Haiti Earthquake: Specific Names and Families To Pray For

Below is an english translation of a plea for prayer I received today from Robert and Jackie, pastor of one of our churches in Montreal.

Let us pray and weep with our brothers and sisters as those who have hope.

To our treasured prayer partners:

We have all heard and seen the horrific news regarding the earthquake in Haiti last Tuesday. The Red Cross fears that 50,000 people are dead and that 3 million souls are in need. We write asking you to pray for Haiti, and for the Haitians in our church in Montreal-north. Many of our members are Haitian and all of them have family in Port-au-Prince, the city that has fallen like a house of cards.

Our brothers and sisters in Montreal-north have been devastatingly impacted:

• James, the husband of Marie-Murtha, left Montreal last Monday to visit his family in Port-au-Prince. Marie-Murtha hasn’t had any contact with him since the earthquake. She has not heard from her daughter Mysterline or her family either.
• Rosaline hasn’t heard from her husband or her brother. She has learned that her former church in Port-au-Prince (Roseline arrived in Canada last May), collapsed during a meeting and 3 men are dead.
• Missole and Izérat, who just gave birth to a baby girl at 1:00am this morning in Montreal, haven’t had any contact from their family (brothers and sisters) who live in Port-au-Prince.
• Réjane, who left Haiti in 2008, hasn’t heard either from his 4 children (ages 8-22), his parents or his brothers and sisters.
• Linda, who left Haiti in 2006 with her husband under difficult circumstances, has learned that their family dwelling in Port-au-Prince is in ruins, but hasn’t had any news concerning their cousins who live in it.
• Sardelle, who left Haiti under extremely difficult circumstances, hasn’t been able to contact his family yet, even after 40+ attempts to call.
• At least 5 members of Yves‘ family, (Sardelle’s husband), have died, including his 8 year-old daughter. Please pray for Yves who does not yet understand God’s grâce.
• Marcelin has not heard from his wife.
• Béatrice’s mother was hurt during the collapse of the houses, but Béatrice has not been able to contact her because of the interruption of the communication systems. We do not know how seriously she is hurt.
• Obas‘ mother and brothers have died.
• We have not heard from either Maxo or the family of his wife Naomi, except his father, who is alive, but was hurt when a building collapsed. We do not know the extent of his injuries.
• We can give similar details for each of the 50 or so individuals/families in our church. Please pray for each of the situations mentioned above and for those who were not mentioned.

The doors of the church building will be open Saturday morning from 9am to noon to pray for Haiti and the suffering of the individuals in our church. If you are able to join us, please do not hesitate any time that works for you during those three hours.

Our heavenly father invites us to come trusting Him.

We wait on Him.

Robert and Jackie

For 13 ways to give to the relief effort, click here

Haiti Earthquake Relief: 13 Ways to Give

Quoted from Tracy Wilkinson, L.A. Times: “The devastating earthquake has left an estimated 3 million people in need of emergency aid, a Red Cross official said today. The aid organization said Haiti’s disaster relief teams were ‘completely overwhelmed.’”

WorldVenture, in partnership with Missions Door, is channeling needed funds to field workers and their churches in hard hit Haiti communities. These workers have long standing relationships in these communities and can effectively identify needs and distribute relief in the name of Jesus Christ.

Click here to give to Haiti Earthquake Relief through World Venture

In addition, here are 12 other organizations collecting donations for earthquake relief for Haiti (from the Desiring God blog):

1. Compassion International
2. Feed My Starving Children
3. Food for the Hungry
4. World Vision
5. World Relief
6. Samaritan’s Purse
7. Love a Child
8. Northwest Haiti Christian Mission
9. Compassion Weavers
10. Mennonite Central Committee
11. Water Missions International

Update: Another ministry to consider giving to is Real Hope for Haiti Rescue Center. They’re operating one of the only clinics near the epicenter that’s open right now.

Video: The State of Global Christianity (a phenomenal video from Urbana)

Photos/Video: Christmas Dinner, over 150 attended!

Last Sunday we rented out a local community center (it was complicated) and had a huge Christmas dinner together from 10am to 2pm. More than 150 attended (not sure of the exact number yet. We had places set for 200, but we weren’t completely full), the vast majority of the visitors do not yet know Jesus as the savior of the world. Here are couple photos and a short video:

25 tables of 8 (though not all were filled). Caleb is seated in with his back to us, Martine's father, Bernard is to Caleb's right

We played some group games... here we see Constance running up and winning one round (it was fair play... even if she is the pastor's daughter)

Lot's of laughter as well as serious introspection... everyone had a great time

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas: “the GREATEST REVOLUTIONARY… Jesus”… is born

Yesterday (Sunday), I preached through the entire book of Luke looking at a Jesus who was good, and who, by his goodness and justice, always provoked extreme responses. He either offended, insulted, provoked murderous rage, terrified (yes, terrified is the right word, the word fearful in Luke 8:25 is not nearly strong enough), or provoked worship.

(Here are a few passages to consider: Luke 4:28; 4:32; 5:20-21; 5:26; 6:11; 6:19; 7:17; 8:25; 11:37-54; 13:30-31; 19:38-40; 19:41; 19:45; 19:47; 23:34;23:44-47; Acts 2:22-38; 2:41).

Jesus is a greater revolutionary than Fidel Castro, Ché, or René Lésvesque combined. Here is my introduction (focusing on what it means to be a revolutionary… not politics):

Quebeckers honor Castro, Che, Lévesque, and other revolutionaries (Americans too have their collection of honored revolutionaries). But few mention Jesus in this same vein. Why?

I believe for two reasons:

1) Their eyes are veiled. They are spiritually blind (which is an offensive concept to many); and

2) they have heard an unbalanced description of the goodness, love, and compassion of Jesus which leaves Him looking soft and cuddly, without hearing about the justice, strength, in-your-face audacity, and power that He had (as God in the flesh), able to grapple with, and win against, the most evil forces this world has ever known.

This Jesus grappled not only with visible evil forces (like religious and political leaders), but overcame demonic oppression, a Satan-filled Judas, and death itself… all without firing a single shot.

Jesus Christ, the GREATEST REVOLUTIONARY

Merry Christmas

Photos & Video: We’ve Moved! Here’s Our New Gathering Place:

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR OUR NEW GATHERING PLACE!

It’s been a long time coming, but, (finally) we’re now meeting in an elementary school less than a block away from “Ici Par Les Arts”, our previous gathering place (last Sunday was our first meeting).

Advantages?

• The gymnasium can hold 200-250 people (our previous place maxed out at 130).
• More space for classes
• Much more parking (30+ spaces in front, 30+ spaces in back… as compared to about 15 spaces total at the other place)
• Much, much cleaner (At the other place, we often entered early Sunday morning, just to find a pile of massive art supplies, wood, etc., and a washing machine or fridge in the middle of our meeting space. Once or twice, this is okay, but it happened nearly every other week… meaning we had to get a group of people to move large furniture, then do a major floor cleaning… THEN begin setting things up. This got to be discouraging for many after nearly two years and little or no change).

The big move was Saturday. Here are some photos of the move and the first service:

Moving chairs into our new storage area

L-R: Jacob, Isabelle's hair, Stephane, Zacharie's hat, Pierre, Caleb, Martine

Finishing up the Sound Check early Sunday morning

Before everyone shows up

Jacob welcoming everyone to our new location

Though it felt nearly full, we still have space for another 100+ people

Standing & Singing... not too expressive yet

Here’s my first sermon in the new location, talking about “Lust after Stuff and Christmas” (in French of course):

Video: Matt Chandler Before Brain Surgery: “Christ is Enough”

As many know, my step-father went through significant brain surgery about two years ago. He had a 50-50 chance to make it through. He not only made it through, but preached on the sufficiency of Christ in suffering several months later at FB of Forest Grove, with a half-paralyzed face because of the surgery. He is continuing as an elder, as well as in his private counseling practice.

Unfortunately, I don’t have that sermon. But here is another video of Matt Chandler, a 35-year-old pastor in Texas, just before he goes in for significant brain surgery. Christ is sufficient in all things.

Video: 7 mile jaunt (ridiculous theories on the resurrection)

Matt Chandler (Pastor of the Village Church) speaks to the ridiculousness of the secular theory that Jesus didn’t die when he was crucified, but was somehow revived when placed in the tomb.

A couple other clips of Matt Chandler:

The “De-Churched”

Reflexions on his personal walk with God:

How the church can be an obstacle to evangelism:

Free Audio Book: Desiring God

Each month the folks over at Christian Audio gives away a free audio book.

This month’s book (November 2009) is Desiring God, by John Piper. Back when I read it in 2000, it transformed the way I saw missions, putting God’s glory, rather than man’s salvation, as the foundation of the missions endeavor.

I would encourage anyone who is serious about God’s Word, Missions, or Church planting, to read it (or at least listen to it).

Click here to download Desiring God, the Audio Book.

Photos: My brother Paul the Marine

Last weekend my brother Paul graduated from Marine boot camp (13 weeks of brutal DI’s, hoarse voices, lack of food & sleep, renunciation of personal rights, extreme discipline, one-hour-long (total) weekends, hand-to-hand combat, expert marksmanship, Psalm 23, and watered-down theology Sunday mornings.

His reflexion on boot-camp? He says that it wasn’t incredibly difficult physically (he had been working out extensively for months before beginning boot camp), but the mind games got to be annoying. He identified several different types of mind-games that were simply repeated over and over and over. One example of an attemp to break their will: he saw the packing and emptying of their footlocker over and over for 5-hours straight as a fairly pointless exercise.

But regardless of these types of annoyances, he is now a United States Marine… with the opportunity to be a light for Christ from within the U.S. Military.

We are very, very proud of Paul. His perseverence. His dedication. And his willingness to put it all on the line for the love of those around him.

Here are a few photos from his graduation: