In the seventh chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus invites all who are thirsty to come to him and drink and he promises that everyone who accepts his invitation will see rivers of life flowing from them. Today we invite you to listen to a story of two rivers.
Gloria’s story is certainly encouraging. Even more encouraging; there are many more people who could have stories like Gloria’s, if the waters from the river of life reach them in time.
With love, 
The Downings
When I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.
2 Corinthians 11:9
Where God lays on our heart we must go. If we cannot go we must give! Today’s podcast continues the series about sending missionaries in the best way possible. If you haven’t heard part one click here, or part two click here.
With much love, 
The Downings
Folklore is an important part of understanding the historical underpinnings and thought processes of a culture. In today’s podcast we share the story of Kapak Urku, Mama Tungurahua and Taita Chimborazo. What cultural insight can you glean from the story?
With love, The Downings
Who founded the Church? To answer this question we consider an excerpt from the book THE CHURCH OF GOD, WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT by D.S. Warner.
We are told that Abraham “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Heb. 11:10 And in the next chapter, the apostle Paul says to the converted Hebrews, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” 12:22-24
That city—“whose builder and maker is God”—we have come unto in the gospel dispensation, and it is “the church of the first- born.” Christ, who was “God… manifest in the flesh,” 1 Tim. 3:16 is the founder, builder, and maker of the church. “For this man [Christ Jesus] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.” Heb. 3:3-4 “Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Acts 20:28 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church… holy and without blemish.” Eph. 5:25-27 “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matt. 16:18
With much love, The Downings
If you enjoyed this podcast click here to listen to last week’s Sunday Teaching.
Spiced pineapple drink
Serves 8-10 people
Chicha de piña is a spiced pineapple drink made by simmering the pineapple skins and core with spices and hard brown sugar. Seven out of seven members of the Downing family recommend this simple drink.
Ingredients
Instructions
First. Combine all of the ingredients in large saucepan or pot
Then. Bring to a boil and simmer partially covered for at about an hour, stirring occasionally.
Enjoy. You can drink it immediately or let it rest refrigerated to allow the spices and pineapple flavor to concentrate.
With love, The Downings
If you enjoyed this recipe podcast we encourage you to click here and check out this one!
It is one of the great tragedies of church history – the divorce between the church and her mission. Today few churches even know that the divorce occurred, making it even more painful. The separation has persisted so long that it seems normal.
-Tom Julien
The church is the active body of Christ in this world! The builder of the Church is God the Father, it is empowered or quickened by the Holy Spirit, and its movement, its mission is given by Christ who is the head!
But When the Church separates itself from the Mission or worse yet divorces itself from the mission it is a sad state of affairs indeed.
History is replete with cycles of the church embracing the mission of Christ and the church divorcing itself from the mission of Christ. In the Epochs of time in which there is a divorce between the church and her mission para-church organizations arise. These organizations try to carry out the mission of Christ but the mission of Christ was never intended to be carried out by any organization, only the church. Para-church organizations succeed from time to time but the real home of the mission of Christ is within the body of Christ.
If it is true that there has been a divorce between the church and her Mission today and that most churches do not even know that the divorce accord occurred it is up to this generation to refocus the body of Christ upon its head, Jesus Christ, and to engage in his mission.
May we be the generation who seeks his face. May we be the generation who passionately embraces his mission.
With much love,
The Downings
What do old Roman military funeral rituals and people in purple robes and pointed hats have to do with Easter? Listen to today’s Ministry Story and find out!
Click here if you want to learn more about Catholic Syncretism!
Happy Easter, 
The Downings
You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.
-3 John 6-8
What kind of support do missionaries need? How can we send missionaries well? Last week we spoke about moral support (we invite you to click here to listen or share last week’s podcast).
This week we discuss logistical support. What are some of the small things you can do to support your missionary in this way? We have big and small answers to that question.
Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you.
-1 Thes 3:1
With much love, The Downings
What do the Inca, the Conquistadores, the cult of Pachamama and Mariolatry have in common? Find out by listening to today’s Cultural Insight podcast.
Rumicucho is one of the “high places” the Conquistadors destroyed.
with much love, the Downings
The Bible clearly names the Church “the body of Christ.” A broken, divided body is a body that needs help but a united body is one that can offer help to those who are lost and dying in this sin-sick world! Click play on the podcast below to learn more.
Excerpt from THE CHURCH OF GOD, WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT by D.S. Warner.
The words church and churches occur in the New Testament 112 times, translated from the Greek word ekklesia, which would have been more correctly rendered “congregation.” Thus we would have read, “the congregation of God,” “the congregation of the firstborn,” Heb. 12:23 etc., denoting its divine Founder and Owner. And, “the congregation that was at Antioch,” Acts 13:1 “the congrega- tion of God which is at Corinth,” 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1 “the congregations of Asia,” 1 Cor. 16:19 “the congregations of Galatia,” v.1; Gal. 1:2 etc., denoting the different geographical locations of the congregations of God. But whether we use the word church, as in common use, or con- gregation, the more correct appellation, we should only attach such meaning to it as agrees with the Word of God. To use a Bible word out of its biblical meaning is perverting the Bible.
What then is the Bible definition of the church?
Answer: “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the full- ness of him that filleth all in all.” Eph. 1:22-23 “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Col. 1:18 “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.” v.24The church is the body of Christ. And being the body of Christ, it necessarily includes all His members. Therefore to call an earthly building the church is ridiculous, and to call an organized division the church is subverting the truth. No sect contains all the body of Christ, therefore, no sect is the church of God. Then as honest men, who expect to be judged by the Word of God, let us never call anything the church but the body of Christ; that is, all the saved, either universally, or in any given locality.
With much love, The Downings
