Just the Right Time…

For years as a believer growing up my home church I would listen to missionaries come in and hammer believers for their lack of involvement for the souls of men. It seemed almost anger coming from their spirit so Sandy and I vowed to never bash God's people or beg people to give. I honestly have been tempted or should I say frustrated and now understand where these folks were coming from yet we choose not to hurt God's people in any condemning manner. So after I read Dave Ohlerking entry into his blog and felt the pain and heart break for hurting people, I just had to copy and paste this blog entry for you to get a feel of what we see and endure and sometimes get so frustrated with coming from a land of abundance to these worlds of pain and destruction. We too understand the destructive forces of war and pedophile predators in Sri Lanka… we have a dream to rescue these victims, we dream of giving hopeless people the good news of the gospel, a place to worship our Lord freely…with heavy and heart and deep sighing we trust Jesus to move as it says in II Cor 6:2 NLT "at just the right time"…

Take a moment and read his words carefully I beg, then pray and ask the Lord where you are in this kingdom army. Do you pray? Do you give? Do you Go?

 

CC works in these nations Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Vietnam focusing on AIDS victims and orphan children… we know the Lord wants to expand CC into all of Africa. Dave has put into words some of the feelings we carry with us ministering in these nations. The Cup's heart is to see a blood washed clean continent! We beg you Lord Jesus to move…

 

January 15th, 2008 by Dave Ohlerking

A buoyant great joy and an unspeakable sorrow both sweep through my soul as I remember 2007.

Children's Cup grew to double the number of CarePoints and the number of children we care for (about 7000 now) whose lives we have seen Jesus change.

But how quickly other scenes ambush my heart as I look at the ones still waiting for our help.

I can tell you how it feels to watch a sobbing child's body shut down with AIDS.

I have heard dying mothers plead for someone to care for the children she will leave behind.

I have watched orphaned children—in one case a 6 year-old girl—become the sole protector and breadwinner for her younger siblings.

I know of dozens of unwanted and unnamed toddlers who were handed off to village men to be sold for sex. If the children wanted even a morsel of food they would have to do whatever the man wanted.

I can tell you the problem is growing faster than we have the funds to respond.

I can tell you that the twin destroyers named AIDS and Hunger are measuring and defining the church—the Body of Christ—as they gallop in unrestrained apocalypse destroying families and nations.

But I cannot tell you why or how so many of my fellow believers who call upon the name of Jesus for their own needs refuse to respond to the needs of a dying generation.

What can be said or done in 2008 to reach past indifference and ignite the hearts of God's church?

Children's Cup website… www.childrenscup.org

 

Certain Women

I got this devotional from a great woman of God that provoked my thinking…

Sandy and I know so many talented women that impact the gospel with their lives and their prayers. I am in Sri Lanka and I miss Sandy hello… and my mama.

So we want to encourage you in your walk with Jesus that your life is affecting the kingdom of God. From business ladies to the greatest vocation in the world, being a mother… the Lord Jesus has his hand upon your life to impact this world for him and your husband… LOL!

So keep seeking, keep speaking that word in due season, keep passionately pursing Jesus in prayer, keep getting up in the middle of the night to open your door to strangers, keep going… keep trusting him to fulfill your every need and desire.

We love you…

They Walked With Him: Certain Women

 
 

The twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities . . . who provided for Him from their substance.
Luke 8:1-3

 
 

Have you ever wondered how Jesus financed His ministry? When He left the carpenter's trade, He gave up His regular income, yet still needed three meals a day, an occasional change of clothes, money for taxes (which He once paid with a coin from a fish's mouth), and provisions for the twelve who left their livelihoods to follow Him.

It was a group of women who helped underwrite His earthly work. Having been touched and transformed by His power, they did what they could, giving from their means; and they provided the money He needed for His three-year mission.

If we'd been alive in those days, would we have given anything to Christ for His work? There's an easy way to answer that, of course. He is still alive and doing His work on earth. We can discern what we would have done then by seeing what we are doing now.

When He touches us, He touches our pocketbooks, too, inspiring us to finance His work as He has prospered us.

Light in Goshen

A threefold cord is not quickly broken… Rod Jarrett, Andy Ardoin and I are in Sri Lanka now. The Peace agreement has broken off and the country has again slipped into civil war. We were scheduled to travel across the nation to bring gifts and supplies to 200 kids at the Methodist church children's home we partner with in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. The day we left the USA bombing began again in earnest and the roads were closed as fear of land mines shutdown transportation. We did send the gifts via courier service and the kids had a party. They had planned a whole day of events for us to come and celebrate with them… Can you imagine how good the Lord is to the people in Sri Lanka in the midst of conflict and bloodshed? Days of increasing darkness are on the horizon as the pressure of God's call for repentance falls on Sri.

This AM I was reading my daily Bible in Genesis about the story of Joseph being sent before by God's design to save his family from destruction. His family landed in the land of Goshen, the very best land in Egypt. I thought about Goshen and years later when God sent Moses to deliver his people. Ten plagues were to fall upon Egypt for their resistance to God's call for repentance. One of these plagues was gross darkness… The Bible said that in the midst of the plague of darkness, there was light in the dwellings of the children of Israel - Goshen! The Lord's greatest desire is for us to know him and know that he will take the best of care of us and has our best interest at heart. He will provide the Best for us in the darkest times. The report we got from Trinco was the kids and workers had a day of great joy… in the midst of great darkness God takes care of us.