Partners 304: Mission Heros Books, Pastors' Breakfast, Spiritual Gifts Training

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is all about the lost. Jesus is the reason for the season, but the Father's love for the lost is the reason Jesus was born. "For God so loved the [lost] world, He sent His only begotten Son..." Jesus didn't come for the righteous. He was sent to the lost. He started His ministry saying he came to seek and save the lost. His final words on earth were a command to us to seek the lost and make make disciples of them for Him. Let's make our short lives on earth count by winning millions more before we go home to heaven! Together we can! Recommitting to that would be the best Birthday present you can give Jesus.

Free Pastors' Breakfast: January 5, 2008, at 9:00 AM, at the Founders Inn. The breakfast is sponsored by the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship and Catch the Fire Ministries. This is an intro to a conference at Founders Inn on February 20-23, 2008. Conference Speakers include John and Carol Arnott, Gordon Robertson and Bill Johnson. They will be offering a free complimentary conference registration for all senior pastors and their wives attending this breakfast.

Since 1994, over 4 million people from around the world have come to a church in Toronto to experience the Presence of the Lord. I know the Arnott's. There still two of the most godly and humble people I know--despite the 4 million visitors to their church. They have had to hold meetings six nights a week for 12 years to accommodate everyone. The love and power of God in their meetings is still the best ministry I have even seen to to bind up the broken hearted and set the captives free. I heartily recommend that pastors attend this breakfast and that everyone come to the free evening meetings or pay to attend the day portions, if you can.

To register for the Pastors' Breakfast, call Maureen Connors at 362-8015, or emailing Pastor Ken Gerry at kgerry@cox.net. Ken is the local coordinator for this breakfast and is willing to answer any questions Pastors may have.

Another Martyr from Bethlehem: Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus --a son of Bethlehem who was killed for His faith. Another man from Bethlehem, 26-year-old Rami Ayyad , who loved Jesus, recently died. CBN reported that he was assassinated by Muslims as he worked in the Bible Book Store in Bethlehem. "Rami was the most gentle member of our team, the ever-smiling one," a co-worker said. He left a pregnant wife, Pauline, and two small children. Click here to read more details.

I and a friend are collecting some money to send to his pregnant widow and children for Christmas. If you would like to send a donation for them, please write a check to the ministry below and send it to that address with a note: Bethlehem Martyr's Family. 100% of all donations will go to that family.
Arabic Ministries Network
1920 Centerville Turnpike
Suite 117 PMB#282
Virginia Beach , VA 23464-6800 USA


Mission Hero's Books: I wish I had told you about this incredible resource two years ago when I first came across it. These are wonderfully written, simple books for children of all ages about men and women who changed thousands of lives through their heroic missions work. People like Eric Liddell, Hudson Taylor, William Carey, Mary Slessor, Amy Carmichael, Gladys Aylward, Nate Saint, etc. I laughed and cried my way through the Glady's Aylward book this morning. The Hollyood movie, Inn of the Sixth happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman, tells the story of this amazing British maid who flunked out of missionary school ,went to China without money or missions agency and became famous and revered among thousands of Chinese people within 15 years. Many became Christians because of her.

Buy these books for your kids and grandkids, as we have done. Pray that God will use these models of Christian heroism to lead our descendants to the lost billions just waiting for someone to show and tell them about the Father's love for lost people that sent Jesus to us in Bethlehem.

Jesus is the reason for the season, but the Father's love for the lost is the reason Jesus was born.

Check with your local Christian bookstore or click on ywampublishing.com to get see or order these books!

Spiritual Gifts Seminar: Jan 8-Apr 15 at Regent University--sponsored by the school of divinity an the Asian Center for Missions. Yes--you can learn to grow in spiritual gifts--even ones like prophecy, healing, word of knowledge, etc. I'm a graduate of this training. This is an excellent class with lots of practical coaching and practice sessions by Gordon Robertson, Pastor Travis Thigpen ( a well-known prophet), Pastor Mark Stafford, etc. Click here for printable bulletin inserts. Contact Maryanne Chamberlain at (757) 286-8066 or at marysta@regent.edu for more details.

Partners 303: Dede's B-day, Golden Compass

Dede Robertson is 80! Monday, December 3 was a big day at the Christian Broadcasting Network in Virginia Beach, VA.

Dede Robertson, the wife of well-known Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson just turned 80. Her birthday was announced the same day her son Gordon Robertson was publically acknowledged as the new CEO of CBN. Pat also reported that CBN has now reached it's goal of 500,000,000 people who have called a CBN center around the world to accept Jesus as Lord!! That's correct: 500 million! Half a billion. Comparatively few churches in America seem to know or publicly acknowledge how incredibly fruitful CBN is all over the world. History will show that CBN has been a major evangelistic harvest machine for the Lord in dozens of nations. God's Church should be very proud of CBN.

The Church everywhere should also be proud of Dede Robertson. She has raised four wonderful children, one of whom will now lead CBN into the future. Another daughter, Ann, helps lead major CBN department.

May I suggest that we now honor this wonderful woman who has helped build CBN and the Kingdom in more ways that we will ever know.

If you want to send a card or gift, send it to

Dede Robertson,
CBN
977 Centerville Turnpike
Virginia Beach, VA 23463

Emails can be addressed to her through this email address: partners-editor@cox.net
Fax's can be sent to her via: 757-226-6205


The Golden Compass: This new movie is a well told tale that is chock full of evil. This Christmas season's newest child's fantasy film is anything but that: is is not fantasy; it is theology--of the darkest kind, describing the real spiritual world we live in. This is not merely children's entertainment; it is video propaganda based on the author's (Philip Pullman) strongly anti-religious, anti-authority book series. In a 2003 interview, Pullman stated that his books—a trilogy titled, His Dark Materials—were about "killing God."

It is not to help us enjoy Christmas; it seeks to destroy Christmas.

Black is White: children have cuddly animal demons (sic) that the Magesterium (Church) wants to take away. Only the witches can help the children keep their demons and save the day.

This would be overly-done religious parody if the author of the movie was not dead serious about his intentions. He actually believes that God is evil and people must be protected from Him and His Church. It's a very old premise. A snake in the Garden of Eden thought of it first.

But it's only a fantasy film, right. What kid will really understand all that theology or care about the author's published intentions? Mark Early, President of Prison Fellowship writes:

"But it is just a story, isn't it? Of course, it is. But as Philip Pullman himself once wrote, "'Thou shalt not' might reach the head, but it takes 'Once upon a time' to reach the heart." That is exactly the point made in the new book The Pied Piper of Atheism, which draws the connection between Pullman's fantasy tales and the legendary figure who stole children away by playing music that appealed to their emotions."

Whatever captures your imagination will capture your heart. Strong fantasy can be to children what porn is to adults: seductive and self-destructive.

Pastors and parents: please protect your flocks from this wolf in sheep's clothing.

Partners 302: Fight Sex Slavery, Film Festival, Church Position, Praying for Federal Gov't

Redemptive Film Festival: Regent University and FireWorks International in Virginia Beach are hosting the 2nd annual showing of Christian films from several nations this weekend, Nov 2-3 at the Regent School of Communication building. Screenings start on Friday at 4:45 PM, Sat at 5 PM with an awards ceremony following ( dress is semi-formal). See http://www.redemptivefilms.com/

How to Combat Sex Trafficking: Free training offered at Regent University this Sat, Nov 3 from 1:30-5 PM in the Regent Library Auditorium ( 2nd floor). Capturing, selling and using girls and women as enslaved prostitutes is a $10 billion/year business worldwide. The numbers involved are staggering and growing--even in America. In poor countries, it is an epidemic that ruins and kills hundreds of thousands of young girls each year. Learn what you can do to stop these atrocities against women from Dr. Janice Shaw Cross, a Senior Fellow with the Beverly LaHaye Institute--a think tank for Concerned women of America. Dr. Shaw has years of experience fighting this horrific, mostly hidden and often ignored plague of sin.

Norfolk Church Needs Worship Leader: Bayview Baptist in Norfolk, a very friendly small evangelical church, has an immediate opening for a worship leader. This is a paid, part-time position. Call 757-587-4625 or email donna@bayviewbaptist.hrcoxmail.com

Capitol Hill Prayer Partners : Possibly the best free email newsletter on how to pray for what happens in Washington, DC national and international politics. Insightful, timely and biblical in perspective. Email to chpp@patriot.net to request subscription or go to http://chpponline.blogspot.com/2007/08/who-we-are-capitol-hill-prayer-partners.html to view online.

