The Right Bus Seat?

 

After Refugee discipleship class a couple of the men stay online to talk. One of the young leaders asked me to help his friend.  

I hardly know him. 

He was going to Asylum court in just four days.

 I thought, “ Well because a young leader asked, I’ll make the time.” 

I met Moh.... on my day off and found out he is a gem of a person, truly seeking Jesus, highly skilled and motivated in his field of study,... and he has a deep desire to serve Jesus. 

He went to asylum court and was immediately given asylum (very unusual). It seems the judge could see that his heart and life are sold out for Christ, and it would be life threatening to send him back to his home country. I met Moh..... after discipleship class the next week and showed him how he can get started in a ministry that fits his spiritual and natural gifting. 

My own mentor and greatly respected friend Dr. Dennis Morgan told me,

 “it’s not only important that we get everyone in the bus, but we have

 to get them into the right seat.” 

Main Prayer Request: Lord help us get all those in “Refugee Discipleship”, “Character Mentor Network”, and “Vienna Area Refugee Network” into the right seat on the bus. 

Answered Prayer.  The communication software to all the refugees on my phone crashed and I couldn’t seem to get the problem fixed. I told my wife about it several times all week long and so she asked, “ Can I try?”       

 She pressed one button and it started working again. Praise the Lord !!!!

By the grace of God and in Jesus Christ’s precious name, AMEN

.

Answered Prayer from Aug. 10, 2020

 

Prayer and Wisdom received:

Intervention: A refugee and brother in Christ has a critical heart problem and severe depression with no insurance. Answer:  The Lord has taken care of things. Kyar… now has insurance and is now taking medication for his heart problem. He seems to be overcoming the severity of his depression too.

Mentoring: A brother in Jesus seems to be blocked emotionally and is recently married. Answer:  The block has loosened up some and the marriage seems to be stabilizing more.

Investing:

• Family: Answer:   Our marriage has strengthened over the summer and our daughters are figuring out life within the Lord’s sanctification process.

• Networking: Answer:  The Character Mentor Network and the Refugee and Immigrant Network is still a work in process. Significant steps moving forward have take place since the Covid crisis. Praise the Lord!

• Mentoring Refugee Young Leaders: Answer:   Last Friday (Sept.4, 2020) at the Refugee leaders meeting we received full commitment from them for this years ministry plan. We continue to train them so they can minister without us. 

• Preparation for teaching and presentations:Answer:  So far so good.

Thank you for your prayers!

Russ & Roswitha

Prayer encouragement from a faithful friend on prayer:

Dear friends,

 

I decided I might need a refresher course about prayer the Lord hears and honors. These are just SOME of the verses I found, but enough to convince me that my search for BALANCE was really a search for safety. The only thing off balance …is me. I may be in danger of wanting more to be liked than to be faithful  (Tom Nelson)  and  Spurgeon, speaking of the church :  “Either the wheat chokes the weeds or the weeds choke the wheat”.

 

Thank you for your prayer again, read and reread … and your sound counsel (“If we remain silent what will continue?”) My mindset to “pray without ceasing” is strengthened  and as we continue to ask the Lord to establish the Refugee Discipleship Network, we can be confident it will most certainly be accomplished.  

 

My devotional—“The real victory in service is won in secret beforehand by prayer. Service is gathering up the result” 

 

                                                                                         

Returning ALL praise to Him for the victory on it’s way to you… in the Powerful Name of our Savior 

Thanks again Sherri Smith for this encouraging word: 

“What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them”- Mark 11:24(KJV)

 

   Reviewing conditions for believing and receiving (Life App Bible NIV) 

1. You must be a believer   

2. You must not hold a grudge against another person  

3.  You must not ask with selfish motives  

4.  Your request must be good for God’s kingdom.  To pray effectively, you need faith in God, not the object of your request. If you focus only on your request, you will be left with nothing if your request is refused.  

