A NOTE TO MY STAFF: On the eve of our Convergence Together in HAITI:

This week is filled with great anticipation and thankfulness. I cannot express how deeply moved I am to be a part of such a great staff. I love who my staff is and what they represent on behalf of the movement that we call CPR-3. It is not our movement but God’s! I love the fact that 80% of our team is in their 20’s.

The focus of this gathering will not be about our name, but on the person of Jesus Christ and His program that He has chosen to ordain and bless and it is called the Church!

Our focus: to love God and to love people…to care for physical and spiritual needs of hurting people…to carry on the mission of Jesus in His movement and His mission is ‘the CHURCH.’

CPR-3 has gone into the world and God has given us a double blessing in that this part of the world also happens to be our ‘neighbor.’ Love God, Love Your Neighbor.

Easier places to serve? Sure! That is what makes me want to say to all of my staff, your reward will be greater in heaven. You look a lot like Jesus. He went to places where few wanted to go. He was stoned. He was beaten. His life threatened. His Mission, the one assigned by His Father was clear….and it lead to a cross. Not all repented and believed during Jesus’ earthly mission….but some did.

Even Diety cried out, ‘Let this cup pass from me”, but it was the will of the Father to ‘not remove’ the cup of suffering so that we who are spiritually poor could have life. Jesus CHOSE to Breathe Life into you and I. We were no more deserving. …and to some He has called to easy street. …and to some He has called to live out their lives in surrender and sacrifice.

He came unto His own, and his own received Him not. Neighboring is difficult. Touching those who are closest to you is difficult. The real difficulty is not that our neighbors don’t care. It is that we try our human best to please and bless and then comes rejection, abuse, threats and stonings…..who can endure?

Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more.

Hebrews 11 is in the Bible for people like YOU. It is God’s Hall of Faith! But to get on the list…you might have to die to self. That may be spiritual and that may be physical. Jesus, said, take up your cross daily and follow me. At the end of Chapter 11, is this amazing verse in Scripture. Make sure you read the whole chapter…but after the long and gory list of how people gave their lives in obedience to their calling is this:

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

I need not give you an expository sermon on the word perfect, but we must remember that this is the same word for COMPLETE.

He who started this work…this movement…this mission, WILL BE FAITHFUL to COMPLETE it in us and through us. Not many are called to a life of this kind of sacrifice. Few are chosen to suffer and sacrifice each day. Few are called to literally give their lives for the sake of the gospel but ALL of us are called to Daily Sacrifice and death to our AGENDA. When that happens our ‘tank’ is readied to have the author of LIFE the ONE who CREATED US TO BREATHE HIS LIFE into us.

Thanks for staying the course! Thanks for the sacrifice. Thanks for your PRESENCE in HAITI. Your reward in Heaven is both eternal and GRAND! Thank you for looking a LOT like JESUS.