I greet you in the name of most high Lord Jesus,
Paula and I went through many difficulties on this trip to Lebanon. I will share some of these difficulties, but I won’t share about others, because of our security.
RIght now, I am sitting and writing this email in my old village Mieh-Mieh. I can hear loud explosions and lots of machine gun fire. There’s a war going on half a mile away from where we are staying, and many stray bullets have fallen on top of this very house. (https://share.newsbreak.com/4kbpbzic) It reminds Paula and I of the days of the ugly Lebanese Civil War that we lived through. We are reliving the war all over again, and plan to head out to the North of Lebanon asap where it is quiet.
We arrived in the South of Lebanon five days ago to visit ministry partners and check on some of our family. The south of Lebanon has been bombarded by so many evil attacks. There are piles upon piles of trash on the side of the streets on every road in every city. Of course it is where Beelzebub has lived for thousands of years https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beelzebub.
We came to this region during a time when Shiites Muslims are “celebrating” Ashura (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashura). It is multiple days of observance during which they cut themselves and mourn an “old prophet” of theirs, Hussain. I asked a sweet shop owner, does this “holiday” end in some kind of celebration. He said, “Of course not, we just cut ourselves and mourn.”
Despite all the terrible circumstances socially, culturally, politically, and economically that the people of Lebanon are going through, there is a wonderful big wide door open for evangelism. People are desperate to hear the Good News, and our brothers and sisters here (our amazing partners who live in these areas) doing amazing work despite the circumstances in which they live. Day in and day out they look for the desperate and for the needy. I am 58 years old and I have never seen so many people coming to know our Lord as a Savior. Home churches are popping up all over the South of Lebanon. Our Brothers and Sisters understand the Armor of God and they have to remind themselves everyday, because they are desperate. At the same time many have fallen, some died and some were taken out by sin. There is a war here and you can easily see the front lines.
I believe the war is also waging in the U.S., the evil one uses different tactics to fight us there, and I am afraid that the frontlines are not so defined. He uses prosperous living, self-indulgence, collecting treasures on earth…me me me! Let us not fool ourselves Brethren, the war is waging everywhere in the world. I left The U.S. on Thursday the 20th of July. Two people got shot and died, one on Monday and one Wednesday, prior to my departure time on Thursday! The two murders happened on the sidewalk of one of my gas stations located on MLK Dr in Winston-Salem! https://www.wxii12.com/article/police-investigate-shooting-citgo-gas-station/44596976
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV
Please help us arm our friends with finances so they can support their families and help the needy in Jesus Name. Join our efforts in supporting them as the Hands and the Feet’s of Jesus in this dark place.
ReBridge is still working towards the goal of raising $250,000 for the efforts in Egypt. Your contribution will make a huge impact as we meet the physical needs of these refugees and allow God to open doors for sharing the gospel.
Your generosity matters, and for it we are grateful!Please prayerfully consider a financial contribution to this effort.
Remember, 100% of what you give goes directly toward helping these people in need because of our low overhead and direct relationship with those providing help on the front lines.
Please send checks to:
Rebridge
5016 Knobview Trail
Winston-Salem NC 27104