KATRINA - MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

#1 · September 7, 2005, 1:55 am

Quote from Forum Archives on September 7, 2005, 1:55 am
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>

ANDREW STROM: My good friend Darren Smith of Streetscape
Ministries lives on the Louisiana - Texas border. He is an experienced
Relief worker and has an extensive ministry to the homeless. His
team has already mobilized into the hard-hit areas of Mississippi
and Louisiana. He says it is simply heart-breaking to witness the
chaos and devastation - which reaches 125 miles inland. In many
areas there is hardly anyone at all helping the shell-shocked and
desperate population. This whole region is CRYING OUT for ministry.
I myself feel a definite call to join Darren - and in a few days I plan
to set out with a borrowed RV to join him and his team. We can
fit six people in the vehicle and there are plenty of supplies and
tools down there. We are looking for able, Spirit-filled men who
love to minister to the poor, and who don't mind hard work. Please
pray and ask God if He would have you join us. I will be writing
more details on this within the next two days. You will need to
decide fairly quickly. If you have a pickup truck you may be able
to meet us there.

In the meantime, if you want to donate money to Darren's Relief
team (-which will be ministering in that region for many weeks),
then please go to the following website to send funds-
www.revivalstreet.com/Support.htm

One of the things I asked Darren today after one of his Relief
trips was this- "Even after the human tragedy that you have seen
first-hand, do you still believe that there was a judgment from
God in that hurricane against New Orleans?" Despite his voice
breaking at times from the emotion of seeing people suffer,
Darren was very definite: "Yes," he said. "This is a wake-up call
for America to repent. I believe that if America does not repent
in the wake of this, then worse will follow." (He specifically
mentioned the US West Coast). He says that the gambling
industry on the Gulf coast has been almost completely destroyed.

But there are many poor people who are suffering right now. And
it is up to us to bring the love of Jesus to them in a practical way.
God's desire is for mercy to triumph over judgment. And there is
so much ministry to be done.

Please look out for my email sometime in the next two days,
about how you can get involved, my friends. Below are some
extracts of an article by David Kirkwood called "Hurricane Jesus":

"Hurricane JESUS"
-by David Kirkwood.

Many Christians have attempted to show specific reasons why
New Orleans, rather than other cities, was apparently targeted
for divine displeasure. I must confess that I am tempted to agree
with them. The reports I've read from believers who travel each
year to proclaim the gospel during the New Orleans Mardi Gras
are sickening.

One friend wrote: "I have been to the French Quarter of New
Orleans during Mardi Gras. I have been to the homosexual
district and seen people "carousing in broad daylight." I have
seen people parading naked down the streets walking in their
filth and sin. I preached the gospel the night before Fat Tuesday
earlier this year as hundreds of Roman Catholics made excuses
for their sin and immorality before a holy God and justified their
sin by telling me that they could sin all they wanted as long as
they "went to confession" on Ash Wednesday and somehow it
was all better in God's sight!... New Orleans is the Voodoo capital
of the U.S.A. I have seen hundreds of fortune tellers on the streets
and many of them would rail curses at me after I handed them a
gospel tract (one in particular spitting on it, pronouncing curses
and cursing "my Jesus"). I saw thousands and thousands of idols
and things which pertain to witchcraft and satanism."

Yikes! Perhaps you've heard that since 1972, New Orleans has
been the host city of the annual "Southern Decadence Day,"
which would have been held this very weekend, as it has every
Labor Day weekend for the past thirty-three years. It is touted as
"one of the gay world's major parties," and a "gay Mardi Gras"
when tens of thousands of gay men and lesbians descend on the
French Quarter for unrestrained public lewdness and drunkenness.
In 2003 it pumped $95 million into the local economy, which is
why city leaders refused to shut it down in spite of protests by
more decent people. Is it possible that after thirty-three years
God had enough and decided to shut it down?

New Orleans has also seen an incredible amount of looting, arson,
rape, murders, gang violence and general lawlessness after Katrina,
something that was not seen in the countries hit by last December's
tsunami. One Sri Lankan observed, ""I am absolutely disgusted.
After the tsunami, our people, even the ones who lost everything,
wanted to help the others who were suffering.Not a single tourist
caught in the tsunami was mugged. Now with all this happening in
the U.S. we can easily see where the civilized part of the world's
population is." (Ouch!)

Reports such as these certainly tempt us to assume New Orleans
was more deserving of devastation than other U.S. cities. Yet we
should keep in mind Jesus' cautions about making such judgments
(see Luke 13:1-5). If God is sending a message to New Orleans,
He is also sending a message to everyone in this country. Katrina
is affecting us all, taking a bite out of each of our wallets. Gas
stations here in Pennsylvania certainly aren't offering any
discounts. Once again, God has clearly displayed His temporal
wrath to the United States, and He wants all of us to know that,
as Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish"
(Luke 13:3, 5).

Will we heed His message this time? If not, there are certainly
worse judgments to come, greater manifestations of God's
temporal wrath, as He mercifully hopes to motivate us to repent
and escape His eternal wrath.

Finally, will the pastors, preachers and prophets in America rise
to the occasion to courageously proclaim the truth? Or will they
actually work against Christ and assist Satan in what he specializes
in - spreading lies about himself and God? God has just roared at
America one more time. Will His spokespersons now remain silent?
Or worse, will they say that God has not roared? Who will proclaim
what the Bible repeatedly declares from cover to cover? Who will
love people enough tell them the truth? Who will seek the approval
of God rather than the approval of men?

Who will cry out, like Isaiah of old, "Alas, sinful nation, people
weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act
corruptly! You have abandoned the Lord, you have despised the
Holy One of Israel, you have turned away from Him. Where will
you be stricken again, as you continue in your rebellion?" (Is 1:4-5).

