Haiti mission trip support and Prayer request for a good friend. Update 4

Hello everyone. I am 6 days late posting this, but here is an update from my friend Anthony. He leaves this week for Haiti, please keep he and the rest his team in prayer:

Friends and Family,

I am 1 week away from departing for Haiti with a team of 14 from
Berean Community Church from Rochester, Minnesota.

A few tidbits to update everyone:

-Presidential elections are taking place in Haiti today. Please be in  prayer for the country. Amidst the election, former President Jean Aristide has returned to the country after being exiled several years ago. There is speculation by the media that his presence could create unrest in the country. Pray that the country stays calm while we are there.

-Water is Life, an organization that we've partnered with is indeed going to drill three wells – They are bringing in the heavy equipment in September to do the actual drilling. In typical Haiti fashion everything is still a little bit up in the air as to how things will happen. But there is a firm commitment to drill the three wells.

-While we are in Limbe there is some work they need help with: Putting up a chain link fence around the orphanage and there is a cement floor on the compound they need put in. There might be some kitchen remodeling to be done as well.

-Praise the Lord we are at 108% of the funding we need. The Lord will guide how we are to give the extra 8%

-As I have mentioned before and I mentioned at the top of this note, we have a team of 14 people going. I have concerns about a group this size in that sometimes people are tempted to want to do their own thing and stray from the group. Please pray for our team leader Paul and for those in the group - that they will put the group's needs before their own.

-Lastly - there is a girl with dwarfism (achondroplasia - the same type as me) who resides in the town Cap Haitien where our team flies in and out of. I've seen her standing on the sidewalk every time we are on our way out of Haiti. She's been at the same spot both times. Pray that if it is in God's will, He would give me the opportunity to stop and share the joy and good news of the Lord with her. It is very likely that she has never met another little person in her life or if she has, only a few occasions. I want her to know that she is not alone and that she is loved by God. You can pray that God brings me in contact with other little people as well while we're down there ;)

Blessings in Christ!

Anthony

The world did not know HIM...so it will not know us.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. -1 John 3:1

The more news I read, the more nonsense I see in our schools(US), TV, movies and hear in music, the more my heart hurts for this world. It is depraved...it hates God. People are happily marching toward a cliff unwilling to hear that they are going to fall.

The last thing non believers need to worry about is so called "judgment" or "intolerance" from Christians; for we happily admit WE are not the judge. I place this question to you Non Believers; believing what we Christians do about salvation and Heaven, how much would Christians have to hate you to say nothing about your impending fall? How much would we have to hate someone to not help them get to Jesus and salvation?

One difference between a Christian and Non believer is Christians want to stop you from falling off that cliff(that you choose to say is not there); your belief system would let everyone walk off the cliff just to not sound judgmental or intolerant. Christians are about love, yes we are all sinners and we are all broken. You must remember that people can call themselves anything they want; you WILL know a Christian by their fruit. Don't let the hateful people put a wedge between you and God.

Thanks for checking in. God Bless>>John

Japan: After Empathy and Aid, People Want Answers - John Piper

Priorities

First things first.
When Christians see suffering they feel empathy. We too have bodies (Hebrews 13:3). Therefore, love commands, “Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).
Then comes aid. We want to help relieve human suffering—all of it, especially eternal suffering:

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).

And that includes enemies:

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you (Luke 6:27);
If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink (Romans 12:20).

But sooner or later people want more than empathy and aid—they want answers.

Proclamation and Power

When love has wept and worked, it must have something to say about God. It doesn’t need to have all the answers. Only God does. But it has the Bible, and the Bible is not silent on this matter.
No earthquakes in the Bible are attributed to Satan. Many are attributed to God.¹ This is because God is Lord of heaven and earth:

He commands even winds and water, and they obey him (Luke 8:25);
He sends forth His command to the earth. . . . He gives snow like wool; He scatters hoarfrost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before His cold? . . . He makes his wind blow and the waters flow (Psalm 147:15-18);
He looks on the earth and it trembles . . . touches the mountains and they smoke! (Psalm 104:32);
[He] shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble (Job 9:6).

Earthquakes are ultimately from God. Nature does not have a will of its own. And God owes Satan no freedom. What havoc demons wreak, they wreak with God’s permission. And God has reasons for what he permits. His permissions are purposes. That's the point of Job 1-2 and Luke 22:31-32.

