Help, Hope, & Healing

“O God, have mercy on me.  The enemy troops press in on me.  My foes attack me all day long.  My slanderers hound me constantly, and many are boldly attacking me.  But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.  O God, I praise Your word.  I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:1-4 NLT) 

This Psalm was written by David at a time when it appeared that the Philistines were going to capture and kill him.  Having personally killed many Philistines, and having led the Israelite army to victories over those same Philistines, David should have been overcome with fear because the Philistines were certainly were plotting his death.  At the same time, he was being harassed by the King of the Israelites, Saul, and his troops.  David was surrounded on every side.  But rather than giving up or giving in, he turned once again to the Lord.  He prayed for God’s mercy, and re-affirmed his trust and confidence in the Lord.  He said, “I put my trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  What can mere mortals do to me?”    

Question – “Do you ever find yourself surrounded by opponents or overwhelmed by obstacles – and what is your typical response in those circumstances and situations?” Typically, most people become stressed out and filled with worry.  Some people become paralyzed because of their problems, while others take some sort of hasty action (which often leads to greater problems).  Some people wisely seek counsel from others or from the Word of God.  Regardless of the action we take in response to opposition and/or obstacles, however, most of us struggle with fear when faced with adverse circumstances. 

Second Question – “Is fear a help or hindrance to you – and how does fear typically affect us?” Fear is almost always a negative force in our lives.  Fear is “almost always a negative force” because it’s good to have a “healthy fear” of dangerous situations (i.e., standing next to a cliff), dangerous animals (i.e., rattlesnakes or alligators) or dangerous people that causes us to keep a safe distance from them.  It is also good to have a healthy fear of the Lord, which is the “beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7).  In almost every other circumstance or situation, however, the emotion of “fear” robs us of so much. 

Fear robs us of our self-esteem.  It causes us to perceive ourselves as much weaker than we really are (especially as we are when we are living by God’s strength and power).  Fear robs us of our joy.  Who can live a happy or joy-filled life when they are living a fear-filled life?  Fear negatively affects our relationships with others and with God.  Oftentimes we don’t enter into deeper relationships because we are afraid of being hurt, or afraid of our own inadequacies.  Fear robs us of opportunities.  We often don’t walk through “open doors” of opportunity because we are afraid that we won’t measure up or that something will go wrong.  Fear robs us of our destiny.  It keeps us from being all that we can be and doing all that we can do.  Fear is the most tragic emotion of all, because it robs us of so much in our lives. 

Third Question – “What has ‘fear’ stolen from you in your life?” The good news is that we don’t have to give in to or be overcome by fear, even when we are surrounded by tremendous obstacles or terrifying opponents.  When we put our faith and confidence in the Lord, He will enable us to overcome every obstacle and every opponent.  That’s what the Lord did for David, and that is what He will do for us. 

The first verse I ever memorized as a child (after John 3:16) was Psalm 56:3, and I memorized it from the King James Version.  I would say, “Whatever time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.  Psalm 56:3.” Say those words aloud (including the Bible text).  Even before I became a Christian, those words were a source of strength, help and hope to me.  I have discovered that we never have to give in to fear or fearful circumstances, but when we turn to the Lord, He will give us victory over our obstacles and opponents.  You can live a victorious faith-filled life, and never again live a discouraging fear-filled life.

“We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way we act, and so no one can find fault with our ministry.  In everything we do we try to show that we are true ministers of God.  We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.  . . . We have proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, our sincere love, and the power of the Holy Spirit.  We have faithfully preached the truth.  We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves.  We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us.  . . . Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.  We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.  We own nothing, and yet we have everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:3-10 NLT) 

Paul is writing to the Corinthian Christians to remind them of what it takes to be an effective witness and minister for Jesus Christ.  All Christians are called to be witnesses and “ministers” for the Lord (Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:20), but some Christians are “good” witnesses and ministers while others are “bad” witnesses and ministers.  Paul writes “we have proved ourselves” (2 Corinthians 6:6), and all Christians ought to “prove themselves” in a similar way to be “good” witnesses and ministers for the Lord. 

Question – “What does it take to be a good witness and minister for the Lord?” In that question we are not asking what a person knows or how gifted they are, but it is a question referencing how a Christian lives his or her life.  Let’s give ourselves the same test that Paul gave himself and those with him. 

