“We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.
Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We don’t want to wait for God to resolve matters in His good time because His idea of ‘good time’ is seldom in sync with ours.”
― Oswald Chambers
FSM/FSMWO Special Prayer
Requests Weeks of
13-26 Jan 2013
Notice
Effective immediately FSM and FSMWO mailing address will be as follows:
PO Box 3208 Bay St Louis, MS 39521-3208 Mike’s cell phone remains 413-233-7557 Email Mike at directorfsm@gmail.com Email Stephanie Tarrant @ directorfsmwo@gmail.comPRAISE
For the great effort put forth by the group of ARBCA volunteers this past week in starting the foundation for our new church in Lakeshore Mississippi. I cannot begin to emphasize the effort it took to get as much done as we did considering the mud and other obstacles. We accomplished exactly as much as our sovereign God wanted us too. Again thank you to all my brothers and sisters in Christ for a fantastic job.
From Institute of Creation Research, Days of Praise Devotional 12 Jan 2013 (I found it encouraging and hope you do too)
In these days of relativism, situational ethics, and changing mores, it does a Christian good to note the many things in Scripture we can know, things we can count on, and things that do not change. Following is a sampling of such truths, with little comment, intended to encourage the reader to extend the list, perhaps as an ongoing project.
Things We Know “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1 Peter 5:4)
We can know that Christ is God: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30).
We can know that we are saved: “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47).
We can know we are His dear children: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God” (1 John 3:2).
We can know His protection: “And they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).
We can know He answers prayer: “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14).
We can know He will help us through temptation: “In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).
We can know how we should act: “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done” (John 13:15).
We can know He desires us to speak on His behalf: “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
We can know that He will come again: “I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3).
We can know of our eternal rewards, as in today’s verse: “An inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). JDM
PRAYER
A good friend Chris Gonsalves sister Donna Moreland-Liles had to have emergency surgery to fix an aneurysm behind her left eye. The surgery went well but she has had 4 small strokes so they said the next 12 weeks are the most dangerous. Praying she will wake up soon and have no long term effects.
Brother Greg Lane who is recovering from heart surgery this past week.
Continued healing prayers for:
Kathy D. undergoing Chemo for Breast Cancer Shelia W. diabetes related issues Bob and Vickie B. Multiple Scoliosis Rich B. recovering (near 2 years) from heart surgery Violet P. who has recently been diagnosed with cancer TJ back in hospital with cancer Miss Patterson who has cancer Miss Jackson who is ill Don B. who has cancer Miss B’s sister who has cancerEmployment for; Rusty, Robert O., Iva F., Marie F., Jessica R., Mike T. and Tom D. seeking fulltime work.
Lakeshore Baptist Church
Pray for those in the community to join us in fellowship
Pray for Doug B. to join us in fellowship
The ongoing construction of the new church foundation; specifically for more volunteers to continue the work.
Continued prayers for Naida and I as we begin our work in Lakeshore. Pray we can reach folks in the community, that we will be an asset to Pastor Don and the church here. Pray for Naida’s sons she left in MA. Pray for our financial needs to be met.
Fellow Ministries
Prison Fellowship
Weekly Prayer Report invites you to join us in praying for the work being done in prisons throughout the country, and for the lives being touched by this ministry. This week, please pray:
for the dedicated PF volunteers and the way God is using them in the pre-release programs at both Four-Mile and Denver Women’s Correctional Facilities in Colorado.
for God’s people to reflect the peace of Christ to troubled souls inside prisons and in communities around the world.
for our love for God to be evident in whatever we say and do as a ministry. Pray for God’s kingdom to come through our faithfulness in prayer and service.
for God to illuminate the minds of every student in the Prisoners to Pastors program to understand God’s Word and how to communicate its truth to others.
thank God for music ministry teams that serve in prisons; pray for God to use them mightily and give them great joy.
Wells of Hope Academy, Uganda: (This story saddens the heart)
The biggest longing for children of prisoners is to meet their parents, but this is not the case with Mary 12 years. When she was 5 years, her father would repeatedly rape her elder sister who was 9 years then. When their dad attempted to rape her also, Mary ran out of the house and reported the matter to the neighbors. By then Mary’s mother had abandoned their home and remarried, so at that time they were staying with their father.
When we met Mary yesterday, upon learning that it was her father who had sent us to trace for them, Mary began crying bitterly and together with her brother Aloysius 10, they ran away from us and hid. It took the intervention of the mother to convince them and told them that we were not taking them to meet their father but we wanted to offer them free education.
We were told that during the hearing of the matter, their dad threatened them and said that when he comes back home he will kill them, so they are so scared of him and they live with this fear every day. Mary’s dad will be released from prison on 20th October 2020.
Mary and Aloysious stay with their mother and stepfather and that is where we found them. Mary’s sister who was raped by their father has since disappeared, her brother Dick 11yrs whom their father had put on Wells of Hope form to be considered for sponsorship is staying with an auntie, and it was difficult to see him. Their eldest sister Molly 16 years whom he had also put on the form is now married. The challenge here is that Mary whom we have chosen to sponsor and her brother Aloysius are the children whose testimony in court was heavily relied on to find their dad guilty.
Mary, who has since dropped out of school, hopes one day she could become a nurse; Wells of Hope is going to help turn this dream into a reality. Aloysios wants to be a teacher; he will also join Wells of Hope next month.
