Beraca Baptist Church being a Blessing to their Local Community and to Disaster Victims in Haiti

FROM R. K.’S CORNER

In June last year, I traveled to New York City for a week to sit by the bed of a dear, longstanding friend, Goldie Rotenberg, who was struggling through the last stages of cancer. Sadly, she died a few days after I left.

While in the City, I spent a day with Jeanette Felix, Founder of Children in Need Haitian Project (CNHP) and her co-Director, Sharon Cushing. They are doing a vital work in the mountain region South-East of Port-au-Prince, providing a Bible-based excellent education for the local community’s children grades K through 8. They serve in many other practical ways to help the people rise out of poverty and become healthy, productive families, utilizing the local resources available. The Bridge has at times helped sponsor the school.

View from the CNHP school in the mountains of Haiti

In October, 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti. It destroyed the mountain farmers’ harvest, and ruined many of their homes. Our donors gave generously both then and in 2017 toward relief aid for the island, which we have divided between several partnering ministries serving in Haiti. Of the $2500 given through CNHP, $1000 helped rebuild the home of one of the school’s workers, and another $1000 toward helping the farmers restocking their seed bank for the planting of crops for the upcoming season’s harvest.  See former Bridge posts on this:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2016/10/

Shortly thereafter, Jeanette called me. The mountain farmers had pulled together and were in the process of solving their problems without help from the outside. Would I mind that the Bridge funds given to the mountain farmers through CNHP be directed to another ministry, Beraca Baptist Church, an American-Haitian church in Brooklyn, NY? They have for a number of years successfully been engaged in serving the people of Haiti (Beraca means “Blessing”). With the Bible in one hand, and hammer and plow in the other, they are empowering local people in several communities, like the city of Jeremie, located on the tip of the peninsula to the West of Port-au-Prince. Hurricane Matthew had done landfall there and literally obliterated the city and large swaths of the surrounding countryside. Without clean water, food, and shelter, the people were desperate. Beraca received the funds, due to Jeanette and Sharon’s unselfish generosity in helping those in worse condition than their mountain people. It was used toward the Reforestation Program in Haiti—see report below.

With Pastor Jean-Pierre

The day I visited CNHP, Sharon had set up a meeting with the leaders at Beraca Church. We drove to Brooklyn where we met the Senior Pastor, Mullery Jean-Pierre and two of his co-pastors. There was an immediate rapport between us, as we found we shared like vision and practical approach to serving the Gospel in the nations— it was like meeting family members we had just discovered existed! I gave them another $3000 from one of our generous donors to be used toward their ministry toward single mothers and their children left destitute after the hurricane—see report. In this issue, I present Beraca Baptist Church and their extraordinary outreaches of love to their local community and to Haiti.

VISITING BERACA BAPTIST CHURCH IN BROOKLYN, NY

Le Marron Inconnu—The Unknown Slave, is a bronze statue of a runaway slave, located in front of the Parliament in the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Commemorating the abolishment of slavery, the statue was completed in 1967, and serves as a reminder of the call to rebellion in the colony of Saint-Domingue against the slave-holding France in 1791. It has become the iconic symbol of freedom in Haiti, as well as black people worldwide.

Mini-Replica of Le Marron Innconnu

“What a stunning sculpture!” I exclaimed, “what a vivid symbol of a thirsty man lifting his face toward God and drinking from the Living Water!” Pastor Jean-Pierre smiled, “ That is not exactly the symbolism of this carving”, he explained. During a meeting with him, two of his co-pastors, and Sharon from CNHP who had introduced us, I had been captivated by this expressive wooden carving sitting on the cabinet in his office, not knowing it was a replica of the original statue located in Port-au-Prince in Haiti, which represents the call to rebellion against slavery— see above. “I have never heard this interpretation before. You actually see the Haitian people through the eyes of God’s heart—I believe this  belongs to you, R.K. “ – and with those words, he gave the mini-replica to me. I am honored to have it displayed in our living room as a reminder of the physical and spiritual thirst of those we serve among the peoples of color in the nations.

I believe this gesture of generosity characterizes Pastor Jean-Pierre’s heart which is permeated by Jesus’ love and care for people. He is a Haitian in America who has not forgotten the cry of his own people in Haiti, nor in his city in New York, as he and his team are successfully accomplishing extraordinary things for God in both places!

