Praise & Prayer Update April 26th

Hello everyone,

We're currently working on a list of stuff to do during load-shedding (government regulated power outages). Jump in the car to run errands. Go grocery shopping in the air-conditioned grocery store. Take a shower. Make food, since you'll be sweating at the stove no matter when you do it. Take another shower.

The extreme seasons tend to expose the rising disparity between rich and poor in this country. While our neighbors' houses roar with the sound of petrol powered generators during outages, other parts of the city can be without electricity, running water, or gas for days. Every summer many people living in those areas just die from the heat, dehydration, and disease. May the Lord have mercy on the rich men of this country, that they would come to know Him and His heart for the poor.

During these past few weeks we've both been praying and felt the Lord guiding us to change our summer plans. D's sister and brother-in-law have been going through a tough time, and D feels that he should spend the summer in the states with his family. Financially, we do not feel that we should be spending money for two plane tickets to the states, and H feels that she should stay back to focus on language, prayer, and reaching out in the community. Instead of going to the summer school, she will stay in our city and hire a language tutor there. Any support that we receive will help us pay for the classes.

Praises:
• H was able to share more this week with one of her co-workers and is hoping to give her a Bible in her native language next week
• D was able to find an affordable plane ticket to the states. Pray that all the travel arrangements will work out
• God has really given us rich times of study and fellowship during our home group
• Last night we were able to share about the gospel with two friends

Prayer:
• That the Lord would guide us as we continue to plan for the summer
• That the Lord would work out both of our visa situations.
• That God would allow us to finish well and be a light to both students and colleagues
• That the Lord would give us boldness and help us be intentional in sharing with those we meet

Thanks for all your prayers and support,

H & D

Comparative Study - The Last Battle

In our home group we've been studying Joel and recently compared different passages thought to describe the last battle. Here's some of my notes. If you'd like the information in chart form just send me an email.

A. Description of people being attacked (Israel)

Ezekiel 38:7-12
- a land restored from war
- people gathered from many peoples
-on the mountains of Israel
-which had been a continual waste
-they dwell securely
-no walls, bars, gates
-livestock & goods

Ezekiel 39:23
-they dealt with God treacherously

B. Description of attackers

Ezekiel 38
-a great host, army
-from the land of Gog, Magog
-coalition of many peoples from the north
-will advance like a storm cloud
-riding on horses
-will design an evil scheme to attack Israel
-has been prophesied about for years

Revelation 19
-kings, captains, mighty men, beasts, great & small
-sitting on horses
-fighting against “him who is sitting on the horse”

C. How Israel will be judged (What will happen? What will God do?)

Ezekiel 38
-city plundered
-earthquake (19)

Revelation 16
-dry up the Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings of the east
-demons will assemble kings for battle at Armageddon

Luke 21
-Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies
-many will fall by the sword
-led captive among the nations
-Jerusalem trampled by Gentiles

Zechariah 14
-all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem
-city taken, houses plundered, women raped
-half of the city → exile

D. How the attacker will be judged

Ezekiel 38-39
-great earthquake (19)
-all shall quake at his presence (20)
-mountains thrown down, cliffs fall, walls tumble (20)
-every man’s sword against his brother (21)
-pestilence, bloodshed, torrential rains, hailstones, fire, sulfur (21-22)
-led against Israel – mountains (39:2)
-strike bows and arrows and fall in Israel (39:3)
-send fire on Magog (6)

Revelation 16
-lightning, thunder, earthquake, city split in 3
-islands and mountains flee
-100 lb hailstones

Zechariah 14
-The Lord will go out and fight those nations (3)
-flesh will rot will they are standing (12)
-all will fight each other (13)

Revelation 19:20
-Beast and false prophet captured and thrown alive in the lake of fire and sulfur
-rest of followers will be slain and eaten by birds

E. Immediate effects of D

Ezekiel 39
-Gog and Magog devoured by birds and beasts in an open field (4-5)
-Israel will make fires of weapons for 7 years (9-10)
-seize the spoil (10)
-valley of travelers→ burial place for Gog → block travelers (11)
-7 months Israel will bury the bodies → cleanse the land (11-16)
-birds and beasts will feast on the corpses (17-20)

Zechariah 14
-Mount of Olives will split in 2 (4)
-people will flee (5)
-no light, no cold or frost (6)

Revelation 19:21
-birds eat the flesh of the slain

F. God’s promises of blessing to Israel

Joel 2
-They will be satisfied and provided for (18)
-no more a reproach (19)
-remove the northerner (20)
-send the rains (23)
-plentiful harvest (24)
-restore the years the locust has eaten (25)

Ezekiel 39
-They shall know He is the Lord (22)
-restore fortunes of Jacob (25)
-forget their shame and treachery (26)
-dwell in safety (26)
-be gathered from enemy lands (27)
-not hide His face (29)
-pour out His spirit (29)