 

“Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh  receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”- Matt 7: 7-8  (KJV)

 

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you shall receive, if you have faith”- Matt 21:22 (ESV)

 

“Whatever you ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”- John 14:13 (ESV)

 

“Until now, you have asked nothing in My Name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full”. –John 16:24

 

“And this is the confidence we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we  have asked  of Him”- 1 John 5: 14-15 (ESV)

 

“But let him  ask Him in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must  not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways”- James 1: 6-8 (ESV)

 

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”- John 15:7(ESV)

 

“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him”- 1 John 3:22(ESV)

 

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven”- Matt 18:19 (ESV)

 

 “Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘ Be taken up and thrown into the sea’, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him”- Mark 11:23 (ESV) 

 

“Delight yourself in the Lord , and He will give you the desires of your heart”- Ps 37:4(ESV)

 

 

Charles Spurgeon  (from his message “The conditions of power in prayer”)… found on You Tube…this is bare bones, SO much content I just hit the high spots

 

The prerequisites are:  

1. A childlike obedience (we keep His commandments) 

2.  A yielding spirit  (an eye to His pleasure)

3.  A childlike trust (in proportion to our faith in Christ) 

 4. A childlike love (For Him and each other) his quote:  “Love will form the prayer” – selfishness can’t be trusted with unlimited power in prayer… it must bless others.  

 5. childlike ways (dwelling in Him produces Holy desires in line with His will )(Matt 6:33) 

  6. A childlike spirit (a spirit of adoption)—his quote: “when God leads His children to pray, He has already set in motion a wheel that is to produce the result prayed for… 

 7. A childlike confidence (” Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, THEN we have confidence before God”)—1 John 3:21(KJV)…

 

“Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean”- Ps 51:7

Hi Russ,

Thanks for putting the  zoom meeting together yesterday (my first) --wonderful to see familiar faces and so full of information. Loved being with you all !

Wanted you to have more information  than I could share then, just in case you or any of the group needed it :  If you go to   Cassingram.com  you will find  a detailed description about the product including an offer for a free book –“COVID-19 Remedy”. I may do that myself. But the book  I’ve relied on for years is “The Cure is in the Cupboard” by Dr. Cass Ingram. I paid a few dollars for it  (used) before this virus hit but I notice the price has dramatically risen… the cheapest I saw was on Ebay for about $12

I don’t know if this doc is a believer, but he states that this oregano is the  hyssop of the Bible. There are many brands out there, some not even true oregano, but Spanish marjoram. OREGANOL P 73 by NORTH AMERICAN HERB and SPICE is the gold standard, organically sourced from the Mediterranean region. And potent. It comes in pill form but doesn’t seem to be as effective as the concentrated drop form. If you drop it on your tongue (as I do ) it will make you VERY alert. Might be prudent to mix with water when you aren’t accustomed to the jolt. It is effective against pneumonia, shingles, allergies and many other conditions the medical community can’t touch… but is recognized as safe by the FDA. Don’t use it, however, if you have a blood disorder or are on blood thinners. And use with caution if you are allergic to mint, sage, basil or lavender. I’m using the super strength but the regular is very good, too. I’m not aware of any side effects… other than sleeping better. It is anti viral, anti inflammatory, anti microbial and a cancer suppressor. Even the fumes are healing .

I notice the price gouging is lessening- I see more reasonable prices on Amazon and Ebay if you want to research and can’t find it locally. I can’t recommend it as a sure cure but I’m intrigued at the thought that it MIGHT be. And that this entire plague is easily subdued by a little plant the Lord provided centuries ago for “ such a time as this”… confounding the experts but not the Great Physician.  J I read that hyssop branches were used in spreading blood on the door frames at Passover (!) If I can clarify or help you in any way, please let me know

                                  Hope you never need this information,  S....

Happy Disciples

Another Priscilla and Aquilla couple in the making. Acts 18:26. 

E.... has stayed faithful serving Jesus after his conversion. The Lord has recently rewarded him greatly with a wife who loves and serves Jesus too. 

Praise the Lord !!!

A Multimedia Good Friday Service. 

Used film clips from thehopeproject.com ( great ministry tool)

Praise the Lord for Sa... being the messenger-translator,  and for all those like Par.... and her new sister in Jesus who passed out the Lord’s supper. E....... was invaluable figuring out how to make the sound and the video cable work well for the Service. 

Recently received the Mentor Training Certificate from Dr. Dennis Morgan. 

Dennis has been my mentor for many years ( since summer 2014) and he has been invaluable in coaching me to mentor others. Thank you Dennis !!!!

Thank you for your prayers and support!

The Judge Questions the Conversion

Fahim’s testimony was too detailed and unclear. He was not answering the Judges question: When did your conversion to Christianity begin?

