Here are just a few links to blogs giving a personal view of ministry to the people of Haiti following Tuesday’s earthquake.
New Vision Ministries
Samaritan’s Purse
World Vision
Compassion International
Rollings in Haiti
Hearts with Haiti
January 19, 2010 update: According to news reports, such as this Washington Post article, death toll estimates following the Haiti earthquake are now at 200,000. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti, those who have lost loved ones, those who may remain trapped alive, and the many search and rescue teams working hard to find the lost.
Yesterday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti was certainly a tragedy of historic proportions. The headline in today’s (Wednesday, January 13, 2009) Drudge Report reads: “Hell Came Up: 500,000 May Be Dead.” This headline references a detailed account here.
Although it appears “Hell Came Up,” I pray that “Heaven Will Come Down” and the power and love of Jesus Christ will now be demonstrated through His people.
- Please pray for the people of Haiti who are facing unimaginable suffering.
- Pray for the many Christian Missionaries who are trying to minister to thousands. Our church is praying for Kerry and Joy Reeves and their family with New Vision Ministries.
- And please send donations to support relief efforts such as Samaritan’s Purse.
Dear Children,
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you’ve forgotten that I wasn’t actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. . . although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15:1-8.
If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:
1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Hebrews 12.1-3
Never played sports? That doesn’t matter. You are, at this moment, dressed out (in uniform), on the field, living out the game of life before untold millions who have gone on before. These witnesses - including Abraham, Moses, Paul, Peter and many, many more - have worked and played, planted and harvested, suffered and struggled and given their lives to serve the King of Kings in this very world, on this very field that you find yourself.
Try as you may to remove your uniform and to quietly crawl into the stands to be a spectator, you will not be successful. Players who try to become spectators short-change themselves and the team by holding back their God-given gifts, abilities and time. The team suffers and the advancement of the Kingdom of God is delayed.
We have an obligation to continue the walk of faith (read Hebrews 11) of the witnesses for Christ who have gone before us. The great cloud of witnesses are not in the stands to cheer their favorite and boo another. They are there as living testimonials to the faithfulness of God in their lives.
We have an obligation to each other, to be “like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2.2). When players on the same team judge, condemn, criticize each other, the result is discord and division. This is not love, it is not of God and it is sin. Don’t be the weight, the hindrance, the impediment for your brother or sister in Christ.
Above all, we have an obligation to our God. Hebrews 12 is clear. We are to lay aside the weight and sin that most prevents our progress, play out the game on the field we have been given and keep our eyes on Jesus. In fact, we will forever keep our eyes on Him. That great cloud of witnesses in heaven are still fixing their eyes on Jesus at this very moment.
When you have followed the instructions of Hebrews 12 you will be able one day to confidently say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4.7).
According this video posted on Brietbart.tv, a Planned Parenthood Leader resigned after viewing an ultrasound of an abortion procedure.
Public debate in this country has so disintegrated that one can no longer call it debate at all. The communication of ideas through normal conversation has degenerated into a name-calling, shouting match that makes the sharing of differing points of view impossible. Throw pride and control issues into the mix, which are being manipulated by demonic forces, and we all suffer from the results.
This relationship breakdown should not be a total surprise in regard to the secular world but it should not happen in the Body of Christ.
We are the Body of Christ. We who name the Name of Jesus, who trust in Him as our only Lord and Savior are the Body of Christ. As the Body of Christ we are to live on a higher plane than the unbelieving world. We must not see ourselves as better than unbelievers, but we are to love better than they love.
Paul described what we, the Church, the Body of Christ, are supposed to be about in this life …
Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying [building up] of itself in love. Ephesians 4.13-16
The Word of God is truth. The Word of God is unchangeable truth, therefore, everything, all of life, is subordinate to God’s Word. All actions, speech and even thoughts are under the authority of this Word of Truth.
This stunning photo by Eric Reed depicts an eight-foot cross which has been boarded up due to a legal challenge by the ACLU. At this moment (2:02 PM, October 7, 2009) the Supreme Court is considering the legality of the cross which was erected in 1934 to honor Veterans of WWI.
How utterly absurd that so much time, money and air is being wasted in this, another battle waged against our religious liberties.
Pray for wisdom for the Supreme Court Justices and pray these efforts by the ACLU will come to nothing.
View Eric Creed’s blog with additional pictures here or visit the Don’t Tear Me Down site here.
Update …
From the LA Times, April 29, 2010: “Supreme Court allows Mojave war memorial cross”
Another Update …
From Foxnews.com, May 11, 2010: “Thieves Steal Mojave Desert Cross in Nighttime Heist“
It’s really very simple. As Christians we are to be God-lovers and fruit-bearers. That’s all. The application, however, the living out of those words is easier said than done.
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible describes the incredible, incessant quest of a loving God seeking the love and fellowship of His greatest creation: you and me.
No being, real or imagined, has ever existed who has gone to so great lengths to gain the love of another. God went so far in His pursuit that He actually sent His only Son on a mission of mercy, a mission of deliverance, a mission of love to win our freedom from sin and to draw us near to Himself.
We cannot truly live this life apart from our Creator God, this God who wants us to call Him “Father.” We can do nothing of consequence, we cannot live productively, we cannot experience true fulfillment, we cannot know true joy apart from a close, personal, loving relationship with our Father God. He made us that way.
The national security adviser during the administration of President Jimmy Carter says the United States should shoot down Israeli jets if that nation chooses to take military action against a nuclear project in Iran. September 21, 2009, WorldNetDaily
In a recent interview with the Daily Beast (interesting name), Zbigniew Brzezinski, also said, “We are not exactly impotent little babies. They have to fly over our airspace in Iraq. Are we just going to sit there and watch?”
I understand the need to respect our national sovereignty. I understand that our country’s military must not yield to the whim of any leader of any government. But to suggest or even think that we may need to take military action against our very best friend in the Middle East is utter foolishness. Would we seriously consider blasting British jets out of the sky if Britain should take an offensive approach toward Iran? What about French jets or those from Canada or Saudi Arabia or Russia?
Yes, I am aware that attacking Iran would probably result in a great conflagration in the Middle East, lives would be lost but consider …
(1) the danger of a nuclear Iran whose president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has called for the destruction of Israel - it’s a bit difficult to negotiate on good terms with someone who wants you dead.
(2) that the tiny country of Israel is fighting for its very survival.
(3) our country - if we were confronted by a larger, similarly aggressive foe bent on our destruction and being armed with nuclear arms, would we react differently?
For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” Zechariah 2.8
The geopolitical implications of shooting down Israeli jets would be enormous but the theological consequences would be terrible.