PASTOR MULLERY JEAN-PIERRE AND HIS TEAM REACHING OUT WITH FAITH, LOVE, AND  HOPE TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND TO HAITI 

Pastor Mullery Jean-Pierre (center) and two of his co-pastors

Mullery Jean-Pierre, Senior Pastor of Beraca Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY was born in Haiti to a Haitian father and a Dominican mother. He and his Jamaican wife, Cacheta have six children and seven grandchildren.

Having a Puerto Rican daughter-in-law, an African American son-in-law and a Trinidadian sister-in-law, Mullery feels right at home in leading a multicultural congregation. Under his leadership the church has grown from 80 members to 1200 worshippers; although a predominantly Haitian/Haitian-American church, Beraca is home to 17 other different nationalities.

When Mullery was called out of corporate America, he left his management position at a Wall Street firm and never looked back. Those years prepared him for the many administrative leadership positions to which God has called him to serve.

As Mullery’s desire to reach the community grew, He founded the Beraca Community Development Corporation (BCDC). With his church family, the services to the local community include:

  • Youth development programs.
  • A food pantry.
  • Serving seniors at a local Seniors Adult day care center.
  • Partnering with their local high school to provide employment and mentoring for the students.
  • Partnering with the Districts Attorney’s office’s Alternative Sentencing Program, providing alternative forms of rehabilitation to those who’ve committed misdemeanor or petty crimes.

After the January 12, 2010 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, Mullery and his team extended BCDC from NY to Haiti, where they currently serve the cities of Leogane, Cabaret, Jeremie and Cape Haitian with the outreaches:

  • Training and mentoring Pastors and leaders. They are currently training 1700 leaders.
  • Creating and sustaining approximately 400 jobs through their motorcycle taxis, micro-lending and mini bus services.
  • Conducting mobile medical clinics, bringing healthcare to thousands of underserved Haitians through the local churches in their communities.
  • Training and equipping teachers and principals, providing a good education to their students by the use of certified U.S. Haitian-American teachers.
  • Planting churches that are the hubs for spiritual and socio-economic health and development in the Haitian communities.

The event of Hurricane Matthew not only devastated the region, but also caused food shortages throughout the nation. BCDC began networking with some churches in the area to re-plant what the hurricane destroyed, which now includes hundreds of churches. The Reforestation Project focuses on replanting trees in the denuded countryside to help avoid the continued massive erosion of cultivated land in the region. It is known as the breadbasket of the country, as a good portion of the crops that feed Haiti are grown there.

Teams from Beraca keep traveling to Haiti with needy material, tools, and supplies, and work in partnership with Haitian believers in rebuilding church buildings, community centers, and homes that have been destroyed by the hurricane.

During our meeting, Mullery told us about a ministry which began during one of his trips to Haiti with two of his co-pastors overseeing and participating in various restoration projects. While walking in the streets, women approached and propositioned them. They were told by the local people that literally thousands of women with children have been left destitute after the disaster, either because they are single mothers, or their husbands have left them to go elsewhere to seek for jobs, but then never to return home.

With the community in shambles, no available jobs, food supply or clean water, the women have been forced into the streets to sell the only commodity they have left—their own bodies—to provide just morsels for their family to fend off starvation.

The pastors accepted their offer and paid for two hours of service. However, instead of taking advantage of these desperate women, without condemning them, they gave them food and shared the Gospel—the good news, with emphasis on how much God loves them. They were then offered a basic course in reading and writing. The women willing and committed to change, were then offered training in an income-producing cottage industry. This takes them off the street, regains their dignity and makes them able to provide for themselves and their children. This unique street ministry continues as an outreach by local believers, whereby hundreds of women have experienced the transforming power of the Gospel which has given them a new hope and a future and brought them into a caring community of believers!

The leaders and members of the church family at Beraca live up to its name — BLESSING! They are indeed a blessing to those who encounter God’s love in action through them!

“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him.” D. l. Moody

2017 Annual

DEAR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS,

The year was 1983. While traveling through the “Valley of Roses” in Bulgaria, I had a vision… a picture of a large bridge reaching from the United States, across Europe and Russia—deep into Central Asia, at that time only known as the foreboding Soviet Gulag. This bridge consisted of living stones — of people with the same purpose of heart and mind: help resource the suffering church living under the oppressive Stalinist communist regime behind the then Iron Curtain. The message was simple: “Return to the States and BE A BRIDGE… don’t build one.” The motto was clear, “Linking God’s People to Reach the Unreached”, with the underpinning Scripture verses from 2 Corinthians 9:9-15, “…As it is written,’ He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness…“ Upon my return to the States that fall, with help of my local church, The Bridge was launched.

The following year, while writing a summary of the ministry’s activities in the very first Annual Bridge Report, I remember being in tears, overwhelmed and humbled in thanks to God for the generosity of our newfound Stateside partners — a group of people who enthusiastically and sacrificially joined us in our labor to make the vision a reality. Their prayers and financial donations helped build the initial supply routes through which we have been bridging resources to the pioneer mission fields abroad. Over the decades, new partners joined us; together, we helped enable young believers in the nations to grow in faith and knowledge of the Word of God, become more effective in pioneer evangelism, church planting and church leadership, embrace Jesus’ call to make disciples, and reach out to the needy in their local communities through a variety of mercy ministries. We came alongside and helped them in their sowing, planting, and watering—always with the awareness that the growth comes from the Lord, alone, through the love and power of His Spirit! Gradually, the indigenous believers matured, developed their own ministries, and in many cases became financially independent from The Bridge. Our role changed from overseers to equal ministry partners. We call them, in addition to various other like-minded ministers with whom we cooperate in the mission field, HARVESTERS.

Today, thirty five years, more than 10 million dollars distributed, and thousands of transformed lives later on four continents, I am again summarizing the Annual Bridge Report with the same sense of deep gratitude and humility at the privilege of serving the Lord with so many dedicated partners on the home front, and faithful Harvesters abroad.

Those who contribute to The Bridge in 2017, have received this report with a donor statement as the official contribution receipt to their postal address . The Bridge International, Inc. is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) religious organization with EIN no. 65-0100609; any contribution you give is exempt from Federal Taxes.

2017 IN REVIEW — THE PRAYER TEAM

A group of people I have not mentioned above, is a few individuals whom I want to specifically thank and honor: the members of The Bridge Prayer Team. They are a handful of individuals who have been longstanding friends of ours. Each of them are strong individualists who live in diverse states—Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Texas, but they have one thing in common: they feel called by God to watch and pray for the Body of Christ in the nations, and have made themselves available to do the heavy lifting of prayer and intercession for The Bridge – our family, our Stateside partners, the Harvesters in the field, and the church at large. We all meet online once every two weeks to share updates, concerns, prayer requests, and testimonies of answered prayers. They also meet and pray several times a week. They are a blessing to us all, especially to Steve and me at this time, as he is again struggling through some serious health issues.

2017 IN REVIEW – THE HARVESTERS

In November, we published pictures of some of the Harvesters we sponsor and the countries where they serve. They represent only those who have chosen to live and minister openly as followers of Jesus Christ. Others who live in closed or hostile nations to the Gospel and work clandestinely underground, are for security reasons not mentioned in our publications. Characteristic of all the Harvesters are their clarity of vision, personal sacrifices, courage and endurance; standing in faith in face of serious setbacks and apparent insurmountable problems.

They all sense the importance of seeing new believers be transformed into disciples of Jesus and provide them one-on-one mentoring toward leadership through serious, solid Bible teaching and life groups; the emphasis being on cultivating a personal relationship with God and with one another.

If you want to know more about the individual Harvesters and the Projects we sponsor, you will find the information under RECENT POSTS and ARCHIVE on the right sidebar, and earlier issues of The Bridge Report under the PDF ARCHIVE on the horizontal bar at the top.

2017 IN REVIEW — SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS

Varughese Mathew and his wife continue to labor among the orphans in their two orphanages and various unreached indigenous peoples on the Indian Andaman Islands.  Following is an example of an urgent, practical need being met by a donation received from one of our partners. Varughese contacted us and let us know the old freezers in their two orphanages used to store meat and fish bought once a week, were broken, resulting in rotten food that had to be discarded. “Could you help us purchase two new freezers?” Due to our partner’s generosity, the immediate answer was, “Yes—the money is on its way!”

Dawa Buthia, an ethnic Tibetan and former Buddhist from Bhutan, founder and leader of Himalayan Good News Networking Ministry has raised up hundreds of pioneer who are now evangelists and church planters spread out into some of the cities and also villages in the more remote Himalayan mountains between Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Tibet. A couple of generous gifts enabled us to help fund their Bible Training Center and resource some of the poorest Bhutanese mountain pastors.

Sargon Daniali is in the midst of a fruitful harvesting field among his Iranian people in Turkey and beyond.  There are again demonstrations in the streets of Tehran and other cities against the oppressive Islamic regime; this time the people are less fearful, and more expressive, indicating there is a spiritual hunger in the nation for a new reality. The Bridge has provided Sargon 1,000 Farsi Bibles, and another ministry has given him 20,000 for distribution. Sargon’s online Bible teaching course is progressing very well. He also serves many Turkish churches, and conducted several leadership conferences among Iranian and Turkish believers. His team has translated an excellent book on God’s Covenant from English to Farsi.

Through Sargon, we were introduced to a very effective Christian drug rehab center for Russians and Ukrainians in Istanbul. The Bridge financed an agricultural project (chickens, rabbits, vegetables, fruit trees) which might help the center toward the goal of becoming financially self-sufficient.

Yermek Balykbekov in Karaganda, Kazakhstan is pastoring less at the Sunday services of the larger Russian church – rather focusing more on individual discipling and leadership training among his own Kazakh people. He participated in several leadership conferences in Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, the latter being life-changing. In spite of severe persecution of Christian believers, Yermek met a flock of courageous, fearless, mature leaders, who oversee over 800 underground home-groups in the country, and they are growing!

In Kyrgyzstan, Rustam and Zamira have had a number of fruitful outreaches among children of Muslim and Gypsy families. Just before Christmas, they visited several towns near the Tajik border and presented the Gospel via the Christmas story to people who had never heard—the enthusiastic responses both among the adults and children were very encouraging!  an Afghan living in the capital of Bishkek, has so matured in faith while waiting in line for an exit visa to immigrate to a Western country. During this time, the Lord has brought him into a powerful ministry to fellow students, guiding him to present the Gospel through the Qu’aran (Koran).

In Afghanistan a friend is doing an outstanding service in building a community center based on Biblical principles for a local community. The team’s outreach of love and care are touching many people’s hearts –and there is spiritual fruit!

A larger gift designated to relief in Haiti enabled us to send funds through two ministry partners who are effectively rebuilding the lives and communities still recovering from the some of the areas most devastated by hurricane Matthew—more about that in an upcoming report.

In Bosnia, Robert and Sandrina Jurjevich keep on serving the Muslim community in Sarajevo. They had to leave the facility rented for the church and community center, but are in the process of obtaining the ownership of another building which will also include the Woman’s Center led by Sandrina.

A Harvester team dear to our hearts have been called to show up at their city’s airport and meet visitors on incoming flights from the Middle East with Gospel tracts and a video in their own languages. They also spend months walking through immigrant communities in large cities of Europe, going from door-to-door while delivering their literature—hardship and testimonies are their portion! We help with the literature printing.

In South Sudan, we sent funds for a water line to supply fresh water to William Levi’s ministry center on Gordon mountain near the city of Nimule in the southern part of the country. We continue to sponsor Matthew Deng Dut and some of his projects in the capital of Juba. South Sudan is one of the most unstable and volatile places on earth! Undeterred by many obstacles, they and others (the Kuj family in Tonj, and the Starks in Juba) continue faithfully to build community and rebuild people’s lives, even in face war and threats of war!

The Cowley family continue to serve the Pastors of the Least in the slums in Nairobi, Kenya , by teaching and discipling them through their Disciple Support Bible Institute. Every year, the student body grows in numbers and depth of Bible knowledge — they learn to live the Gospel, not just preach it!

Thanks, again, for participating with us in raising the banner of Jesus

Who is the Light in  a very dark world!

Ken and Faith Negvesky—Prayer Warriors and Intercessors for the Harvesters

FROM R.K.’s CORNER

In this issue, Ken and Faith Negvesky, colleagues in the seventies and good friends for 40 years, present their life’s journey in their own words.  When most couples reach their 60s, they begin to downsize and prepare for a secure retirement close to family. Ken and Faith, rather, on the prompting of the Lord, followed His guidance and moved from Upstate NY to Racine, WI, from where they are training and discipling millennials both locally and overseas – especially in Asia.  As intercessors, they are a vital part of the Bridge Intercessory Prayer Team who faithfully and regularly minister to and pray for our field partners (harvesters) abroad. We are grateful for their commitment and enduring love toward Steve and me, and each one of our Bridge partners!

KEN AND FAITH NEGVESKY

“Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6.13

Every one of us has a story! This is our race that Father has set before us and called us to run Heb. 12.1-2.  In the Bridge Report this month, it is our privilege to share some of our – His – story  with you, Bridge partners.

We are SO honored to be part of the Bridge Intercessory Team for our harvesters around the world. With R.K. and the harvesters who are available at the time, we Skype every other Monday and as an intercessory team, pray every Tuesday and Friday mornings for their requests. Praise God – He has answered so many prayers for His glory, and on behalf of our Bridge harvesters!

Let us go back to our first connection with Ragnhild via Love Inn (now Covenant Love Community) Freeville, NY 1977, where we arrived as young marrieds in the first years of pastoral ministry.  We were all so hungry for the Lord, to seek first His Kingdom, and learn how to live together in covenant community!  We became part of the pastoral team and enjoyed working with R.K. in her leadership role as founder and principal of CLC School. We served until, in 1980, she moved to Florida, then on to Germany, and upon return, two years later, founded The Bridge. The fruit of R.K’s labor remains, as CLC School www.clcs.org is still going strong, coming alongside parents to train their children in the ways of the Lord and His Kingdom. (Our daughter, Cora Negvesky Hunter, is part of the team & our grandson, Jermaine, is a 7th grade Student.)

I was the senior leader of the church from 1995-2013. It was exciting for us to follow the Lord and learn to be His disciples while training others in the Word of God. Faith and I loved mentoring men and women to prepare them for their callings in different areas of life. I especially had a passion to preach and teach God’s Word and principles for transformation toward maturity. God also gave me a passion to stand alongside our small business owners.

In 2012, the Lord began to seriously challenge our hearts, indicating He had some radical changes ahead.  This was a bit surprising, as we had entered our 60ties believing we’d probably spend the rest of our lives in Upstate New York. But God had other plans and hopefully, we’ll never get too old to hear and obey Him!  Through a series of divine appointments and a strong undeniable leading of the Lord, we were led to resign our eldership position at the church and step out in radical obedience and implicit trust. He was calling us to leave our position, our two daughters and six grandchildren, as well as the relationships we had built over 30+ years and move to Racine, WI. (Our son was living in WI, but was our only connection to the area.)

Our deepest passion has always been the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! What did He want for our lives and calling?  In His  grace, He was leading us into the unknown and into a season of obscurity where our identity was in Him and Him alone, not our position or gifting. He drew us away and aside to prepare us for a deeper ministry of intercession and spiritual warfare.

We moved to Racine in May 2014 for a time of rest, re-tooling, and becoming more intimate with the Lord. We worked part time with GoStrategic www.gostrategic.org, located in Santa Rosa, CA as U.S. Directors of Facilitators for the two online schools the ministry offers. These two year courses train men and women in Biblical world view – www.strategiclifetraining.org and facilitate them in Biblical business principles  – www.businessleadershipschool.org.   We also facilitate groups in each course, both in the U.S. and internationally.

For the past two years, Faith has been facilitating a Strategic Life Training group (SLT) in Singapore. We were privileged to attend Transforum Asia there in June and Faith personally presented graduation certificates to her stellar group.

I was one of the key note speakers for the conference, exploring how we are to be the church in these challenging times. There, we connected with many wonderful believers from 12 Asian nations! The schools continue to grow in many of them. We see a profound hunger for the Lord in many youth in the nations! It is our desire to pray for them, disciple them, and influence as many as we can! They need us; we need them – generations joining together!

When we first moved to Racine, a young woman with a prophetic gifting who did not know us, told us, “The Lord sees your life and ministry like a huge log with much depth and content. He is cutting up the log in strategic pieces for multiplication, not destruction.”   What a comfort and encouragement that word has been and how true!  Like a pie, our lives and pastoral ministry are now expressed in different pieces in strategic ways:

  •  part of or lead four intercessory groups: The Bridge Team, GoStrategic International Ministry, Dennis & Jan Peacocke, founders/heads of GoStrategic, and Kingdom Ministries USA, an apostolic network to which we belong.
  • train GoStrategic school facilitators, remotely lead SLT & BLS groups and speak at conference (Transforum) workshops.
  • provide pastoral care for a pastor and his family in KMUSA.
  • still connect with several business leaders who were part of our church
  • in New York, to give pastoral insight and counsel. I am also spiritual director for a Cornell Agricultural Professor who mentors young men and women from around the world in Kingdom principles of agriculture and philosophy.
  • serve in our local church, Living Light Racine, in a variety of ways of leadership and service.
  • love to give insight and counsel to couples considering marriage or have been married for a number of years, drawing on our walk with the Lord and one another for our past 44 years of marriage.
  • work part time at Panera Bread; having the opportunity to interact with 20-30 year somethings, sharing the Lord and hope and happiness of marriage so unfamiliar to many millennials.

As Faith and I approach our 65th birthdays, we are vibrant and eager for the Lord to continue to use us both at home and abroad for His glory and honor. We have no plans to retire. “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you.  I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. You unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you! I will honor you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.” Psalm 63

MAY HIS KINGDOM COME AND HIS WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Co-laboring with God in Hurricane Irma! – also – Are Natural Disasters Random or Orchestrated and Controlled by God?

CO-LABORING WITH GOD IN HURRICANE IRMA – BY PAUL VAN HOESEN

The world has had its share hurricanes this year: Harvey then Jose, Irma and Maria. We watched the news, feeling quite helpless, as Harvey devastated Houston. Then came Irma, wreaking havoc across the Caribbean islands and headed straight for Florida.  All during the first week of September Mary and I watched the devastation unfold across the Caribbean. As Irma neared Cuba on Thursday it became apparent that southern Florida was going to take a direct hit from this CAT 5 monster.  The news media was relentless: dire predictions of the worst possible disasters imaginable were coming to southern Florida. It was a hurricane and there’s nothing you can do about it but pray for a miracle.  Despair was in the air.

My wife Mary and I felt very agitated in our spirits as we prayed about this.  We were not the only ones agitated.  I talked to many people who were earnestly praying for Florida but we weren’t praying together.  I felt the Lord wanted many people to be praying in unison with targeted prayer about Irma. There was more to be done than hand-wringing.  Heaven had a strategy!

Hurricane Irma positioned to do a direct hit on Miami/Fort Lauderdale in South-East Florida

As we waited on the Lord what to pray May heard “3”.  I took this to mean that our mission in prayer was to ask gather saints and see Irma reduced to a CAT 3 storm before it struck mainland Florida. I felt led to explore what shuts down a hurricane and pray tactically those points.  We now had an objective and a strategy, this was turning into an adventure with God!

We posted our prayer vigil on Facebook on Friday night with a very specific strategy we felt God gave us to declare:  1.  Deep currents to come up and cool the water temperature down to 80 degrees in the Strait of Florida before Irma arrives;  2.  Send shearing winds to disrupt the eye and weaken it;  3.  Send sinking cold air to dry it out.  4. Pray for protection over lives and property.

Within 24 hours we had over 100 people (including a church in Fuji) following on my Facebook prayer chain and God began answering our prayers in measurable ways. The water temperature at the NOAA buoy at Vaca Key, FL dropped by 7 degrees in less than 48 hours – not normal for oceans unless a deep current comes up to the surface.  When Irma hit the strait near the U.S. mainland the water was 80.5 degrees – ½ degree away from our target.

The hurricane made landfall at Marco Island 1 MPH into CAT 3 range and in less than an hour it was in CAT 3 range and quickly degraded further.  The National Weather Service in Melbourne posted a map of “cold sinking air” coming in from the north into Irma’s eye. Because Irma suddenly turned inland rather than staying offshore from Naples and Tampa, the storm surge was far less than anticipated, saving lives and property. The New York Times published a headline the following day “The Monster Surge That Wasn’t: Why Irma Caused Less Flooding Than Expected.”   God let us see answers us in very specific ways! (see my Facebook page for the details).