Fahim told his story to the judge: 

At the age of 6..... I was beaten for not understanding the Koran. I learned over time how to read Arabic with the other boys and yet the meaning was not explained. The K…. school was during the week, and the tests on the weekends. As I grew older I began to question why the Mula’s (K…… teachers) were so strong on getting young boys into the Holy War? 

One day I told my best friend about this. He gave me a book and said, this book is very dangerous,…. it can cost you your life. 

I took it home and began to read in it for two days, but didn’t understand many things. Why does God have a son? The Mula’s told me God has no family. I have no one to explain this book to me. I decided to go to the Mula to get understanding. The Mula saw the book and heard my question about God having a son. He began to beat me. He threw me out. I went home. About two hours later the police came, questioned me and the family. My mother and brothers and sisters didn’t know about the book. They arrested me, questioned and beat me extensively. When a friend of the family saw me, he asked for the family doctor. The doctor told the police that if I had internal bleeding I would probably die. They took me to the hospital. The doctor requested that my hands be freed. I woke up in the middle of the night, used the bed covers, and made an escaped through the window. 

My understanding in the court room:

Fahim’s lawyer looks at me and I realized that Fahim was not answering the Judges question. I realized I could not leave Fahim and the court room to make my next appointment. I wrote my mentor trainer, and close friend, to please excuse me and to pray for the situation.

The judge asked: I still would like to know when the conversion to Christianity began?  

Fahim continued. Thru the beatings I realized the book I had read was Christian. This began my long journey. With the help of my uncle I was able to get to Europe. At certain times I reflected on the fact that God said he had a son. At one point I decided to go to a church (catholic), but didn’t understand because the service was in German. 

I stayed with my sister in Vienna, and one day a friend of the family came over. I felt I could trust him. I asked him if he knew of a Christian church in Persian. He told me he knows a Persian Christian. I should call him. 

That man invited me to a church. I felt so welcomed and accepted there so I began to come every Sunday. I also attended some Bible studies. I got a Bible in my language and began to read it again. After about a year I understood enough to be baptized. 

My observations: Fahim told the judge and everyone in the court room that he often reflected on God having a son, and gave that son to die for our sins.

The judge ask Fahim, if you are sent back to Afghanistan what will you do?

Fahim replied, Jesus said we should not hide our light under a plate. The Judge and Fahim’s lawyer look puzzled, and then look at me. I told them that Luther translated that phrase” don’t hide your light under a bushel”. They understood. 

Fahim continued. Jesus said if you deny me, I will deny you before the Father.

The judge asks Fahim to continue with his story. 

Fahim continued. One day I found out my mother was very sick. I asked for prayer and some at the church prayed for my mother. I called my mother and one of the relatives told me she is no longer ill. 

Russ observers: I could feel the Spirit in me tingling in my body as Fahim told the court this. I prayed that all those in the court room would also feel God’s presence.

Fahim mentioned several times that Jesus had died for our sins and rose again.

The judge asked the asylum police if they had any further questions. Their questions were easily answered. Then the judge had another question: Was it the same Mula that beat you consistently as a child because you did not understand the Koran, the same one that beat you for having a Bible? Fahim replied, yes. Then why would you go to him to ask him about a book that your friend told you, could cost you your life?

Fahim replied, we were taught that the Mula had answers to questions like this. My father had died the year before, so I had no one to ask about God having a son. I didn’t know the book I was reading was christian.

The judge questioned further: What does your mother think? Does she know you have converted? Yes I told her, and she got very angry with me and didn’t talk to me for a month and a half. When my uncle, who helped me get out of Afghanistan, found out he screamed at me. Since then my mother has been spit in the face by the neighbors several times because of what I did. Now my mother says, I can choose whatever religion I want, but she is not going to change. 

Will you continue going to church if you get asylum?

Fahim replies, God sent his Son to die for my sins. He has saved me and of course I will continue to go to church.

The judge told the lawyer there is no longer any need for a verifying witness from the church. He is convinced Fahim’s conversion is real.

Praise the Lord, who reveals Himself and causes spiritual growth!

Thank you for your prayers and support.

More Prayer Gone Wrong??

The Ephesian 4:11-16 Seminars

The fellowship meal held at the end of our time together.

• The Seminars went a little different than I expected. 
• The challenge was especially on what divides us and how to work that out biblically.
• We primarily had believers from 3 churches attend and there is openness to accept each other. 