Partners 301: Jesus-3, Church -1, Bella, Tech Tip

Jesus -3, Church -1: If Jesus is our model for Christian ministry, why do most Churches only follow Jesus in 1 of 3 things Jesus always did and taught His disciples to do in public ministry? Jesus came to earth to show humanity the love of the Father in words and deeds. What he did was just as important as what He said. By believing in those words or deeds, people could receive eternal salvation. "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. (John 14:11)"

In public ministry, Jesus did three main works. He was an itinerant preacher, healer and exorcist. He sent out his 12 and later his 70 followers to do the same three things: preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, heal the sick and cast out demons ( Matt 10:1, Luke 10: 8,9, 17-20).

The early Church in ACTS did the same three works of Jesus. Every convert to Christianity was taken through exorcism in the first 300 years of the Catholic Church ( the only Church then) prior to baptism. In the early Church Christians used public exorcism to win the lost by doing deliverance in the streets and then presenting the Gospel to the curious crowds who watched the person get set free from demons--just like Jesus did!

I appeal to pastors and other church leaders to do all three works of Jesus--not just preach the Gospel with words. People go to witchdoctors and cults because the see no supernatural power in our churches. Demonized people commit terrible crimes because they cannot find a church to set them free from evil spirits. People probably go to hell because they think Christianity is just another religion, another philosophy. They have never seen the other two works of Jesus that Jesus considered essential to His ministry and to that of His disciples. 1 out of 3 was not enough for Jesus. Why is it enough for the His leaders today?

Lastly, it may be a command to do all three--not just a suggestion. Jesus commanded his followers to do not only preach but to: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy and drive out demons… Matt 10:8”

All those verbs are in the imperative mood in the original Greek manuscripts of the Gospels. They are commands. The Great Commission commands us to teach all that Jesus commanded His disci0ples: Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you….” Matt 28:18-19

List of Deliverance Resources: Click here.

Want to discuss deliverance more on a free conference call? email me at partners-editor@cox.net and we'll set up a date to do that.

Support Bella: http://www.bellathemovie.com/ The Mexican man who made this film and stars in it is a very committed Christian trying to change the image of Hispanic in movies from being either bandits or Latin lovers. He wants to portray Hispanic men as godly, responsible, loving husbands. Reuters News says, " “Bella," a romantic drama by Mexican director Alejandro Monteverde, was the surprise winner of the top award at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday….. The prize is often an indicator of future Academy Award nominations, with past recipients including best picture winners “American Beauty” and “Chariots of Fire.” Churches can sponsor this movie into a local theater. We should.

How to Create and Use a Digital Signature to Sign a Word Doc.

Click on the title above to see the simple procedure.

Blessings,

Bob Fox

Partners 300: Buddhist Monastery in Kempsville; Key to Winning Muslims

Buddhist Monastery In Kempsville: the shadow of Kempsville Elementary and Kempsville High School, just behind the community baseball field on Kempsville Rd stands a platoon of 12 foot high statues to a pagan god. This statue, seen above, is about 20' long in a reclining position. This is a Buddhist Monastery, as the ad on the web says:
Community Yoga at Buddhist Monastery Maitreyi Castillo & Para Somma 541 Downey DR Virginia Beach VA 23462 ( 757-479-0418) communityyoga@yahoo.com The ad goes on to say:

"Enjoy eclectic hatha and ashtanga (Power) yoga classes of all levels on DONATION basis in the serenity of a beautiful Buddhist Monastery."
These are very nice people--people God loves dearly. I've met some of them. These are people Christians need to love in word and deed. But without knowing it, these people are defiling our land with pagan worship.

This is just one of several sites in Tidewater that need to be prayed over persistently to bind and break the demonic power that is emanating from there. Another Buddhist worship site is also in a VB neighborhood. That is no accident. The spiritual atmosphere changes around a spiritual facility. Buddhists want to influence kids and families to accept their beliefs. Placing their worship sites in such places is a strategic move to influence those around that site spiritually. In this case, it happens to be hundreds of children and youth.

Remember, these are wonderful people who just don't know any better. They need our love. But those centers need the persistent prayers of intercessors who will pray over those sites regularly to neutralize the plans of the pagan forces working though those sites. Churches of Kempsville---please do not ignore this situation. Only the Church has the power to deal with demonic strongholds like this. Please help protect our kids and the blessing of God on our land.


How Muslims Will Be Won to Jesus: Martydom

George Otis said in a large missions conference in Manila, the Philippines in the late 90's: we have not won Muslims in any numbers probably because we are afraid to die in the process. Now, after years of Islamic suicidal bombers, we know that Muslims are willing to die for their faith. How can they respect a religion whose followers will not?

Recently, a local mission’s director returned from a Muslim nation and told me of a Christian there who was former Muslim. That man told the missions director, " I will not back down before Muslims when I witness to them. If my house have to be my grave--then, so be it."

Lest we forget, Christianity was founded by a man who was killed for His faith. All His 12 disciples after His resurrection followed him in martyrdom, except John. In fact, the courageous, joyful deaths of thousands of Christians in the Roman Collesium convinced many people that Christianity has to be taken seriously. Those Christians had something--actually Someone!

Plans are now in motion in China to send100,000 Chinese believers are being prepared to travel back to Jerusalem, winning millions of Buddhist, Muslims and Hindu's along the way. The main leaders (nine "uncles") of the underground Chinese Church have agreed to mobilize millions of their members to pray, give and send out the 100,000. The leaders said that they know that their followers can win Muslims because they are they are not afraid to suffer and die. They said that decades of persecution by the communist Party has taught them how to suffer and die for Jesus.

Friends, the Communists in China have done God a favor: they have produced biblical Christians like their Savior. May God be as kind to America! How we need to learn what our Chinese brethren know: to die is gain. Jesus calls us to die with Him for others.

The Moravians knew this. They were the first protestant missionaries. Once, when a Moravian family was getting off a ship to go ashore to an island in the Pacific, the captain of the ship said the husband of the family who was disembarking, " Sir don't you know that the natives there will eat you? They are headhunters. They will kill your family. The father looked the captain square in the eye and said softly, "Sir, we have already died." ( Gal 2:20)

Pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota preaches about all this as no other person I know can.

I dare you to read his sermon "You Will be Eaten by Cannibals! Lessons from the Life of John G. Paton" No one can digest that message and not comprehend the power of a life fully yielded to God to change a city or a nation. You can listen to it or read it at the link above.

May God make us all like John Paton--and his godly father.

Blessings

Bob Fox
Editor

Partners 299: Worship Leader Position, Volunteer Source

National Website to Seek Volunteers: Church and Ministries can use this free online service to advertise for volunteers in their community to do projects. The folks who run it are top notch . They run such sites for groups like the Salvation Army across the nation. Just create an account for your ministry ( see top right of their home page) and post your volunteer opportunities. Check it out at http://www.christianvolunteering.org/

Worship Leader Needed: Bayview Baptist in Norfolk has an immediate opening for a worship leader. This is a paid, part-time position. Pastor Cary Paulk is the Pastor.
Call: 757-587-4625 or email donna@bayviewbaptist.hrcoxmail.com

Bob Walker Now in Heaven. Many leaders would consider Bob Walker of Tabernacle Church in Norfolk a Christian pillar of the community. He was a very dedicated Christian worker in this region for over 50 years and a man that everyone liked and trusted. What set Bob apart is ( he still has it in heaven!) his great love for the entire Church, his relentless zeal to see pastors and churches work together and his single-minded passion for world missions. In the 90's, I had the privilege to serve with Bob for three years in on the board of Hampton Roads United for Christ. To know him was to love him. He and his wife, Muriel, put on lunches each month to get leaders from many churches together in their home. He published a monthly missions newsletter full of insight and zeal for the lost globally. Dr. Ray Stiles, President of Providence Bible College in Norfolk, says of Bob: "Another Hampton Roads giant has gone on." There will be a memorial service at Tabernacle Church in Norfolk Sunday Sept. 30th at 2:30. Call (757)423-8266 for more information.

Partners 298: Free Marriage Counseling, Disaster Prep Prayer Meetings

FREE Marriage Counseling. A research study at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA is offering free couples counseling to the Hampton Roads community. Couples could receive 10-13 sessions of free counseling that would typically cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. The project is directed by Jennifer Ripley, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, professor at Regent and Director of Hope Couples Lab. Couples should be married or engaged--or just living together. You can read more about the study and complete the initial screening at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=P889wgpajrQeAYYxX0kIGg_3d_3d
Contact Dr. Ripley at marriage@regent.edu

My wife and I went through such a research project at a seminary many years ago. I was skeptical at first ( as most men are of counseling), but afterwards I had to admit that I had grown as a husband and in personal communication with others. These deals don;t come around very often. I recommend that pastors encourage some of their members to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. ----Bob Fox

Disaster Prep Prayer Meetings:Each morning from 3-6 AM, during Oct 1-7, several Hampton Roads prayer ministries on the Peninsula and in Southside are holding prayer meetings to help Tidewater churches prepare for coming emergencies, either natural or man-made. There is significant agreement among many local leaders that the Lord may be warning our region that a disaster may come our way in the near future. A well-known national leader, Chuck Pierce, has prophesied a large hurricane would come to threaten our area this year. Chuck, be the way, predicted a similar wind to blow through New Orleans exactly one year before Katrina hit there. Contact Chris Cunningham at prayer@newlifeprovidence.com, phone 757-424-1907 or Russell Evenson at 757-234-4365 , revenson@wowcenter.org

Go here for more details and links: http://hr-prayer-prep.blogspot.com/

More Churches Serving Inner City in Hampton Roads: The Wave Church (http://www.wavechurch.com) has been involved with Dream Keeper's Academy, a public school in Norfolk (they are on Princess Anne Road near Booker T. Washington-bad area) for a few years, after school tutoring and this year they remodeled the inside building with new paint and light fixtures, did landscaping and installed a new playground. Wave also has buses that go into the inner cities for services.

Partners 297: Discipleship Ideas/Models for Churches

Church Hallways: Most churches have wall space that God can use to mature His people. Here are some ideas:
1. Print the scriptures that undergird your main church values ( Love, worship, evangelism, healing, etc) in the hallways ( and maybe in the sanctuary). Challenge members to memorize those verses ( 1 /mo?) Have memorization contests for those who can recite them all! Kids love that.
2. Display art at the eye-level of small children on walls that describes your core values. Have a contest for kids and adults to artistically express those values and display the winning drawings, photo's sculptures, song-lyrics, etc. in your hallways and website. Do every year.
3. Have members write testimonies of how they have overcome a significant life issue with God's help. Make those testimonies into tri-fold brochures and make copies available in the hall and online. Allow church office to match the author with someone who is now struggling with that same problem if requested. Powerful alliance for healing! Share those "wounded healers" with other churches who also have people struggling with the same issues. Messiah Church in Chesapeake ( 757-436-2545) has such tri-folds.
4. Pick a theme ( grateful for, healed of, favorite scripture, etc) each month and invite members and visitors to express their thoughts and prayers by writing on rolls of paper on the walls of hallways. Mutual edification and awareness of needs will result.
5. In a smaller church, build a simple mailbox so that members can leave notes/books, Cd's , invitations to groups ( birthday, baby showers, small group events etc). Kempsville Presbyterian in Virginia Beach ( a large church ( 757-495-1913) ) has one that they use for church leaders.

Community Outreach
1. Link with An Inner City School: This is almost like serving as a missionary overseas due to similar cultural and poverty issues with the students. 1 hr/wk mentors can change a child's life, a family's life, a community's life. New Life Providence in Virginia Beach (757-227-6930)has been doing for over a year now with over 70 mentors at Bolling Elementary in Norfolk. The goal is a mentor for every child ( over 300) . The school leaders love it and kids are being rescued from things that would destroy their lives by the love and perseverance of those mentors. New Life is planting a church in that school building, too this Fall!
2. Have a Family Fun Day for the people who live near your church. "If you feed them and help them have a good time, they will come". Do this with several churches to increase resources. Breaks the ice, opens hearts and connects your members with the lost. Both Kempsville Pres and New Life Providence do this. Both are growing churches.

Serve Other Church Leaders
1. Free conference for pastors and their leaders at Open Door Church in Suffolk Sept 13-16. This is an annual event with free food, great speakers and warm hospitality for all local church leaders hosted by Pastors Tony & Cathy Peaks (757)-934-2671) at 7 PM and 10:30 AM each day.