First, good witnesses and ministers “patiently endure troubles, hardships and calamities of every kind” (2 Corinthians 6:4-5.  Paul mentions how he and those with him had endured beatings, imprisonment, threatening mobs, hard work, sleepless nights and the deprivation of food, and they had endured those hardships patiently.  Do you regularly respond to hardship with patience, endurance and faith?  People are always watching us, but they especially note how we respond to the hardships and difficulties of life. 

Second, good witnesses and ministers “prove themselves” by living pure, patient, kind, loving and spirit-empowered lives, and they faithfully proclaim the “good news” of Jesus and the truths of God’s Word to others (2 Corinthians 6:6-7).  People are always watching to observe the purity of our words, motives and actions, as well as looking for patience in our lives.  Also, manifesting a kind and loving spirit causes lost people to believe that we really believe and have what we profess to believe and have.  Thirdly, people can tell when we are living spirit-empowered lives rather than self-empowered lives.  Fourthly, if we are good witnesses and ministers it is because we are faithfully sharing the gospel and God’s truth with others.  Do the people you work and live next to see purity, patience, kindness, supernatural love and Holy Spirit power in your life?  If they do, you are a good witness and minister for the Lord. 

Third, good witnesses and ministers live righteous lives, they serve God whether people honor or despise them or whether they slander or praise them (2 Corinthians 6:7-10).  Good witnesses and ministers are honest, they experience and express the joy of the Lord even when their hearts are aching, they give to others, and they experience and express God’s riches.  Do people see these evidences of Christ-likeness in your life, which enables you to be a good witness and minister for the Lord?  

The secret to be being a good witness and minister for the Lord is found in 2 Corinthians 6:7 in the phrase where Paul writes:  “God’s power has been working in us.” The truth is, none of can consistently be good witnesses and ministers for the Lord in our own power, but by God’s power we can be good witnesses and ministers for the Lord regardless of the obstacles or opposition we face in our lives.

“That old system of law etched in stone led to death, yet it began with such glory that the people of

Verbo Ministries of Nicaragua was started over 25 years ago by Bob and Myra Troleese, a couple from the

In the past 27 years the Lord has led Bob and Myra and Verbo Ministries to start 7 churches (that have over 4500 in attendance), 3 orphanages and a Christian school, and they encourage and assist a number of pastors throughout the nation.  They are also continually working to minister to the impoverished people of

MEFEL, Faith and Freedom Evangelical Ministries, is another ministry organization in

On August 29, Tedrick Mills,

One pastor’s wife shared how her home and all that was in it was completely destroyed by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.  Her husband was tempted to leave the ministry at that time, but she said to him, “I’d rather lose our home than lost the ministry that the Lord has called and entrusted us to do.” When I see such great examples of faith and perseverance, I am motivated to not give up or give in to the difficulties of life.

I encourage all who read this Blog to reflect on the stories of the above-mentioned people.  They remind us that the Lord can utilize ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary works, and that “faith is the victory” that enable us to overcome the trials and tribulations of our world.

I’m in

Several years ago our church partnered with Terry & Arlene Dupont of Open Eyes Ministries to birth the Celebration Church of Leon, Nicaragua.  We have also sent mission teams over the years to work with the Nicaraguan people, training many Christian leaders and seeing thousands of people come to faith in Jesus.

Terry and Arlene Dupont of Open Eyes Ministries are great examples of the extraordinary work that God can do in and through ordinary people.  Terry was a hospital administrator who had been through several marriages before he surrendered his life to Jesus.  After he and Arlene met and married, Terry sensed God calling him into the vocational ministry, and subsequently became a church administrator.  Then, after going on a mission trip, Terry felt that the Lord was calling him and Arlene to

Now, as a result of God working in extraordinary ways, Terry and Arlene have had the opportunity to:

·        Partner with over 900 churches in the nation of

·        Help those Nicaraguan churches start over 15,0000 small groups

·        See over 550,000 people come to faith in Christ through evangelistic crusades, street evangelism, small groups and partnering churches

·        Train the National Police of Nicaragua Christian leadership principles.

Who could have imagined the great work the Lord would do through a retired hospital/ church administrator and his wife?  Again, Terry and Arlene are great examples of how the Lord can accomplish extraordinary works through ordinary people when we are surrendered to Him.

When we fully surrender your ambitions, attitudes and actions to the Lord like Terry and Arlene Dupont have done, we will be amazed at how miraculously the Lord will work in, for and through us to accomplish far more than we’ve ever experienced or even envisioned.