Purpose

God does nothing without an infinitely wise and good purpose:

He is wise and brings disaster (Isaiah 31:2);
The Lord is good (Psalm 100:5);
All his works are right and his ways are just (Daniel 4:37).

Therefore, God has a good and all-wise purpose for the heart-rending calamity in Japan on March 11, 2011 that appears to have cost tens of thousands of lives.
Indeed, he has hundreds of thousands of purposes, most of which will remain hidden to us until we are able to grasp them at the end of the age:

How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! (Romans 11:33);
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us (Deuteronomy 29:29).

Yet there are possible purposes revealed in the Bible that we may pray will come to pass:

1. The end-time earthquakes in the book of Revelation (see above) are meant as calls to repentance—to warn people who deny Jesus Christ that a day is coming when unbelievers will cry to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:16).
2. The end-time earthquakes in Matthew 24:7-8 are meant to be interpreted as “the beginning of the birth pangs.” That is, they are a wake-up call to this world that God's kingdom will soon be born. So be alert and prepare to meet Jesus Christ.
3. God's unilateral taking of thousands of lives is a loud declaration that “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away” (Job 1:21). The message for all the world is that life is a loan from God (Luke 12:20) and belongs to him. He creates it and gives it and takes it according to his own will and owes us nothing. He has a right both to children (2 Samuel 12:15) and to the aged (Luke 2:29). It is a great gift to learn this truth and dedicate our lives to their true owner rather than defraud him till it is too late.
4. The power felt in an earthquake reveals the fearful magnificence of God. This is a great gift since “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). Most of the world does not fear the Lord and therefore lacks saving wisdom. The thunder-clap summons to fear God is a mercy to those who live.
5. When the earth shakes under our feet there is a dramatic sense that there is no place to flee. In most disasters the earth is the one thing that stands firm when wind and flood are raging. But where do you turn when the earth itself is unsafe? Answer: God.

Pray

And let us pray that in this catastrophe the Lord fulfills two other purposes:

1. That Christians repent of worldliness. “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).
2. That Christians in Japan and around the world would step forward with extraordinary, sacrificial love to show more clearly the mercy of Christ who laid down his life in the midst of the Father's judgment. The suffering and death of Jesus Christ for the sin of the world is the one place where empathy, aid, and answers meet. He invites everyone to come for all three.

O how fragile this life is. The world, and all its life-sustaining processes seem so sure and solid. They are not. One thing is sure and solid:

Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28).

¹ 2 Samuel 22:8; Isaiah 13:13; 24:18-20; 29:6; Psalm 60:2; Nahum 1:5-6; Revelation 6:12; 8:5; 11:13-14; 16:18

by: John Piper 

Haiti mission trip support and Prayer request for a good friend. Update 3

Updates and great news from Anthony,

Two weeks from tomorrow - Sunday, March 27, a team of 14 individuals including myself depart for Haiti.

A few tidbits/updates:

We have raised 97 % of our financial goal for the trip. We have $600 left to raise. I trust that God will provide the remaining $600
before we depart on March 27.

This past week, I have had several opportunities to connect with a
co-worker who is from Port Au Prince, Haiti

On Friday, March 4, 7 of us team members had the opportunity to pack food at the Feed My Starving Children warehouse in Eagan, Minnesota (just outside of Minneapolis). Along with 70 other people, we packed over 90 boxes. That amounted to over 20,000 meals - enough to feed 52 kids for a year! It was an awesome time bonding with those whom I will be going to Haiti and we had the opportunity to serve alongside of others we had never met before. Meeting strangers is cool!

We have connected with an organization that builds wells and water
pump systems in Haiti and they have an established relationship with Grace Missions whom we partner with in Limbe, Haiti. I stated in a previous note that we have hopes of building a well / fresh water supply in Ennery where our sister church is located. Praise God that this organization has visited Ennery and knows where our sister church is located. We do not know if a well or fresh water supply will be built while we are in Haiti, but we pray that this is a good start - establishing a relationship with people who know how to build wells in Haiti and who are familiar with the town of Ennery.

Tomorrow is our bi-weekly Haiti missions trip team meeting. We'll be working on skits and reviewing plans for when we arrive in Haiti.
We'll also work on bible verses and sing worship songs in Kreyol the
native Haitian Language.