I also heard of other groups praying for very specific things as well. One church in Miami took their congregation to the beach and declared over Irma that it would not come to Miami. It did not come to Miami, it went west, came on land, and quickly died down. God was orchestrating declaration and prayer in many groups of believers.

I was in the Army for nine years and used to work in a Division Tactical Operations Center. In the Tactical Operations Center we had maps of where all the division’s battalions were scattered over our maneuver area.  Each battalion had a specific mission and they were focused on that mission.  Only the generals and commanders in the Operations Center could see how it all fit together. The Father had a plan for Irma, Jesus carried it out through His body via the Holy Spirit.  There were many others on the Father’s big battle map that I never met that were playing their role in Operation Irma.  We are the BODY of Christ, not a disjointed bunch of individuals. From Heaven we operate as a unit. When you start perceiving things that way, praying for nature to behave seems much less exotic than it appears! This isn’t about God’s man of faith and power deciding to shut down a hurricane, it’s the Body of Christ in action!

John 14:10-12, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works” “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.”  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”

Jesus doesn’t work independently of the Father – but cooperatively, abiding in Him. We are promised the same relationship with the Father.  The Father sets the initiative; the Son executes the initiative. Both His words and his miraculous works are equally effective at testifying who He is, the Savior of the world, the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God, the King of the Universe. Anyone who believes in Him will do the works He did and even greater works because He went to Father and sent the Holy Spirit to us.  

Luke 24:49, “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The word clothed in the Greek is ENDUÃ, which literally means to wear like a garment. We are to be clothed with power in the Holy Spirit. This is linked directly back to the works Jesus spoke in John 14 :10-12 – the power to do the works He did, and more, through an intimate relationship with the Father and Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Everything in the Kingdom is relational and ultimately redemptive, driven by the love and compassion of the Father working through us. In these last days God is going to unveil what creation is longing to see: the revealing of the sons of God.  Creation is subject to us when our decrees and prayers are birthed from a place of understanding the heart of the Father and the purposes and authority of the Son spoken through us.

Lord Jesus, open the eyes of heart and show us all of what we are to be in these days.  May we rightly perceive our place in your Body and believe what You have spoken about who we are in You. Let us bring the counsels of Heaven to be displayed in the earth. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done. Amen!

AN INTERCESSOR’S PERSPECTIVE AND PRAYER – BY PAUL BOOHER

As Hurricane Irma was approaching Florida, I found myself struggling with the issue of exactly how to pray.  I have a lot of family that still lives in central and southern Florida and I was naturally greatly concerned for their safety.  Normally I would have prayed immediately and strongly for God to steer the hurricane away from the state and out into the ocean.  But for some reason I found myself unable to pray for that to happen. As an Intercessor this should have been a no-brainer, Irma go away ! So I did the only other thing I knew to do, I asked God what was going on.  This was His reply,

“Paul, I am going to punish America for her sins, the shedding of innocent blood through abortion, immorality , and rebellion against my Word. Remember what I have told you for years, I am able to protect my people even in the midst of disaster. But, I have heard your prayer for mercy and will come after America’s wealth, possessions and prosperity, but I will spare their lives.”

NATURAL DISASTERS – ARE THEY RANDOM OR ORCHESTRATED AND CONTROLLED BY GOD?

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

My plans for the September Bridge Report was to feature an American couple who are both longstanding friends, and serving the nations with the Gospel.  However, due to this very active hurricane season, we realize that the major focus in the media and among people at large is right now on the major natural disasters that are unfolding in various parts of the world.

With major devastation caused by several hurricanes in the part of the world in which we live, then add to that picture major earthquakes in Mexico; widespread monsoon flooding in the South Asian countries of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan; and a series of wildfires blazing across the Southwest amidst record high temperatures in Arizona, Utah, California, New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon – there is a good reason to take a pause and give some food for thought on a couple of relevant questions:

Are natural disasters random, manmade, or orchestrated and controlled by God?  If the latter is true, what response should we as believers in Jesus Christ, committed to Biblical truth, make in face of natural calamities?