Mary is one of the 18 children we met from 8 different families, we visited in remote villages in Ssembabule, Mpigi and Masaka district of Central Uganda from the 11th-12th January 2013. All the children we saw live in totally pathetic conditions, and need urgent help.
One of the 4 grandmothers we met, Lovinsa 70 years cares for five children, one unruly boy of 14 years, and four beautiful little girls aged 5-10 years. She is very sick and weak, she limps as she walks, yet she has to care for these children, I had to hide my tears, the youngest girl is malnourished and needs quick help. We hope to relieve Lovinsa three of the little girls.The mother and father of these children are doing 60 years in prison; their mother has a baby in prison who she delivered from prison.
We are asking for help, we strongly believe that together with you, we can turn the current predicament of these children, save them and change our world.
Francis Ssuubi, Director
You can contribute or follow on facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/139936426116070/ or Website: www.wellsofhope.org Telephone; 256772407716
The Robinson’s Bluegrass Sing and Jam
Greetings and Happy New Year to you all:
Wow, hard to believe it’s already 2013. I remember as a kid thinking the year 2000 seemed so far away in time and here it is another thirteen years passed it!
Preacher Mike and I traveled from Massachusetts on Sunday afternoon after we did a program at a nursing home in Hadley and then worship with our brethren at Dwight Chapel’s Christ CommunityChurch. We awoke Sunday morning to 10 inches of snow which made for some interesting slipping and sliding as we made our way over the mountain from Barre to Hadley on Sunday morning. After closing up the house and finishing packing on Sunday afternoon, we traveled to a Red Roof Inn in Wilkes-Barre, PA for Sunday night. We passed by the exit for Sandy Hook/Newtown on our first day of travel and we are still shocked and deeply saddened by the horrible massacre that took all those innocent lives. Please pray for all those impacted. Mike put together a tribute using a song by Mark Brinkman for all those little children lost that day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6zdKdmV5Nc
Monday found us on the road till we stopped in Wytheville, Virginia and finally finished our trip to Roebuck, South Carolina today. MO looks good and all systems appear to be working properly. We are moved back in and will be here for a couple of days before heading to Tennessee and Alabama and finally, Florida.
2013 marks the beginning of our tenth year doing the Gospel Sing ministry. We are very excited to get back to the mission field in Florida beginning our season this year with the Danny Stewart Bluegrass Cruise.
Please keep a couple of needs in prayer. A man named Gene from Maine is having an extensive heart surgery on Friday. Also, another dear heart from Maine named Verna is going through cancer treatments. A praise about our friend Keith from Maine who has come through his cancer treatments and is doing well. Annie, a young mom from our church is battling cancer. There are many other needs among our bluegrass friends, both north and south, so please just pray that the Lord will surround each situation with His mercy and grace.
We look forward to hearing from you as the year progresses and we wish you all a very Happy Healthy New Year!
God bless you always!
Friends of Jesus, Mike & Mary Robinson www.bluegrassgospelsing.comInternational Network of Prison Ministries (INPM)
Please pray for all those associated with and benefiting from the network.
Serge Taran, Founder **International Network of Prison Ministries; http://prisonminist ry.net/support. htm
Missionaries
The Messer’s Missionaries to Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Dear Friends and Family,
I have some exciting news to share with you! The Lord has given me a wonderful opportunity to participate in a missionary outreach this summer with our church’s youth group.
We are going, Lord willing, to Brazil from July 11-22 to help Terry and Wendy Broyles with an English-speaking vacation Bible school. Our team will also be doing a drama, singing in church, and sharing testimonies while we are there. I truly believe that this will be a great opportunity for me to serve the King of Kings.
In order to be part of this ministry in Brazil, I will need to raise financial and prayer support. If the Lord leads you to help me financially, your money will be used to reach the people in Brazil this summer. I will need to raise $1600 for travel, food, and lodging. My first deposit of $100 is due January 16th. Please pray that the Lord will supply the funds needed for this delightful opportunity.
If you can help me financially, please send your check to: Salem Baptist Church, 429 S. Broad Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Please write my name (Leah Messer) on the bottom of the check and “Mission Trip to Brazil”. All gifts are tax-deductible.
Thank you so much for your interest and prayers! Love in Christ, Leah Messer (daughter of Andy and Becky Messer, missionaries to Cote d’Ivoire)NEWS FROM ARBCA MEMBER CHURCHES
Special Project 2012/2013
Praise the Lord we have raised the $5,000.00 needed for the Kenyan Publishing Project which is the third and final year of the project which was sponsored by Faith Reformed Baptist Church in Media, PA. We have raised nearly $7,000.00 of the $10,000.00 needed for the Cuba Project sponsored by TRBC in Kirkland, WA. We will continue to receive funds for the later project until the beginning of the GA or once we have reached out goal.
From Free Grace Baptist Church of Chilliwack, BC, Canada
Greetings from Chilliwack, B.C. We will be celebrating our 15 year anniversary on the weekend of January 12-13th. I have asked Dr. Richard Barcellos (longtime friend and mentor) to come and preach on this occasion. He will be giving two lectures on covenant theology on Saturday morning and then teaching in the SS hour and preaching morning and evening on the Lord’s Day. We also plan to have a fellowship meal on Saturday in the early evening.
If anyone happens to be in the Pacific Northwest and would like to visit, please feel free to do so.
Please pray that God would be glorified during this celebration. As I look back over the last 15 years, I can honestly say it is in fact Jesus Christ who builds His church.
In Christ, Jim Butler www.freegrace.ca
Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach 