Thursday, March 31, 2011
What's going on down there...?
For awhile I've been feeling that the house is trembling from time to time and its coming more often.
Sometimes it feels like a sideways nudge and at other times an up and down movement. Something is building up...
I've put up a tent in my yard as I am on the second floor of a cement roof house. Just in case...
As
a sad note, 4 month old Bidarline the baby that recently had surgery for hydrocephalus has passed away. In view
of the strain it was putting on her poor parents and siblings I think that the Lord has been merciful in taking her to be
with HIM in heaven. Please pray for her family.
11:05 am edt
Sunday, March 27, 2011
DANGER! DANGER!
These are perilous spiritual times we are living in. Within the wealthy nations Christianity is waning.
The Philadelphia type churches which are dedicated to getting the Gospel out are fast being replaced by Laodicean type churches
which are compromising with the world and diluting the Gospel to make it more palatable to the masses.
Bigger,
more comfortable churches are the rule and the Great Commission is a distant memory. Humanitarian organizations are
given precedence over those emphasizing evangelism. The Mission budget is cut and downsized, or put on the back burner
on simmer.
1Timothy 4:1 states that the Holy Spirit clearly indicated that in the last days some will turn
away from what we believe and they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. How Satan loves to
concentrate on saving peoples bodies while ignoring their souls. False doctrines being spread by the likes of Osteen,
McClaren and Bell are twisting God's Word putting a overwhelming emphasis on God's love, while ignoring God's call for holiness
and righteousness (found only in Jesus).
Jesus states in Matthew 7:21-27 that "anyone who listens to
my teaching and OBEYS is wise."..the alternative is folly. Luke 6:46 Jesus asks "why do you call me Lord when
you won't obey me?".
Many are abandonning Jesus' call for selfless sacrifice choosing instead selfish selfindulgence.
Everyone wants the latest iphone or the hottest television entertainment system, X boxes and the like, maxing out their
credit cards tying up their resources leaving little for God's work. These "leisure" activities numb the brain
and drain the soul taking time away from Bible study, prayer and evangelism.
The "power driven" church
is fast becoming the "powerless "church as the Holy Spirit is agrieved and ignored. Carnal purposes dominate
as Church committees concentrate on tends, polls and being seeker sensitive.
Paul states in Galatians 1:10 "Obviously
I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please GOD. If I were trying to please people I would
not be CHRIST'S SERVANT."
Where are the Pastors who will stand firmly on Biblical Truth? Jude 1 :3 urges
us to "CONTEND for the FAITH of the GOSPEL. God gave this unchanging truth once and for all time to His holy people."
2 John states "for if you wander BEYOND the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God. But
if you continue in the teaching of Christ you will have fellowship with both the Father and the Son".
Let
us "test the spirits" carefully and like the Bereans check all these latest teachings and throw away all that contradicts
God's Word.
11:35 am edt
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Got through that...
You may not have heard that Haiti had their Presidential run-off election on Sunday last and it looks like
(provided that there is no outside tampering) that Michel "Sweet Mickey" Martelly will be the winner. People
have their hopes AGAIN, though everyone thought Aristide was going to be a saviour for Haiti. Just goes to show that
the Bible is true when it says "put not your trust in man...". We've learned that as well in the US after
our election.
We have to face facts--all the current "signs of the times" indicate something unusual
is occurring, and that is that the prophecies in the Bible are coming to a climax. What should our position as Christians
be? We should be about our Father's business up to the very moment He calls us away. NOW is the time to share
the Gospel with as many people around you as possible.
I'm so thankful that our Radio Station here in Haiti is
having a wondrous effect in getting the Gospel into Haitian households. The recent Youth Retreat we held is gong to
be repeated in another area near Dariol on April 2. Pray that more souls will be harvested for the Lord before that
great day when we "leave".
Many thanks to the Bucher and Peksok families of Ohio who together provided
books for the entire school we support in Bodary. Its a great investment in these young people's future.
Many
thanks to Angie Brannan for helping with a canteen program for Dubois school. That donation has run out. Anyone
else who would care to help with this project to fight the malnutition of this especially poor area near Dariol?
