Hey guys we have at least one of our LB people we know that are in Haiti.  Here are some pics he sent back.  Please pray for Mike and the country of Haiti. They need lots and lots of help.

Most Americans do not believe in “evil spirits”.  Those living under the oppression of satan, understand it all too much.  This is an interesting video to consider.

Eph. 6:12  For our ​a​struggle is not against ​flesh and blood, but ​c​against the rulers, against the powers, against the ​d​world forces of this ​darkness, against the ​spiritual forces of wickedness in ​g​the heavenly places.

I am excited about the future generations and missions.  Listen to a quote from Phil Cooke:

“Second, from a demographic perspective, the donors who built the major media ministries of the last few decades are disappearing, and being replaced by a new group that doesn’t share the same values and priorities. My opinion is that we have 8-12 years left with the donors that built the major Christian ministries we see today. However, that demographic group is shrinking fast, so we’re already seeing a real slide. The former donor base that was focused on giving for expansion – particularly building projects – is now being replaced by a generation more interested in great causes. Tomorrow’s donors are more focused on building water wells in Africa, redeeming slaves in the Sudan, or helping the homeless here in America. The question that hasn’t been answered yet is how to convert them from passionate supporters to actual givers. On that subject, the jury is still out.”

There is a great opportunity for us here if we can begin to see what God is doing in our midst.  You can read the full story here.

Many of you already know about Matt Chandler but if not I wanted to make you aware of him.  He is a young pastor in North Dallas whom God is using in amazing ways. This past November he was diagnosed with brain cancer.  His response to that is amazing.

His preaching is also something that I can highly recommend.  You can find his sermons here.

I realize the whole Susan Boyle phenomenon has been shown everywhere. I am late to the story. But as I ran across and watched the video, I was struck by something. The church in America is just like the audience in Britain.

Let me back up. If you do not already know on April 11, 2009 Susan Boyle came to the show ” Britain’s Got Talent”. At first appearance she does not look like a person who would have talent. As a matter of fact the audience was laughing at her.  As you watch this show watch the reaction of some of those in the audience. The judges admitted their bias.

But when she opened her mouth and began to sing , wow. They went nuts. They were standing and cheering. On her first CD she sold 700,000 copies sold …..in one week.  There have been over 100,000,000 hits to her performance when posted on You Tube.

The moral of the story?

• Appearance is not the essence of who a person is inside.  We all know that and ho hum the idea that someone needs to tell us this story.  But …We in the church are just like the world. We look on the outside. That is why …..
  • We want a good looking pastor with a pretty wife and children.
  • We want pretty people on stage lading worship.
  • We want the best looking leaders money can buy.

Churches be careful of becoming too performance and appearance focused. “The Show” is not what churches are about.  I fear we do not know that.   Second….

• Do not give up, do not fear man.  Susan almost did not audition for the show. Her voice coach had this to say.
  • ” Former coach O’Neil said Boyle abandoned an audition for The X Factor because she believed people were being chosen for their looks, and that she almost abandoned her plan to enter Britain’s Got Talent.”

Have a great Christmas.

I wanted to write and say thank you to those who helped us finish the year for Mission Daystar this past Saturday, Dec. 12th .  We did 59 deliveries which is a record for us. The more important thing is that many who were sleeping on the floor now have mattresses.  Thank you so much!  Here are some pictures and video.

I usually never do this but for those who are willing to read here is an interesting article/sermon.

Click here

 

I cannot tell you where this story came from but I can tell you it is in N. America. Amazing what God is doing among us here in the states. This story is of a Muslim woman who came to Christ. Her husband recently died of a heart attack without ever being a follower of Jesus .  She wants to witness of Jesus to her Muslim community so bad.  Read….

From the field :

Yesterday was the funeral. It was a mix of emotions. A mix of cultures. A mix of responses. Qurans & Bibles. Muslims & Christians. Jesus was not invited, but would he make an appearance?

The night before the funeral many of you were praying, and God gave Dreamer another dream.

An angel appeared to her and told her to stand up and speak about Jesus. The angel also told her to have no Quran at the funeral. She told this to her family but they went against her wishes.

At the funeral, Dreamer asked H. ( Christian Friend)  to sit right in the front row next to her. Right with the family. Right in the middle of the mix.

When it was time for Dreamer to speak, she was very nervous, she was very weak, but she turned to H. and said “pray for me, I have to tell the truth”. She then stood to her feet and weeping told everyone attending what Jesus meant to her! Immediately her brother got up from his seat, walked to the front and demanded she stop talking! She pushed through the awkwardness and kept going. He then left the room.

This was her moment of taking up her cross. Almost all of the 100+ people there were Muslim. Many were close family. She took her stand.

Later that day, when the guests had all left, we approached her expecting another shower of tears. Instead, her eyes lit up and she pumped her fists and said “I did it!!”. We are very proud of her, and very thankful to all of you who prayed for her.

So thank you to everyone who was praying yesterday, and continues to pray for her. Now comes the hard part when everyone goes back to their lives and she is still alone, and now potentially more ostracized. We will be meeting with her this week to talk and pray about her plans, her hopes, her dreams for the future. We’re not sure what to say but she is such an important ambassador for Christ.
Our prayer now is that her journey with us is not ending, but just beginning.

One of the things I have noticed a lately in mission talk, is a shift in the focus of mission activity. That shift involves the move away from church planting toward a more humanitarian mercy ministry type mission work, only. For example instead of seeking to plant churches, U.S. churches are opting more toward ministries that seek primarily to feeding, clothing, freeing sex slaves or dealing with justice type work. It sounds cruel to even question this type of work. I usually hear things like:   “What’s the matter don’t you want to help orphans or feed starving people? “

Well of course I do , but I want them to know Jesus also. What good does it do to feed them and send them to hell?

My question is:  “Why can’t we do both?”

It seems most of what I see in this movement is a trend away from planting churches that can have a long term effect in that culture, to ministries that focuses on how we can help them. Jesus plan was that we help but we also train (disciple) others to help themselves. That discipleship takes place through the local church.   The church in a culture is what changes a culture.  It is what insulates and provides for people in that culture caught in perpetual poverty or slavery, or… you name it.

I love the whole idea of helping free slaves or feeding people. We must do this . But if we ignore the biblical mandate of planting churches we fail in the long run. We may feel really good about ourselves but the question we must ask is “Are we being effective for the long haul?” If hearts are not changed in that culture in 50-100 years you will still have as many slaves as when you began.  Nothing changes.

The church expansion IMHO is what changes culture and challenges culture to change.  Here is a video that talks a bit about this whole idea.

If interested here is a video interview of Piper and Keller on this issue. HERE