Evangelism
1. This group trains and encourages internet evangelism worldwide. Anyone can evangelize almost anyone in the world who is on the internet. Note the testimony page. See http://ied.gospelcom.net/index.php

1. PALTALK is a 24/7 audio connection to the world!! It's like having your own world radio broadcast--only two way!! Muslims are very afraid of it as the examples show below. You can even play Christian tapes ( worship music, testimonies, More then Dreams audio, etc) 24/7 for free on Paltalk!! It's a goldmine for online evangelism, discipleship.
**Look at http://www.thechristianchat.net/cpaltalk.htm for Christian Paltalk examples
**Muslims worry about Christians on PalTalk http://www.nysun.com/article/8455
**Muslims very worried about Christians on Paltalk http://www.petitiononline.com/MECA/petition.html


Whatever worries those who oppose the Gospel should be of interest to Christians!

Blessings,

Bob Fox
Editor

Partners 297: BIble Campaign, Free Volunteers, Gifts Semiinar, Mission Events, Prep for Disasters

New Testament Distribution to 190,000 Hampton Roads Homes: If you would like to be a part of this wonderful project by the International Bible Society, come to the free luncheon on
August 30, 2007 at 12 noon at the Murray Center (Historic First Baptist Church), 455 E. Brambleton Avenue in Norfolk, VA. Email to ptolleson@us.ibs-stl.org right away to register for the luncheon and a free gift.

Weekly Regional Missions Fellowship: Every Monday for over15 years this group hosts visiting missionaries who report on what God is doing all over the world from first-hand experiences. This is excellent missions training, a place to network with other mission-minded people from multiple churches and a place to get more of God's heart for a desperate world without Jesus. Email Jeff Anderson at jeffand@regent.edu to get on their mailing list to know who is speaking each week. They meet at Shoney's, across from CBN in Virginia Beach each Monday at 7 AM. It is called 7M Fellowship.

Skype: 75million people are using a free computer program called Skype to talk to other around the world with crystal cleat reception, most of the time--even with video, if you have a web-cam on your computer. For $30/year, I can make unlimited calls in the US to a land-line ( normal phone) from my computer, even with conference calls to 4 other people at once. It has many other features. Check it our at www.skype.com

More than Dreams on Netflicks! This dyn-o-mite movie of five real people telling how they became Christians after seeing Jesus in a dream or vision is now available on Netflicks--an online store to rent movies. Click Here to see the ad

Creation Science: No that is not an oxymoron! Evolution and creationism are both partly based in science and theology. Credible scientific augments can be made for a created world. Christians should know those facts. Evolution is one of the main philosophical foundations for unlimited abortion and moral relativism--both scourges of our world. A local group has met in Tidewater for years with monthly speakers on the Peninsula, Southside and in Richmond. They also have a fine lending library. contact Rick Homesley at 1origin@cox.net

Spiritual Gifts Seminar: Starting August 28, Gordon Robertson and others teach an excellent series this Fall starting on how to use spiritual gifts--especially healing, word of wisdom, word of knowledge and prophecy. I've taken it twice. I highly recommend it--especially if you have not had an intensive, practical instruction time on how to use these often-misunderstood, but greatly important spiritual gifts. Click here for more info and call Maryanne Chamberlain at 286-8066, or e-mail Marysta@regent.edu to register.

Help Our International Students: Gopal and Daisy Kannan's International Student Ministry at Old Dominion University is hosting their annual "Pre-Shopping Event" where they minister to new students via providing items they will need during the school year. Volunteers are needed Sat. Sept. 8th at 7 AM as well as donations of small household items, clothing, cooking utensils, and canned foods. Contact Gopal at 270-2823 or email gkanan@cox.net to help.

United Way Has Volunteers for Your 1-day Project on Sept 7: Your church or group can submit a project and United Way will assign volunteers to it for one day. They need more projects. Click here to register immediately online For more info:
(757) 539-1498 ext. 351 , or email to doc@unitedwayshr.org.

