2005 was a remarkable year. With the hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, mud slides, record highs and lows, rain, snow, and drought, it does seem as if a great hand has taken the earth and begun to shake it. It has not even been a year since the tsunami hit. This is actually what is described in Romans 8:19-21:
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
As we are told in verses 14-15 proceeding this, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” Therefore, three of the most critical things for every Christian in this coming year are to:
- Be led by the Spirit of God,
- Reject the spirit of fear, and
- Walk in a manner worthy of your calling as a son or daughter of the King.
2006 will provide ample opportunity and challenges for these. There is a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit coming upon the church, and the devil is going to likewise seek to baptize the world in fear. We need to take our stand now and resolve not to walk in fear, but in faith. This will lead to unprecedented victories and experiences of the glory of God.
There is a meltdown of authority going on in the world and a corresponding increase of lawlessness. The earth itself is also going through travail to give birth to the messengers of power who are sent to prepare the way for the coming of the kingdom by preaching the gospel of the kingdom throughout the earth.
Because of the great shaking that is coming to those who do not go forward, establishing their lives more firmly on the kingdom that cannot be shaken, they will fall deeper into lawlessness. The Lord Himself warned in Matthew 24:12, "And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.” It is therefore becoming increasingly crucial for us to grow in obedience to the Lord, which is to be led by the Spirit. Much more will be said on this in upcoming Bulletins.
Update on Katrina Relief
First, I want to thank all of you who have contributed to our Katrina Relief Fund and our Disaster Relief Fund. We are preparing a bulletin complete with pictures and details about how your offering has been spent. All of our primary goals for this have been accomplished. We intend to continue to be a part of the rebuilding of the Katrina disaster area, and to help prepare for the revival to that region which we have known was coming for many years.
The ministry that we partnered with to help oversee and staff a Point of Distribution (POD) was Urban Life Ministries (ULM), led by Carl Keyes. My initial instructions to our team leaders who went to the Gulf to see how we could help was to find someone who knew what they were doing and team up with that person. I think we found the very best with Carl and his team at ULM.
I just received a report that since September 5, 2005, the base where we teamed up to staff, was able to provide “more than $25,000,000 in relief, and the ULM volunteers have donated more than 150,000 hours removing debris from homes, beginning partial repairs on homes, feeding and cooking for the people, and distributing goods.” I know in just the first month, more than six hundred tractor trailer loads of goods were distributed at the base, and it must be several times that many by now.
We want to continue to work with Carl and ULM. We need to multiply this ministry by having a staff to run at least two bases the next time, and continue to increase what we can do until we have a virtual army mobilized. This will be needed in the times to come.
It is important that we stay engaged in the Katrina devastated area as there is a wide open door for the gospel there. A lot of the evil that had been rooted in the area has been uprooted. But as the Lord warned, when the devil is displaced he seeks to return, and if he can, he will bring back seven times the evil. There is a great spiritual vacuum in that area now that must be filled. We learned a lot about practical disaster relief through all of this that we want to pass on. It will be much needed in the times ahead. However, we are even more concerned with the spiritual disaster relief. That area has generally been overlooked, and we know it must be fundamental to our relief efforts if they are to be a true success.
I also want to especially thank all of you who joined our efforts in the Katrina disaster area, and it has been so encouraging to see the body of Christ rally for this. I think many long-term and strategic friendships have been formed. We also especially appreciate those of you who have prayed for us. It is a very dangerous business, but to date there have been no serious injuries with our teams. One volunteer at the base was shot in the back of the head at point blank range, but the bullet ricocheted off of his head, and he was released from the hospital the next day. Please do continue to pray for our teams there, as we have not had National Guard protection for some weeks now, and we are in a very dangerous area.
Our goal is to have the most effective Disaster Relief Team possible ready by March 31 to respond at a moment’s notice to any future disasters. We are currently in the final stages of completing a Command Center Vehicle, and are in the initial stages of planning for the construction of mobile kitchens, showers, tents, and other vehicles and resources that can be loaded up and on their way within hours of a disaster. With them we will be mobilizing healing teams, counseling teams, intercessory prayer teams, along with those engaged in the physical relief work.
We are also going to provide training for certification as chaplains, which will give the credentials to go into any disaster area with police and other emergency personnel as first responders. This is an intense one week course that we will be offered in Fort Mill, SC. We will provide information on the dates as soon as they are established. We will also be doing other training to certify people for FEMA approved disaster relief programs that can also help provide both access and resources for first responders.
All of the donations to the Katrina Relief have been or will be spent in that region, but because we now need to be prepared to respond to other disasters, we ask that all future donations be sent to our MorningStar Disaster Relief, so that it can be allocated in other places that are needed. If you would like to join with us in this ministry, please send your donations to:
MorningStar Disaster Relief Fund
P.O. Box 440
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Thanks again for your remarkable generosity, and especially your prayers.