Thoughts on the Haiti earthquake

There were many questions about the Haiti earthquake, Why, How can, Did God do it, Did the devil do it, and so forth.

The following by Andrew Wommack is the closest the the Biblical answer:

Andrew's Thoughts On The Haitian Earthquake

By Andrew Wommack | February 5, 2010

A number of people have asked me to comment on the Haitian earthquakes. Our local Sunday paper even had a collection of comments from local pastors about why all of this happened. Their responses ranged from "God did it" to "Satan did it" to "who knows who did it."

There appears to be a lack of clear understanding about why things like this happen. This isn't limited to the Haitian earthquakes either. The same thing happened with hurricanes Rita and Katrina and the terrorists attacks of 2001. It also happens on a daily basis with our individual lives. People struggle to understand why bad things happen.

Certainly bad things happen on an individual basis because of our poor choices. God gave us the choice between life and death, blessing and cursing (Deuteronomy 30:19). And sadly, the vast majority of people are making choices that give the devil dominion over them (John 10:10). In order to avoid Satan's devices against us, we have to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil (James 4:7).

And there are scriptural examples of God bringing judgment on a nationwide scale because of the sins of people. Classic examples of this are Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

BUT...there was a HUGE change in the way God deals with people after Jesus died for our sins. Jesus bore our sins and all of God's wrath against them (John 12:32). And this doesn't only apply to believers. First John 2:2 says Jesus, "is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

So, God isn't personally judging nations today for their sins. He judged Jesus for our sins. That doesn't mean that it doesn't matter how we act. It does. When we act in an ungodly manner, it makes us subject to Satan's control (Romans 6:16). The devil wants to devour everyone (1 Peter 5:8) but he can't do anything to us without our consent and co-operation.

I'm sure the fact that Haiti's national religion is voodoo is a factor in their poverty and social issues that made the devastating effects of these earthquakes even more severe. But I don't think the devil has the power to cause the earthquake.

There are just natural things that happen in a fallen world. And I think the earthquakes in Haiti were just the natural results of tectonic plates rubbing against each other. It was just natural. Those who are submitted to God have supernatural help to deal with life in a fallen world and those who don't have a relationship with the Lord find how limited their natural abilities really are. But this wasn't a direct result of sin or the judgment of God.

I could spend a lot of time justifying that statement but let me simply say, if you think this is God's judgment on those people, then you are totally wrong to try and help them. If God is punishing them, get out of the way and let them learn their lesson.

Of course, I don't believe anyone would agree with that approach, and that is not what I'm advocating. Therefore, I think it's inconsistent to see this as an act of God and yet intervene in a way that would thwart God's purposes by giving aid to the Haitians.

Blaming God for this tragedy has turned some people against God. I read one account of a woman walking by a pile of burning bodies and she took the Bible out of her purse and threw it in the fire. But God didn't cause this nor allow it. Therefore, it is compassionate to reach out to those who have been hurt (1 John 3:17).

When Adam and Eve sinned, they plunged the whole world into sin. This not only includes mankind but the animal creation and the natural world. Animals were originally herbivores but now they are carnivores. Likewise, the original earth was in perfect balance. It didn't rain but there was a mist that went up and watered the whole earth (Genesis 2:5-6). Everything was perfect.

But all of that changed when man rebelled at God. Now we live in a fallen world where things aren't perfect. If an animal kills a person, God didn't do it, the animal did. This could be traced back to man's original sin but not always to an individual's sin. Mankind set the animal creation at odds with us. And if a natural disaster happens, we are the ones who set the whole course of nature on fire (James 3:6).

Through Jesus, we have been reconciled back to God (2 Corinthians 5:19) and with that comes authority and power. But it's not automatic. We have to believe and exercise our power and authority. I've prayed and seen weather, including hurricanes, change. I've taken authority over animals and I've seen miraculous healings. We aren't just helpless in this fallen world.

But it takes knowledge and persistence to grow and develop our God given authority to the point of making a difference on all the ungodliness that has been unleashed in this world. Jesus exercised His dominion over the forces of nature (Mark 4:39) and so can we (John 14:12).

Although I support helping those who have been devastated by the Haitian earthquakes, (Jamie and I have personally given to their aid), I am constantly moved by the devastation I see in people's lives daily. It amazes me that when people can see with their eyes the physical effects a natural disaster causes, they respond generously. But the devastating effects of sin and ignorance are all around us daily. I'm moved just as much to help those who are struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one or trying to figure out why they haven't seen their prayers answered.

We all pray the Lord will comfort those who have been left homeless and lost loved ones in Haiti. We pray those who don't know the Lord will turn to Him in this time of crisis and find Him to be their source of strength. I also pray the Lord will help us to see that everyone who doesn't know the Lord is hurting just as much as those who have been affected by the Haitian earthquakes. They may not realize their need as much as those in Haiti, and therein lies the problem. God make us all vessels to represent You to a lost world.

Andrew Wommack

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Natural disasters, the Judgement of God?

 

 

Many have wondered if natural disasters, such as the one in New Orleans, are the work of God. Let me first say that God’s discipline for the Christian is always one on one and always involves the Word of God, not a natural disaster.

No doubt, many will attribute this to the judgment of God upon America. That is absolutely not the case. Jesus clearly stated in Luke 9:56 that He did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them. This was said in a direct response to His disciples asking Him to call fire down from heaven and consume the Samaritans in judgment, just as Elijah had done in the Old Testament.

Jesus would not do it. In fact, He rebuked His disciples for desiring to do so. He was demonstrating that God would deal with man differently after the atonement was made. The book of Revelation describes a time in the future when God’s judgment will rain down upon unbelievers. However, today we are living in an age of grace when God is not imputing men’s sin unto them (2 Cor. 5:19).

There were, no doubt, godly men and women who lost their lives in this storm, but God certainly wasn’t judging them. That’s not God’s “method of operation” during this age of grace. If this would have been the judgment of God, it would have been much more severe.

In the Old Testament, there are many examples of the judgment of God. A death angel went through the land of Egypt and killed all the first born (Ex. 12:29-30). Sodom and Gomorrah were completely destroyed by fire from heaven, and the great flood at the time of Noah destroyed all but eight people (Gen. 7).

America (or your own country) is certainly worthy of judgment, but God is extending grace to America and all the nations of the earth during this church age. There will come a time when God’s judgment is released on the whole world, and no one will have to be told it’s God doing the judging. The Scripture says that people will actually cry out for the rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the wrath of God (Rev. 6:12-17). But that time has not yet come.

The Scripture does say that the earth is groaning in birth pains awaiting the return of the Lord to make it anew. It’s groaning because of the curse which was released upon it through Adam’s sin. These groans include natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Again, this is not to say that God causes these things.

by A.W.

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Healing at 35,000 Feet . . .

 

This was  a testimony I read from Beni Johnson:

 

*This is a great article - I recently soke with Brother Rogers about this wonderful experience - check it out!

I'm Jim Rogers, Associate Pastor at Bridge Way Church , Denver , USA . Our church has a passion to see the Kingdom of God ministered by everyday saints to our city and the nations. We are part of the relational affiliation of churches called Global Legacy.

In January 2008, I was flying home from Europe after ministering in Africa at Leaders' Conferences for the release of Kingdom healing and the Father's love. Little did I know that God was wanting to show me that the power of the Kingdom was coming home to the US in new ways and that he intended to heal many on the airplane.

We were about an hour into the air when the stewardesses gave us drinks. I was drinking Diet Coke and wearing a white shirt when accidentally the stewardess bumped my arm and pop went everywhere. My shirt was stained and I felt some frustration. But I immediately felt the presence of God come on me and I knew I was not to get angry. The stewardess helped as best she could clean up the mess. She was very surprised I didn't lose it. I realize now that the enemy was trying to stop what God had in mind.

I looked across the aisle and saw a lady squirming in her seat. I wondered what her problem was. The Lord told me she had hurt her back two weeks earlier and He wanted me to pray for her. I was tired and just wanted to read my book and watch a movie, so I initially told the Lord "No."

Isn't it funny ~ God often wants to use us when we least feel like it? But, God wouldn't let me go. After quite a few exchanges with the Lord I finally said, "OK fine, Lord, I will pray for her."

I leaned across the aisle and asked the lady if she had hurt her back two weeks earlier. That got her attention and she asked how I knew that. I explained that the Lord had told me, and I also told her about my recent travels in Africa . Then I asked if I could pray for her. She said, "Yes." Then I asked if I could lay my hand on her shoulder; she looked at me and said, "Oh, you mean now?" I told her I didn't believe God wanted her in pain for the next 8 hours.

As I prayed for her, the Holy Spirit fell on her and she fell out of her seat and landed on the floor of the aisle. The stewardess came around the corner; greatly concerned and asked if we needed a doctor. I was trying to explain what had happened, that God was ministering to her, and that the lady was fine.

As we talked, the lady came out of the Spirit. The stewardess asked if she was ok. The lady said, "Yes I'm fine and, hey, my back doesn't hurt." I started to explain about the lady's back when she cut me off.

She told the stewardess all about how she hurt her back on ice two weeks earlier and that this pastor prayed for her and she was totally healed. Caught off guard and aware God was present, the stewardess said she had hurt her knee 4 weeks ago and was in constant pain. She asked if I would pray for her. I said yes. Then she got a real serious look and asked if she would fall down. I said I didn't know. I prayed for her also and God healed her knee on the spot.

As I got up to go back to my seat, there were three people lined up in the aisle asking for prayer.

Apparently others had noticed what was going on! I felt the Lord urging me to continue. As I started to pray for the first lady, I suddenly heard over the intercom the stewardess that I had prayed for saying that there was a pastor onboard who had been in Africa praying for healing, and that when he prayed for her and the woman with the bad back both had been healed. She said: "If anyone needs healing they should come to the galley between coach and
first class and he would pray for them."

I thought to myself, here we go”! Then a large gentle-man came up to me. He was from England . He asked if he could catch for me. I thought, Thank You Lord, at least there is someone else here who knows what is going on. For the next two hours we had a healing service. At one point the catcher came to me and said, "You need to slow down, I am running out of places to put people." I looked in the galley and saw people lying everywhere.

We had 5 salvations during our time, including one young man from Saudi Arabia . He was coming to the US for surgery on his torn rotator cuff. He also had other damage to his shoulder. God healed him and I told him it was Jesus who had touched him. He said, "I know Jesus." I said to him, "Yes, you know who He is, but you need to know Him as the Saviour."

As we talked he accepted the Lord. One of his traveling companions was a lady who came to me and said she was a Christian and would see that he got into a church. The people who didn't come forward for prayer were wide-eyed and looking over their seats throughout the cabin to see what was going on. When all was finished, I sat down and I picked up my book and laughed to myself. The book was ‘Face to Face with God,’ by Bill Johnson.

I thought to myself, God certainly does have a sense of humour for this indeed was a Bill Johnson moment ~ everyday saints doing the stuff!!

Praise God for His wonderful love and desire to use any one of us in His service! Feel free to share this testimony if you feel it would be an encouragement to others.

Jim Rogers
Associate Pastor
BridgeWay Church Denver, CO

 

 

My comments:

If every believer were to obey and do the same thing as commanded in the Bible Mark 16:15, we don't need to wait for any revival, because we are the revival.
PTL for such a powerful testimony.

 

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How to approach the Four Gospels when you study the Bible

 

 

The four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the foundation of the New Testament and form a bridge between the law of the Old Testament and the grace of the New Testament. The Old Testament cannot be properly understood without the revelation of Jesus that the New Testament gives, for all of the law and the prophets pointed to Jesus (1 Pet. 1:10-12). The symbolism of the tabernacle and sacrifices, along with the ordinances of the law, were all shadows or pictures of Christ (Col. 2:16-17)

Likewise, the New Testament cannot be fully appreciated without an adequate understanding of the Old Testament. A person without the knowledge of God's judgement on the sin of adultery, as revealed in Exodus 20:14, Leviticus 18:20 and 20:10, would not realize the extent of God's love and forgiveness as revealed in John 8:3-11.

Therefore, it is fitting that the combination of the Old and New Covenants comprise God's Word to us, but as Christians, it is imperative that we realize the difference between the two and live exclusively under the New Covenant as revealed in the 26 books of the New Testament (Gal. 3:11-14; 5:1; Heb. 7:18-19; 8:7-13).

The gospels reveal Christ unto us. Certainly not everything that Jesus did is revealed (Jn. 20:30-31; 21:25), but the accounts that the gospel writers give reveal the very nature and person of Jesus. Even with all of the great doctrinal truths revealed in the epistles, our total picture of God would not be complete without the accounts of Jesus' life and ministry.

Jesus is the express image of God's person (Heb. 1:3). Jesus said of Himself, "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9). So, in recording the events of Jesus' life, the gospel writers teach by precept what the epistles teach through doctrine.  The gospels are written down from a viewpoint that refrains from interpretation and expounding doctrine, but rather lets the life and actions of Jesus speak for themselves.

These four gospels have stood the test of time and have come to us as the inspired scriptural account of Jesus' life and ministry.

The need for four gospels became apparent upon studying them. Each gospel was written with a specific purpose in  mind for a specific group of people. Therefore, taken as a whole, they present a complete picture of Jesus to all men. To combine all the events and different presentations of the events into one gospel would make such a voluminous work that the overall story would be lost, and many would not go to the effort of studying out these truths. Also, the revelation of Jesus Christ was of such magnitude that no one man, even inspired of the Holy Ghost, could present it completely.

 

by A.W.

 

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Healing on the Streets - Signs and Wonders - Revival - Jesus

As we are preparing for the Healing Training and Gospel Rally, let us be aware and knowledgeable that Jesus has given us the commandment and commission to go and preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons.

If you want God to be with you, and follow you with signs and miracles, then lets do the above commission.

If you want God to speak to you, lets do the above commission because He has already spoken.

If you want His presence and gifts and power to be manifested in your daily lives, then lets allow the Holy Spirit (who is also called "raising the dead" Spirit) to control more and more of your lives.

A Grace Centred Church

Ephesians 2: 8-9 says,

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.


What is Grace? It is the unmerited favor of God. You do not deserve it, but God did it (by providing salvation) regardless of whether you believe it or not. It is not based on our performance, but it is based on the finished work of Jesus Christ at the Cross. It is based on relationship - He being our Abba Father, and we his children (john 1:12).

"We are saved" - means we are saved from our sins, healed of our sicknesses, delivered from the power of Satan, freed from the bondage of poverty. And all these are by the Grace of God, and His Grace alone.

Jesus work + my works = Nothing

Jesus work + none of my works = Everything

All the above Salvation - "is a Gift of God"

All the above Salvation - "is not of our own Works" (so that we cannot boast / glory in anything)

Every Praise and Glory belongs to God and Him alone because Jesus accomplished everything, and we did nothing to earn the Salvation.

You are saved because of the Work of Jesus at the Cross.
You are healed because of the same Work.
You are delivered and prospered because of the same Work.

For years, we were told that you need to fast enough, worship enough, pray enough - so that these blessings can be yours. We were so Wrong!!

Fasting, Worship and Prayer is Very, very important - but we have done them for the Wrong reasons.

We are in transition to transform Charisma Assembly from a "Legalistic Centred church" into a "Grace Centred church".

You are blessed (Eph 1:3),
Steven Wong


ps: There is a church in KL that had made the transformation and if you are in KL, you can go to Renewal Lutheran Church.

But if you are in Segamat, Johor, you are welcome to a Grace Centred Church.


Some scriptures to think about:

Salvation is by grace alone and nothing else, if not Jesus work on the Cross is not enough for salvation.


Act 15:10 Now therefore why do you tempt God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples, a yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Act 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, according to which manner they also believed.


Eph 2:5 (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved)

Eph 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,

2Ti 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the eternal times.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men

Is the Church deluded?

 

 

Is the Church deluded?

Read about this at:

The Deluded church

 

 

Read about the true state of the Church in America

Read about this at:

The True state of the Church

 

 

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Al-Qaeda is threatening for the first time to attack Chinese interests overseas

 

This  report is coming over for all to take note:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090714/wl_africa_afp/chinaunrestxinjiangqaedaafrica_20090714074939

 

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Some more cartoons to share with your friends who have not heard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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An online Christian cartoon to share with your friends who have not heard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Canaan Hymns in China

 

 

I received the latest newsletter from Ps Dennis Balcombe today. You may recall that he will be our next year’s camp speaker.

 

In his newsletter, he made mentioned about a little girl by the name of Xiao Min, who wrote more than 1000 Chinese hymns under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

 

"The Canaan Hymns" tells the amazing story of a farm girl Xiao Min. She is a high school dropout with no musical training who, nevertheless, created nearly a thousand wonderful hymns by the power of the Holy Spirit. These hymns are widely sung among Chinese churches around the world.

 

 

 

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Healing and Gospel Rally in Segamat

I have organized a Healing Teaching, and Gospel Rally in Segamat in September.

This will be over the Hari Raya Puasa holiday period.

The preacher will be Ps Albert Kang who is from Elijah Challenge, and the emphasis will be on teaching all believers to heal the sick and preach the gospel.

The meetings will be open to the public and to all churches, and we need as many believers to assist as possible.

I believe it is time for Segamat Christians to make an impact on the town, and to proclaim the name of Jesus as Lord, Savior and Healer.

The itinerary will be as follows:

18 September - Friday - Training from 8.00 PM to 10.00 PM.
19 September - Saturday - Training from 9.30 AM till 12.30 PM
19 September - Saturday - Healing Rally - Evening
20 September - Sunday - Healing Service - Morning
20 September - Sunday - Healing Rally - Evening
21 September - Monday - Training from 9.30 AM till 12.30 PM

Note to all:
Please contact me by email (wkp2020 (a) yahoo.com), handphone (019-6657033), or through facebook, on how you can be of assistance in this coming event. Let's do this together.

God bless,
Ps Steven Wong

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Malaysian Care – 30th Anniversary

It is not often that we hear of a ministry that can last for 30 years. Don’t talk about ministry. Some marriages don’t even last more than 7 years – no thanks to Hollywood culture of divorce and separation.

Here we have a ministry called Malaysian Care, a social work ministry based on Christian principles, that has lasted for 30 years. Somehow, through the grace of God, they actually grew from strength to strength year after year, and that alone speaks tremendously about the faithfulness of God.

Come this 14th – 16th August, they will be showcasing their work together with 40 other Christian NGOs and church ministries that are involved in social concerns. They will be using the Dream Centre at Damansara Utama Methodist Centre, Petaling Jaya and their theme will be “The Church in Community Transformation”. For those who are available, the exhibition will definitely be a spiritual eye-opener. You can read more about this at: www.malaysiancare.org or go directly to:

http://www.malaysiancare.org/index.cfm?menuid=96&parentid=7&subid=159

Hey, do you know one of our church members, Huan Ching is also actively involved in social work in KL. She wrote a great post at: http://mercyness.blogspot.com/2009/06/sweep-09.html. Go ahead and read all about it, and may it challenge you to attempt great things for our Lord and Savior.

God bless,

Steven Wong

ps:

Please forward this post to others so that they are aware of the event organized by Malaysian Care. This is a personal request from sister Qian Chen, a staff with Malaysian Care.

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STREET PREACHERS REBUKE THE PSYCHIC AND WITNESS TO THE MOCKER, Venice Beach, CA

Would you have the boldness to preach in the streets like them?

The Amazing Grace

A superb video done by Skyline SIB, a church in Sabah.