Dennis

P.S.  Let me also encourage you to be praying for Terry and Arlene.  Just this past weekend Terry had to return to the U.S. because while down in

August 29 will forever be the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in my mind.  On that date in 2005, Hurricane Katrina brought tremendous devastation to the people of the New Orleans and Gulf Coast regions.  Katrina brought over 108,000 square miles of destruction, flooding over 300,000 homes and businesses in the New Orleans area, and killing over 1700 people. 

The Celebration Congregation experienced the devastation and destruction of Katrina.  Approximately 50% of our people had there homes flooded to some degree, and a number of people lost everything they had.  Both of the Celebration campuses at that time were completely flooded, and everything at those campuses was completely lost.  As a result of the flooding and losses, over 60% of our congregation moved to other cities and states, leaving us with a much smaller congregation, millions of dollars worth of repairs, and a reeling and devastated city.

We have always taught and believed that the Lord can take any tragedy, turn it around, and use it for our good, for others good, and for His glory (Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28).  That is exactly what the Lord has done for the Celebration Congregation in response to the destruction of Katrina.  Since Hurricane Katrina, with the help and support of churches and ministries from around our nation and world, we have been able to: 

    * Host over 15,000 volunteers from around the nation, who have come to serve the people of the New Orleans region

* Serve over 135,000 families in the New Orleans region, providing food, water, clothing, cleaning products, medical supplies and baby supplies, as well as services such as house-tarping, house-gutting, lawn-mowing, trauma counseling, etc.

* Provide trauma counseling training to hundreds of counselors, social workers, pastors and church leaders, and provide trauma, family and chemical dependency counseling to thousands of people

* Restore hundreds of families whose problems were exacerbated by the trauma they had experienced from Hurricane Katrina

* Win thousands of people to faith in Jesus, and assimilate over 1200 of those new Christians into Celebration Church

* Rebuild our Transcontinental campus, and re-start our church and school ministries there

* Merge with two smaller congregations that had been devastated by Katrina, and re-launch those campuses as Celebration Church satellite campuses

* Rebuild our congregation until it is larger and stronger than it was pre-Katrina

* Bring together the pastors of our city, so that several hundred of them are not praying, planning and partnering together in ministry.

Those statistics remind us that our God is a great God, and there is nothing impossible for Him.  He can take every tragedy and difficulty, great and small, and turn it around and utilize for our good, others good, and for His glory.  Praise His name!

Job – “If only I knew where to find God, I would go to His throne and talk with Him there.  . . . I go east, but He is not there.  I go west, but I cannot find Him.  I do not see Him in the north, for He is hidden.  I turn to the south, but I cannot find Him.  But He knows where I am going.  And when He has tested me like gold in a fire, He will pronounce me innocent.  For I have stayed in God’s paths; I have followed His ways and not turned aside.  I have not departed His commands but have treasured His word in my heart.  Nevertheless, His mind concerning me remains unchanged, and who can turn Him from His purposes?  Whatever He wants to do, He does.  So He will do for me all He has planned.  He controls my destiny.” (Job 23:2, 8-14 NLT) 

Job was in the midst of his struggle with God and his circumstances.  It’s hard for us to imagine what Job was going through, having suddenly lost his livestock, many of his buildings, and his most of his children.  The anguish and pain he was experiencing was compounded by the bitterness of his wife towards God (“Why don’t you curse God and die?”) and the condemning counsel of his friends.  In the midst of all of this, Job felt “cut off” from the Lord.  He wanted answers from the Lord as to why the circumstances in his life had occurred, and at this time the Lord wasn’t providing any answers. 

Question – “When in your life have felt like Job felt, feeling as though the world was against you and God wasn’t hearing you – and how did you respond to those times of crisis in your life?” One of the positive characteristics of Job is that even in the midst of his struggles he continued to pursue the Lord.  Often in the midst of struggles people “walk away” from the Lord, but Job continued seeking to connect with the Lord to order to better know His will and find some answers to all of his questions.  Job understood that even though God was silent, the Lord was “testing” him and carrying out His purpose in Job’s life. 

Second Question – “When have you sensed that the Lord was ‘testing’ you – and what was the result of that ‘testing’ in your life?” Job believed that once God had completed his “testing” of him, that the Lord would find him “innocent” and faithful.  Sometimes the Lord does “test” His people, although the testing is more for our benefit than it is for the Lord.  The Lord tested Abraham in regards to whether he loved Him or his son Isaac the most (Genesis 22:1-35), and He “tested” Joseph during his trials in