 It was a step forward in networking the Persian believers from refugee backgrounds.

More Prayer Gone Wrong??       (prayer journal)

Tuesday March 5, 2019

Father in heaven I pray especially for Ha….. today, and his potential 3 hour court hearing to see if he gets asylum or not.

Please strengthen him and place words in his mouth that will testify to salvation in Jesus Christ alone. Help him in his path for refuge and move him thru all this to a real and deep knowledge of You, living as a son of the most high God, living in grace and giving grace because he understands the grace You have given him thru faith in Jesus Christ. Bless him and help him especially today during the interview. Give him all the support he needs and help him and all those in the court room to feel Your presence and turn in repentance to your ways of truth and grace. I thank you Father in heaven for hearing and answering this prayer above and beyond all I can ask or think. AMEN

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Father in heaven I can not see how Ha…… could possibly have an impactful word to bring those in the court room by Your grace to a saving knowledge of You. He confessed his lies and revealed all the dirt to try and get asylum, he also made mistakes that made him look untruthful and his words unbelievable. Although he was trying to be truthful and congruent to his conscience, it seemed to turn on him. 

(On thing for sure his honesty must have impacted the judge, because a 3 hour hearing turned into a 10 hour hearing.) Only Jesus can save him, because there was certainly nothing there to build on in his own works salvation to receive asylum. I have the feeling he is a true born again believer because after he confessed and everything went wrong, he looked at us and said he now has peace. I guess the Holy Spirit was convicting him, and he was just confessing the truth to get a clean conscience. I assume Ha…… just needed peace with God, no matter what. He may have to go back to Afghanistan at the price of peace with God, but he seemed to have peace on the inside. What a different outcome than what I expected when I prayed for him yesterday.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

More from last weeks prayer journal: 

I was looking forward to going home early, and then S…. asked me how to forgive someone who did something incredibly evil to someone he loves. I told him it will probably have to become a process to forgive such a person, and not a one time decision to do so. That the ability to forgive someone like that has to be supernatural. S…. asked me how I would do it, and I told him I can’t. I would need Christ’s help. It is like you are asking me to forgive my enemies. I can’t do that, I need help and over time it can happen. I also have to make a conscience effort to forgive, taking steps toward forgiveness as the Holy Spirit leads me. He said, yes if the one I love and I can forgive that person, then we have grown in character. I said, yes,…….. in Christ like character.

Looking back Lord, I was drained by such incidents, and yet I see Your hand was in all that to build Your kingdom. Your kingdom is build so much more different than anyone would build a kingdom. You build it on suffering sacrifice and death thru torture, while we build on pride. I have so much to learn.

Thank You Father in heaven that I can be Your son and a student of Your ways, and You are helping me to put off all my prideful ways. Amazing.

In Jesus Christ name I pray, AMEN.

sooner or later, others in my land will find out…

 In the beginning it was very hard for me. All my friends were somewhat offended. I felt very misunderstood. But I did tell them. 

I have been a Christian now for around one and half years…. and I have told them all about Jesus. Thank the Lord, four of my friends have also come to Christ. None of my friends are giving me problems now because of my faith. Here everyone accepts who I am and that I tell my friends. 

Sooner or later others in my land will find out and I am afraid that my family back home will be persecuted because of me. Most of my friends are M….. or of another religion. Many have accepted my words, but they will not come to Him. They are afraid of the problems. 

The only and most important thing I found in Europe is Jesus. 

Jesus lives in me.

Prayer Needs: 

1. Please pray for the Ephesian 4:11-16 Seminars coming up Feb. 21-23rd. 

Pray that the right Persian Christians will come.

2. Please pray for the Discipleship class on Friday: That the refugees will grow in Christ like character. They need His character to overcome.

3. Please pray for the expansion of the Advanced Discipleship group. We are trying to gather more students, and adjust leadership discipleship appropriately.

Personal diary: The Lord is helping us develop discipleship and allows us to be apart of His kingdom building. Learning Persian is a part of that process.

The past couple of weeks have been somewhat emotionally draining for me as I had to strongly confront one of the men I mentor. Very complex,  and other family relationships involved as we have known him for around 15 years. 

On the up side, another young man I have known for about that long has made a rededication and I am seeing his life change. He has gone up and down in his walk for so many years. He is growing more now.

Thank you for your prayers and support!