Standing Strong Through the Storm - March 9

 

Timeless lessons for overcoming the storms of life through real life examples of persecuted Christians.

Standing Strong Through the Storm

Newsletters        Topics        Blogs

THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDE OF CHRIST  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:2-4  Iraq is probably the last place in the world you’d expect to find an illustration of the beautiful bride of Christ. Yet on top of a beautiful plateau in the mountains of Kurdistan (Northern Iraq) a group of Arab Christians organized a prayer conference. More than five hundred Christians from all over Iraq, from all kind of churches including twenty local church leaders, came to pray for unity and peace in the country. “Oh God, unite our country again, bring peace to the Christians and strengthen your people,” was the common prayer on everybody’s lips. “This was a unique and wonderful experience for the Iraqi church,” shares Joyce who was one of the participants.  Teachers and pastors gave lectures on humility and engaged the group in seeking the Lord Jesus Christ at first. “There was prayer for the country and prayer for the different pastors. And one of the highlights was the fact that local Iraqi pastors washed each other feet and that is a miracle in a country where there is so much division,” Joyce adds. And she continues, “We prayed for God to give hope and life for individual Christians again; we prayed for individual prayer requests which were written down on paper.”  Another pastor taught the group to love their country and to have a passion for the country. Joyce says, “Two young leaders from Baghdad were very much touched by this, since both of them had been victims of violence and kidnapping in Baghdad, because of their faith. They had problems in loving their country and the people in it.”  One pastor shared, “Every six months we lose twenty per cent of our believers to the free world, and our main problem is also that so many Christian leaders are leaving. You just finish training young leaders and they leave. It is a pity and we are losing so many potential leaders.”  Another Iraqi Christian shared with tears the experience of his kidnapping in Kirkuk. “God was with me and I felt that people around the world were praying for me, although I was amazed about that. God was with me and he brought me out.”    In conclusion a pastor said, “Like Christ, the church in Iraq feels afflicted, not comforted and lashed by stones. And yet does the son of the king ever feel powerless? I do not think so; the presence of the comforter is in our midst in Iraq, so be brave and continue. The Holy Spirit in us is not just a power; He is God himself, who is with us. To God the church in Iraq is beautiful also; so let us love her and work alongside her to make her more so.” RESPONSE: I will never lose faith that Jesus is developing His beautiful bride around the entire world. PRAYER: Pray that Iraqi Christians will continue to perceive themselves as Jesus’ beautiful bride. STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE STORM (SSTS) -A daily devotional message by Paul Estabrooks © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission “When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.” Proverbs 10:25 Right now millions of Christians face persecution because of their faith in Christ. Register to receive the Open Doors USA Weekly Prayer Alert email. Join alongside thousands of others praying for our brothers and sisters worldwide to stand strong in the midst of their struggles. Also learn more about countries where the persecution of Christians is most severe by visiting the Open Doors website today.

	You May Also Like:

7 Reasons the World May Hate That You're a Christian Dale Chamberlain Sometimes, Christians are disliked through no fault of their own. Other times, we needlessly bring it upon ourselves. It takes wisdom and spiritual maturity to know when we’re being hated for the right reasons. CONTINUE READING →

10 Most Dangerous Apps That Parents Need to Know Jaime Jo Wright Did you know that one of the kid's most popular apps gives complete strangers access to chat with them online? Were you aware that another often used app introduces your child to soft porn? And what if someone told you that "kid" profiles on streaming media apps are only as kid-proof as your child's ignorance? One might not consider the dangers of such apps like Fortnite, Snapchat, and Netflix, but beware, they are worth considering. At the time this article is written, there are 78.3 million Fornite users, 186 million Snapchat users, and 151 million Netflix subscribers. The odds your children will remain unaffected by these and other apps, are highly unlikely. It's not a new conversation, this "be careful what your kids download" subject. But often, parents request a list of the most dangerous apps so they can easily safeguard their child. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as a Top 10, and even the "safe" apps can become dangerous. So as parents, we need to be vigilant. As someone who has worked in the wireless industry for seventeen years, I recommend three important parental filters: 1. Know your child--do they communicate openly with you, or are they private? 2.You own the phone (or tablet)--just because it's "theirs" doesn't mean it's off-limits. Have you set the expectation that you can look through their phone any time? 3. Just because it's "Kid Safe", doesn't mean it is--have you researched the app? Your electronic devices can be fabulous additions to your family's options for entertainment and education. But a major error many parents make is trusting someone else—namely the app developer—to rate the potential harm for your child. But, as a mom, not just someone who works in the industry, I've found that some of the safer apps are also important to not disregard. It's time to learn about some potential dangers lurking in your child's bedroom that would rival any boogeyman. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/vejaa CONTINUE READING →

Read about Salem Web Network  |  *Unsubscribe *Email Preference Center  |  *View in Browser

© 2019 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Standing Strong Through the Storm.

*the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally Brother Andrew and Paul Estabrooks Affiliate marketer links: Affiliate marketer Rick Livermore will earn a commission on the Brother Andrew items you buy from alibris If you would like to offset my expenses of producing all this free content, but you want to pass on buying Brother Andrew reading materials from alibris, feel free to give a little something-------Give through PayPal-----Rick Livermore-Webmaster220 Brought to you by Rick Livermore   https://webmaster220.blogspot.com/ I live in Laguna Niguel California now  a fan of  tubitv.com/category/faith_and_spirituality also a fan of tubitv.com/channels/dovechannel  The most popular blog post on this blog is this one

Link