~David Kirkwood,
www.ShepherdServe.org.
-------------------------------------

Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>

ANDREW STROM: My good friend Darren Smith of Streetscape
Ministries lives on the Louisiana - Texas border. He is an experienced
Relief worker and has an extensive ministry to the homeless. His
team has already mobilized into the hard-hit areas of Mississippi
and Louisiana. He says it is simply heart-breaking to witness the
chaos and devastation - which reaches 125 miles inland. In many
areas there is hardly anyone at all helping the shell-shocked and
desperate population. This whole region is CRYING OUT for ministry.
I myself feel a definite call to join Darren - and in a few days I plan
to set out with a borrowed RV to join him and his team. We can
fit six people in the vehicle and there are plenty of supplies and
tools down there. We are looking for able, Spirit-filled men who
love to minister to the poor, and who don't mind hard work. Please
pray and ask God if He would have you join us. I will be writing
more details on this within the next two days. You will need to
decide fairly quickly. If you have a pickup truck you may be able
to meet us there.

In the meantime, if you want to donate money to Darren's Relief
team (-which will be ministering in that region for many weeks),
then please go to the following website to send funds-
http://www.revivalstreet.com/Support.htm

One of the things I asked Darren today after one of his Relief
trips was this- "Even after the human tragedy that you have seen
first-hand, do you still believe that there was a judgment from
God in that hurricane against New Orleans?" Despite his voice
breaking at times from the emotion of seeing people suffer,
Darren was very definite: "Yes," he said. "This is a wake-up call
for America to repent. I believe that if America does not repent
in the wake of this, then worse will follow." (He specifically
mentioned the US West Coast). He says that the gambling
industry on the Gulf coast has been almost completely destroyed.

But there are many poor people who are suffering right now. And
it is up to us to bring the love of Jesus to them in a practical way.
God's desire is for mercy to triumph over judgment. And there is
so much ministry to be done.

Please look out for my email sometime in the next two days,
about how you can get involved, my friends. Below are some
extracts of an article by David Kirkwood called "Hurricane Jesus":

"Hurricane JESUS"
-by David Kirkwood.

Many Christians have attempted to show specific reasons why
New Orleans, rather than other cities, was apparently targeted
for divine displeasure. I must confess that I am tempted to agree
with them. The reports I've read from believers who travel each
year to proclaim the gospel during the New Orleans Mardi Gras
are sickening.

One friend wrote: "I have been to the French Quarter of New
Orleans during Mardi Gras. I have been to the homosexual
district and seen people "carousing in broad daylight." I have
seen people parading naked down the streets walking in their
filth and sin. I preached the gospel the night before Fat Tuesday
earlier this year as hundreds of Roman Catholics made excuses
for their sin and immorality before a holy God and justified their
sin by telling me that they could sin all they wanted as long as
they "went to confession" on Ash Wednesday and somehow it
was all better in God's sight!... New Orleans is the Voodoo capital
of the U.S.A. I have seen hundreds of fortune tellers on the streets
and many of them would rail curses at me after I handed them a
gospel tract (one in particular spitting on it, pronouncing curses
and cursing "my Jesus"). I saw thousands and thousands of idols
and things which pertain to witchcraft and satanism."

Yikes! Perhaps you've heard that since 1972, New Orleans has
been the host city of the annual "Southern Decadence Day,"
which would have been held this very weekend, as it has every
Labor Day weekend for the past thirty-three years. It is touted as
"one of the gay world's major parties," and a "gay Mardi Gras"
when tens of thousands of gay men and lesbians descend on the
French Quarter for unrestrained public lewdness and drunkenness.
In 2003 it pumped $95 million into the local economy, which is
why city leaders refused to shut it down in spite of protests by
more decent people. Is it possible that after thirty-three years
God had enough and decided to shut it down?

New Orleans has also seen an incredible amount of looting, arson,
rape, murders, gang violence and general lawlessness after Katrina,
something that was not seen in the countries hit by last December's
tsunami. One Sri Lankan observed, ""I am absolutely disgusted.
After the tsunami, our people, even the ones who lost everything,
wanted to help the others who were suffering.Not a single tourist
caught in the tsunami was mugged. Now with all this happening in
the U.S. we can easily see where the civilized part of the world's
population is." (Ouch!)

Reports such as these certainly tempt us to assume New Orleans
was more deserving of devastation than other U.S. cities. Yet we
should keep in mind Jesus' cautions about making such judgments
(see Luke 13:1-5). If God is sending a message to New Orleans,
He is also sending a message to everyone in this country. Katrina
is affecting us all, taking a bite out of each of our wallets. Gas
stations here in Pennsylvania certainly aren't offering any
discounts. Once again, God has clearly displayed His temporal
wrath to the United States, and He wants all of us to know that,
as Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish"
(Luke 13:3, 5).

Will we heed His message this time? If not, there are certainly
worse judgments to come, greater manifestations of God's
temporal wrath, as He mercifully hopes to motivate us to repent
and escape His eternal wrath.

Finally, will the pastors, preachers and prophets in America rise
to the occasion to courageously proclaim the truth? Or will they
actually work against Christ and assist Satan in what he specializes
in - spreading lies about himself and God? God has just roared at
America one more time. Will His spokespersons now remain silent?
Or worse, will they say that God has not roared? Who will proclaim
what the Bible repeatedly declares from cover to cover? Who will
love people enough tell them the truth? Who will seek the approval
of God rather than the approval of men?

Who will cry out, like Isaiah of old, "Alas, sinful nation, people
weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act
corruptly! You have abandoned the Lord, you have despised the
Holy One of Israel, you have turned away from Him. Where will
you be stricken again, as you continue in your rebellion?" (Is 1:4-5).

~David Kirkwood,
http://www.ShepherdServe.org.
-------------------------------------