These questions are also personal for us, as Steve and I just 10 days ago, experienced the outer parts of Hurricane Irma’s fury as it tore through Florida’s West Coast.  If Irma had sustained her maximum wind force of a Cat 5 and done a direct hit on the South-Eastern coastline along the populated beaches of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the consequences of the storm and floodwater might have been loss of thousands of lives and whole communities submerged under the water of the anticipated 8-10 feet storm surge.

Hurricane Irma strengthening to a Category 5 storm!

Awaiting Irma’s arrival, we did hurricane preparations, shut down the Bridge office, then hunkered down in our home, praying and hoping the category 4 wind would not blow our house and us away, or drown us in floodwater. We were at peace, taking comfort in God’s promise of protection expressed in Psalm 121 and Psalm 91, trusting that our lives were in His hands!

As it turned out, Irma weakened, changed course toward the West, so the effect of the storm on our neighborhood was minimal with fallen trees and debris, but there was no property destruction.  For a few days, we were without electricity which kept me from preparing The Bridge Report.  Due to a backlog of postal mail and unstable service for a while, we have decided not to send out the printed copy of The Bridge Report by postal mail; rather, we are directing our followers and supporters to this  website for updates. To those who financially support The Bridge by sending your check by postal mail, you have an alternative this month: Donating your gift via PayPal on this site… please click on the button above.

We have been watching the devastation left behind from the flooding of Harvey in Houston, TX, Irma’s fury in the Caribbean, i.e. Barbuda, which has rendered the once idyllic tropical island completely uninhabitable; her ravaging of large parts of Key West, and other parts of Florida, and today’s report that Hurricane Maria has ruined large areas of Puerto Rico.  The entire island is without electricity, and preliminary reports of the damages state that 80 fishing villages along the northern coast are obliterated and left uninhabitable. This season’s hurricanes have left a trail of pain, sorrow, despair, and financial ruin.  Scores of people are suddenly finding themselves destitute! Furthermore – this hurricane season is not over, yet – there may be more to come!

Florida keys after Hurricane Irma.

The Bible clearly states that the Lord is the Creator of all things and upholds His creation by His living Word, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky proclaims the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1.

Both the Old and the New Testament have many examples of how the Lord used weather to communicate with His people, both for encouragement, but also chastisement.  Here are a few of the best knows passages:

  1. The world-wide flood under Noah was a clear punishment for the wickedness and corruption of the human race, “…the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” (Genesis 6:11-12, 7:11).
  2. Job was a man righteous in God’s eyes, yet He allowed Satan to test him to the brink of death.  Job’s servant relayed this message to Job, “…your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house. And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men and they are dead.”
  3. When Jonah was running away from God’s call, the Lord stopped Jonah, “…the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea.” (Jonah 1:4).
  4. Elijah was a prophet called to turn people’s heart back to the Lord from idolatry and worship of Baal.  Elijah prayed for rain in the midst of a severe drought, and the Lord sent the rain, “…and it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.” (1. King 18:41-45).
  5. Jesus calmed the storm on the sea, “Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was great calm.” (Luke 8:23-27).
  6. For the sake of the wider spreading of the Gospel, the Lord allowed the Apostle Paul to be shipwrecked by a strong wind on his way to Rome as a prisoner, “but not long after there arose against it (the ship) a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon.”  (Acts 27: 6-44).

To better grasp God’s purpose for allowing calamity in nature to happen, we must remember that His actions are always redemptive, although we do not fully see or understand His ways, except bits and pieces by revelation through the eyes and heart of faith!  The Scriptures present God as a loving, merciful, and forgiving Father, but He is also holy, pure, and righteous – He will not and cannot tolerate sin!  The promise stands that, “…The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7), but it is tempered by, “…He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45).  We must accept both the goodness and severity of God! (Rom. 11:22).

Hurricane Maria devastating Barbuda and Puerto Rico.

In this world, we live in the tension between God’s mercy and judgement!  As Christian believers we are not guaranteed exemption from suffering, loss, and destruction of our worldly goods.  However, we have something far more precious:  HOPE and PEACE in the face of life’s difficulties. This life is not the end of our journey, thus we, “…remain confident of this: I (we) will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13) God’s gift to us while here, is His presence of the Holy Spirit who will guide us and show us our the way in all circumstances!