Please pray for my stamina. Work has been intense and the days/nights have been long. Pray that God sustains me and provides me rest before we depart for Haiti. I have a couple of projects that are due to be delivered while I am in Haiti, but I trust God will put things in the right hands while I am gone. If not - He has other plans for me :)
Regarding the well we have been hoping to build at our sister church in Ennery, Haiti. We received word today that the organization we contacted has funding to begin building the well and our team will have some involvement while we are in Haiti to get things started.

This is HUGE.

Three individuals from our team will have a conference call with the organization building the well on Tuesday - pray that the phone call goes well and we are obedient to God's plans.

It started out as an idea / thought in passing to look into a way to supply clean water to the town where our sister church is located.

Then we thought this would be a good idea to tie in with the message given in John 7:37-38:
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

And now our desire is becoming reality. It is our hope that people come to the well to receive clean drinking water and they will also receive the message of Living Water as told from the bible from our sister church in Ennery.

Thank you for your support!

In Christ,
Anthony

Thank all of you for your support. Please keep this team in your prayers. God Bless >> John

Sometimes there are no immediate answers. - Psalm 86:6-7

I saw this and was thinking about the people in Japan, please pray for those people suffering right now.

Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

— Psalm 86:6-7 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Sometimes there are no immediate answers. We have prayed and cried and tried and gone sleepless and mourned and shouted. Still there are no answers. The days roll by in an agonizing parade of pain. Still there are no answers we can identify. What do we do? We go to the Psalms. We let them raise up our heart's cry. We are honest with the God of the entire universe and yet we can still anticipate mercy from him. We are convinced that in our troubles, he will not only hear us, but he will also care about what is happening in our lives.

My Prayer...

Almighty God, the only true Healer of disease and Mender of broken hearts, please hear the cry today of those I love who are in such desperate situations. May your will be done in every one of their lives with tenderness, grace, and a sense of your presence. And Lord, please be near me, and help me see your answer to my prayers. Forever yours in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Credit: http://www.verseoftheday.com/

Hey, you can't judge me! Um, yes I can...

 I wanted to write something about a verse I hear quoted out of context all the time; ironically by non-Christians most of the time. Now Christians don’t get a pass here, because they are just as bad if not worse because they should know the context and how to use the verse.

I think most people know Matthew 7:1 even if they don’t know they do, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” This verse has been morphed and twisted to mean something it was not intended by secular society; namely telling someone they can’t judge someone’s actions or lifestyle. NEWS FLASH, you are wrong if you think that; and if you tell someone they can’t judge, well guess what? Based on your rules, you have done wrong by telling someone else they are doing wrong. See how that works?

Clearly we can’t escape making moral judgments.

Alright, if we take look at the context in which Jesus is speaking in Matthew 7:1-5, you will see Jesus IS making a moral judgment about certain people using metaphors comparing people to dogs and pigs.

Let’s take a look:

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 

You can see in verse 6, Jesus is stressing that we should not continue to present Gods grace to those who persistently scoff and ridicule. As in Matthew 10:14, we must at some point shake the dust off our feet and move on to more receptive people.

The plank in the eye, I know, I’m getting to it. I did not skip verse 3-5, it’s coming. I have to say this first, I find very important to state that Jesus commanded us in John 7:24 to, “Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment”. So we see that we are not to judge people who look different to us or are outside of what we consider “normal” looking. Having worked with teens in youth Groups, you will see some that will make you go “hmmmmmm” but you will learn they are good kids with a big heart for the Lord.

So now to digest all this; how do we resolve this conflict of judging? We resolve it by taking a look at the spirit in which we make judgments. Are we making this judgment because we think we are better than them; or is there some true issues with their actions and or attitude that we need to address in the spirit of caring and humility? Are we self aware enough to see our weaknesses and if we are clean in the area in which we are pointing out in someone else?

Matthew 7:5 tells us to first look at ourselves, examine ourselves to remove the sin in our life first before attempting to remove it from someone else’s life. How can we help someone if we ourselves are doing the same thing? So if there is a problem to be dealt with, do it, but only after self examination.

Now the wrong kind of judgment will come across condemning and not helpful to the person. For us to make the correct type of judgments on moral or doctrinal matters, we need to first pray and approach the person with a humble heart (after self examination.) Also, we must always remember to treat others as we would like to be treated; we are not trying to come across as another hypocritical “religious” person condemning someone to hell. We have enough hypocrites in Christianity; we need disciples willing to lead the way by example, with caring and love. True, we are all sinners, but people still need to be called to task on moral and doctrinal issues.

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. - (Matthew 7:12)

So when “judging” comes up with people, make sure to define what you mean by the word judge. These conversations are never easy ones. Defining what your intent is will help in greasing the wheels in the conversation. We as Christians can’t back down on moral issues or making moral judgments, it is impossible to do. Even the people who say “don’t judge” can’t escape making a judgment. So yes, we can judge, we have to, no one can escape it; but remember we have enough hypocrites, so be careful. Remember we cannot judge someones place before God, only God can do that.

What is prayer?

Prayer is the practice of the presence of God. It is the place where pride is abandoned, hope is lifted, and supplication is made. Prayer is the place of admitting our need, of adopting humility, and claiming dependence upon God. Prayer is the needful practice of the Christian. Prayer is the exercise of faith and hope. Prayer is the privilege of touching the heart of the Father through the Son of God, Jesus our Lord.

The Bible speaks much of prayer. But, sometimes, too often, we ignore prayer and seek to accomplish in the strength of our own wills those things that we desire to have or happen. For those of us who are too often guilty of this, we need to bow our knees, confess our sin, receive God's forgiveness, and beg that the will of the Lord be done above our own. God is sovereign and loving and He knows what is best for us and others, even if it doesn't always seem to make the most sense.

We so often come to the Lord with legitimate requests for healing, conversions, and needs and yet the answers we hope for often do not come. We wonder and sometimes doubt. Yet, we persevere and praise God. We pray because we know that God hears us and because we desire to see results. We should pray by faith, trusting God. We should pray consistently, trusting God. We should pray for healing, trusting God. We should pray for others, trusting God. We should pray and when our prayers are answered or are not answered remember this: If we knew what the Lord knew, we wouldn't change a thing.

Prayer changes the one praying because in prayer, you are in the presence of God as you lay before Him your complete self in confession and dependence. There is nothing to hide when in quiet supplication we are reaching into the deepest part of ourselves and admitting our needs and failures. In so doing, our hearts are quieted and pride is stripped and we enjoy the presence of God. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

I am reminded of another benefit of prayer: peace. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus," (Phil. 4:6-7).

I suppose that we can test our prayer life and dependence upon God by the peace or lack of peace in our hearts. In all things we are to seek the Lord and in His continued presence peace will surely be our gain.

Prayer is the practice of the presence of God.

by CARM.org

The Bible says There's Only One Way To Heaven

The gospel is that Jesus died for sinners on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4).  His death was a sacrifice that turns away the wrath of God (1 John 2:2).  This is the only way to be saved.

Jesus is the One you need.  Him alone.  Not your works (Rom. 3:10-12; Isaiah 64:6).  Not your sincerity.  Not your goodness.  You have nothing to offer God except your sinfulness.  It is only by the love and grace of God found in Jesus and His sacrifice that you can be delivered from the righteous wrath of God upon all who have broken His law.  Jesus saves you from God.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto my Father but by me." John 14:6
Nobody Else Can Save You. Trust Jesus Today!

1. Admit you are a sinner
2. Be willing to turn from sin (repent).
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried and rose from the dead.
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become personal Saviour, Boss, King and Lord.

What to Pray;

Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you.  I know that I am not perfect and that I cannot please you through my own efforts.  I know that I deserve to be judged according to my sins.  And, I know that I have nothing to offer you.

Lord Jesus, I ask you to forgive me of my sins.  Please cleanse me and make me right before you.  I trust in what you have done on the cross.  I do not rely on myself but only on you and I receive you as Lord of my life and as savior of my soul.  Lord Jesus, save me.  I look to you alone.

Did You accept Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour?

If your answer was Yes, then this just the beginning of a wonderful new life with Christ.
Now you need to:

1. Read your Bible every day to get to know Christ better.
2. Talk to God in prayer every day.
3. Be baptized, worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached, and the Bible is the final authority.
4. Tell others about Jesus Christ.

If you are a backslider(a person who has walked away from the Lordship and obedience to Christ) please return, he is calling for you. He loves you and is a God of another chance. Don't put it off, today much less tomorrow is not promised.

"And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh."

Man cannot endure God's judgment, justice, or will forever, we are only flesh and will fall if we don't yield to God.

Repent, turn and yield to Him Now.

If you have prayed and asked Jesus to deliver you from your sins and save you from God's wrath, then please email me. johnchristiandoe@gmail.com

Thanks for checking in and God Bless!>> John