Zechariah 14
-living waters shall flow out of Jerusalem (8)
-Lord will be king over all the earth (9)
-Jerusalem will be secure (11)

G. Why God does what is described in the passage

Ezekiel 38
-so nations may know Him
-vindicate holiness
-wrath/anger (18)
-jealousy (19)
-greatness, holiness, make himself known (23)

Ezekiel 39
-holy name not profaned (7)
-glory among nations (21)
-nations see judgment, particularly on Israel (23)

H. Other observations

Luke 21
-nation will rise against nation (10)
-great earthquakes, famines, pestilences (11)
-terrors, great signs (11)
-saints to endure (12-19)
-signs in sun, moon & star, distress of nations, roaring sea, fear (25)
-the Son of Man will come (27)

Zechariah 14:16-19
-everyone ‘who survives’ will worship the Lord in Jerusalem once a year
-if any people don’t go up to Jerusalem, they will have no rain

Revelation 19
-picture of Jesus ‘sitting on the white horse’

God TV

Surprisingly, our internet has been fast enough to get the low video stream of God TV. This morning I was able to tune into Che Ahn (Harvest International Ministries, California) for a teaching on God TV and then tune into The Prayer Room Live for some prayer and worship time.

The God TV stream is free and available to anyone with internet. Our connection can be as slow as 7Kb/s and that was enough to watch the low quality version. Being overseas and having limited access to Bible Study and Prayer resources, God TV is a great place to try.

Praying Across Time Zones

I have been really blessed the last few days by being able to pray along with people at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. Since there aren't many believers over here to pres into intercession with, it's great to be able to tune and pray with the teams at IHOP.

An audio subscription is onlly $5/month, and for me I'd say it's definitely worth it. My prayer times had gotten stale and dry and it's nice to have other people praying and inspiring me to pray.

This morning (my time) they were praying for women in prostitution in Cambodia. It spurred me to intercede for the many women in my city who are working in brothels or red light districts. The Holy Spirit was showing me God's heart for these women to come to know Him and be free, physically and spiritually.

Check out The Prayer Room Live

Who I am in Christ

Starting to memorize Bible verses?

Here is a great list of verses about our identity in Christ from Freedom in Christ Ministries.

These are great verses to turn to whenever you feel down or don't know who you are or where you're going

Who I am in Christ

What won't we be able to do in heaven?

At a Che Ahn conference there were two things he said that really stuck out to me.

Of the different purposes that God created us for, which of them won't we be able to do in heaven?

- Worship
- Discipleship
- Fellowship
- Ministry (to members of the body)
- Evangelism

It's only Evangelism, sharing the good news, that we won't be able to do for eternity. We have only this life to do it.

Che Ahn also said, "If I talk to someone for more than fifteen minutes, I see that person as someone I need to share the gospel with."

Che shared that he always gets his hair cut a different place so that he can share with a new person each time!

Pray for us that we would also have this attitude. Right now, we find it difficult to share with many people we meet due to inadequate language skills, but pray for those who can speak English that we would be bold in our witness. May we may not be ashamed of the gospel, which is the power of salvation for all who believe.

• Pray for the two AC installation men who we gave tracts to yesterday
  

Praise & Prayer Update April 5th

Praise the Lord for the cloudy and windy weather we've had this week! In the states we are usually really happy for a sunny day, but in spring and summer here, since most days have blue skies and are HOT when the sun is out, we rejoice when it's rains or there's actually clouds giving us some relief from the sun.

Praises:

• H was able to give out personal cards containing Bible verses to 15 of her co-workers this week. So far, people have been touched to receive a personal card of appreciation, but we pray that they would not only feel encouraged but also challenged and inspired to seek God. May any invitations we receive for tea, lunch, dinner etc. be times where we can share the gospel.
  
• One Jesus film (in the local language) was given to the religious studies teacher. Since this teacher loves to watch movies, pray that not only would he watch it, but that the Holy Spirit would speak to him and lead him to the truth
• We have been able to pray together more consistently this week
• Two people have already responded to our need for language school support!
  

Prayer:

• Pray the Lord would help us manage our time so we can be strategic in reaching out to those around us
  
• Pray that those who received a card would think about their relationships with God and desire to know Him
  
• Pray that we would have access to easy to read native language versions of the Bible to give out. Currently there is a hang up with a local Bible Society which is blocking contextualized Bibles from being printed
  
• Pray that the Lord would provide the $4000 we need to do language study this summer. We are currently partnered with other workers in our area, but we are not sponsored by any organization. Wedding gifts allowed us to travel here, buy a car, and get set up when we first came.Our local salaries allow us to pay for all of our regular monthly expenses, but since language school involves living in another country, visa expenses, and course fees, we are not able to afford it on on local salaries at this time. Would you please pray and ask the Lord if you would be able to help us study language this summer?
  

Thanks for your prayers & support!