Get Ready Now for a Disaster: I believe the Holy Spirit is telling Hampton Roads to make practical preparations for a natural or made-made disaster in the near future. Now is the time for churches and families and neighborhoods to asses their needs and resources for dealing with loss of services for a prolonged period of time. Now would be a good time to find out who can do what to help others should power go out, food and water be scarce and medical needs increase. Does your church have a disaster plan for its staff, leaders and congregation? If churches near each other could collaborate and share resources, even more could be done to help each other and our neighbors when "the lights go out". Remember the five wise virgins. They were prepared.

Partners 296: Be Trinitarian! Saints Not Sinners. Free Airline Tickets

Don't Forget the Father! Over the past 15 years or so , I have seen a tendency in local churches here to mainly talk about Jesus in their worship services. I suspect this is a national trend. Even a cursory study of the Bible argues for a more balanced focus on all three Persons in the Trinity, but especially a focus on God the Father. The entire Bible clearly shows God the Father is the Preeminent Person in the Trinity. Almost every reference to God in the Old and New Testament is to the Father. The Father is the one whose love sent Jesus to earth as John 3:16 so beautifully declares. Jesus talked about the Father and to the Father all the time. Jesus claimed he came from the Father, was given a Kingdom ( Luke 22:29) and followers by the Father, was going back to the Father and had an assignment to complete from the Father. Jesus prayed to the Father all the time on earth, taught us to pray to the Father and still prays to the Father in heaven for us ( Hebrews 7:25) . Jesus came to reveal the Father to us and one day will hand the Kingdom He had built on earth back to the Father who gave Him that Kingdom ( ICor 15:24). In summary, Jesus came so that we might know the Father. Jesus declares that eternal life consists in knowing the Father--and Jesus whom the Father sent ( John 17:3).

May I humbly suggest to church leaders that it is time to corporately recite the Lord's prayer again in Sunday services, Sunday School classes and the like? May I suggest that we teach people more about the "love of God" the Father as well as "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" ( 2 Cor: 13:14). We live in a fatherless generation when millions of people have not grown up with a father in the home or had a terrible experience of being fathered. I was raised without my wonderful father or mother at home due to their divorce. Relatives tried to raised me, but without the love I needed. Experiencing the incredible love of my Heavenly Father as a small boy saved me from self-destructing into sin as a boy and later as a man. I want every person to experience that inner witness of the Holy Spirit that cries out "Abba, Father" ( Rom 8:15). To that end, I commend to you again this website: http://www.Fathersloveletter.com


Saints Are Not Sinners: I would like to challenge the saying, "I am a sinner saved by grace." We were sinners but now we are saved, sons and saints after becoming a new creation in Jesus! Sinners is a technical term in the NT to mean unsaved and unrighteous. Both the Jews and Jesus made that contrast many times using the same Greek word, harmatolos
(Strongs word # 268) in all 44 verses where it is used in the NT. There is just no way to reconcile the incredible declarations of who we are in Christ with the biblical concept of sinner. Christians do sin, of course, but we sin as chosen, beloved, accepted, justified, righteous, sealed, born-again, transformed, Spirit-dwelt children of the living God. Sinners sin continually with little regard for God or any relationship to God. Jesus came to save sinners (Matt. 9:13) but once saved, we are no longer poor, depraved, condemned, helpless, enslaved sinners. That's why the good news is so good! The devil wants us to focus on how bad we are/were. God wants the opposite focus once we know Him as Heavenly Father through Jesus!

Credit Card Ministry: Now that sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? But Merlin Miller, former pastor of Landsdown community Church in Virginia Beach made me a believer! Merlin travels extensively to Ukraine to help orphanages there. His plane tickets are free.

His company pays large commercial bills with a credit card that generates airline miles. Those business transactions are sending him on mercy missions several times a year to desperate children in Ukraine. Many businesses--even non-Christian ones-- would do the same to help desperate people around the world. Someone just needs to ask. There is probably a businessman in every church who could be the liaison with other businessmen for such things. Why haven't we thought of this before? May God give you all favor with businesses to partner with in pursuit of His glory in the nations! If you get more miles than you can use, please share them with other ministries. Personal ambition and jealousy have kept us from sharing resources with one another for too many centuries. Freely we have received; freely give.

May God give you all fresh wisdom and zeal to know Him as Father and build His Kingdom even during these hot summer months. The devil is not on vacation. Be alert. Be available. Tougher times are coming and our communities and the nations will need and want the Church's help more than ever.

Bob Fox
Editor