Many thanks to the United Church of Grand Cayman which has made it possible for a young Pastor here to receive a motocycle
so he can take care of his church which is at a distance from where he lives. Another motorcycle will be given to the Radio
Station so they can visit churches to raise funds and also to travel where they can purchase fuel for their generator.
GOD has been so good in keeping the work going here in Haiti. Many thanks to all of you who have played a part
and who will also share in the rewards when we are in the Lord's Kingdom.
10:52 am edt
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Giving the COMPLETE Gospel
What I really like about Haitian Churches is that they are not afraid to touch on the area of prophecy in the
Bible. The Bible is full of prophecy and to ignore it is to deny your church the FULL word.
Whether
you like it or not, we are living in prophetic times as the catastophe in Japan clearly shows--more is coming. The book
of Daniel and Revelations should not be ignored by the discerning Pastor. Should he do so the people committed to his
care will be unprepared for what is surely coming.
7:02 am edt
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Praise the Lord (a million times)!
Well, this was a very unorthodox Youth Retreat! There were the prerequisite youth...BUT...there were
also older people ,young couples and babies, and lots of small kids! I never saw the like! The school where they
were all camped out for the three day retreat resembled a Christian commune. It was beautiful, people from many churches
living, eating, and other things all without any disagreements or strife.
The retreat kicked off Sunday evening
with a worship service (although some had showed up on Saturday). There was a former witchdoctor, now converted who
gave the message. As you might imagine it was packed. He apparently was from a family of witchdoctors and had been involved
with the occult since the age of seven. The people listened intently as he explained the kinds of things he had
done and the evil activities he had been raised to engage in.
Monday morning was the seminar period where I presented
the subject of Jeremy 29:11-14. They allowed me 1hour and a half and then had 30 minutes of questions. I continued
on Tuesday morning. The 300 xeroxed papers I had run off so that they could follow along without having to write much
all disappeared.
There was a threat of rain during the 3 days but it only actually sprinkled on Monday morning
after the question period. The evening services where open to the community and there was a band also with great worship
music. Each night there were more and more people coming, well over 500.
Its a miracle to think that all
the food, preparation, sound equipment rented and transportation for speakers was all done with $1500! Talk about Loaves
and fishes economy! As far as I know there were 7 people who came forward to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour.
All in all a very worthwhile event. We hope to do other such events in the future as funds allow.
9:25 am est
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Up to the mountains...
Well, today I'm traveling to the mountain community of GrisGris near Cote de Fer where we are sponsoring a
3 day Youth Retreat. Retreats are usually held during this period of Mardi Gras festivities to keep the youth away from
them and also to get more exposure to and training in God's Word.
Our theme for the Retreat will be based around
Jeremy 29:11-13--"God has a plan for you..." As you can imagine life for a Haitian teenager is not easy and
the future looks anything but rosy, but having a relationship with Jesus Christ makes all the difference.
It
makes me sad when we read about all the teen suicides in the USA when they have so many blessings and advantages. Could
it be that they are lacking that which is MOST important-- GOD? "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world
if he loses his soul in the transaction?"
Maybe you should be thinking of holding some Youth Retreats
for the youths in your area. They need to meet THE MAN, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Only He can turn things around
in the USA. Its not tea party politics that are the key--ITS JESUS!
9:10 am est
Friday, March 4, 2011
Murder by telephone...?
Some of you may remember the movie "Dial M for Murder". Well this scenario is playing out
here in Haiti only with a Haitian twist. Yesterday there was a panic started by certain reports on the news, believe it or
not that so far 16 people have died suddenly from responding to "Zombie calls" from certain numbers, which are listed
in the report. They say that when the person receiving calls from these certain numbers answers "hello" he/she
hears "I'm waiting now for you in the cemetery" and the receiver dies instantly.
People are sending text
messages to family and friends telling them not to receive calls from these numbers. Some have thrown their cell phones
away out of fear. Have witchdoctors perfected a telephonic curse that travels over the airwaves? Is it a Haitian HAARP
weapon of mass destruction?
Most likely just mass hysteria. But as Christians we know that we have protection
from the spirit world because the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts. Any zombie who comes knocking will be turned away
in the name of Jesus!
6:04 am est