to preach the gospel and advance God’s Kingdom.

When this identity collapses, a crisis comes to the believers’ life, diverting them to demand God’s reward and blaming others for their own choice. Although dedication of one’s life to God’s Kingdom begins with one’s free will and voluntary devotion, loss of this mindset as “doulos” can quickly blind our heart and mislead us into a meaningless conflict with secular values such as money, fame, or vain ambitions.

Paul said, “We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.” “I make myself a slave to everyone.”

The fact that his life was driven by this belief was exposed in many parts of the New Testament. Rather than receiving, he considered giving as a greater blessing (Acts 20:35). Even in times of deficiency, he led his team to fundraise from churches in order to help and support the church in Jerusalem that was suffering from a severe famine.

Paul was strictly dogmatic, however, strategically practical and forward-looking. Not only teaching and preaching, Paul provided substantive money and funds for the poor, practicing the love of Christ voluntarily.

In Christ, there is nothing impossible for believers who desire to practice this love for others. We are in an era that even Christians are sold by money, being tested or discouraged in material temptations. Through the lips of the prophet Isaiah, God said, “To which of my creditors did I sell you?” (Isaiah 50:1) However, countless believers surrender to the force of money and discredit their conviction in Christ.

Paul’s courageous and daring model of self-support and self-reliance should speak strongly to modern churches to release many who are bound by a trap of fear in money or secular values. This Early Church method will revive when we inherit Paul’s spirit: “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”