I'm Back

I have been out of touch with this blog for quite a while, but I am back at it. Why? Because I have become a non-profit ministry and have been called by God to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations. What better place than on the mission field or in cyberspace? My ministry name is Life of Victory International. You can find me on the web at lifeofvictoryinternational.com. There you will find interesting facts about what I can bring to the table at your church or group.

I may not post on the blog every day as I did when I was posting daily devotions, but I will keep you informed of my mission trips and opportunities for one. This brings me to this announcement:

MEDICAL MISSION TRIP TO LaCEIBA, HONDURAS

JULY 14-21, 2012

ESTIMATED COST: $1500

If you are interested or know of someone who has had a desire to go, this is an awesome trip for the first-timer. The location in Honduras is on the Carribbean Ocean. Our hosts keep us safe and feed us very well. We will visit the poorer places in the LaCeiba area and provide medical assistance through our doctors and nurses. The medicines we carry are all over-the-counter. Besides that, you will meet some of the most facinating people God has put together. They all love the Lord and want to help people who cannot help themselves or have the medical facilities that we enjoy. Please consider the life-changing trip that I call a Vacation with a Purpose!

You can contact me at lifeofvictoryint@gmail.com

Honduras Report

I am back home after over two weeks in beautiful Honduras. It, too, is at the end of their "winter" which is really the rainy season. The trees have blossoms that promise mouth watering mangos in June and coffee beans in October. I wanted to wrap up this trip with this report. In the last blog, I was about to hold several women's meetings. As always, a missionary must remain flexible because plans made by the visitors (me) may not be what actually happens. But God is in control and what happened was wonderful.

Our first meeting was for the neighborhood women near the compound. After having over 50 children at the Bible Club the previous day, we thought for sure we would be overwhelmed with the mothers. But we actually had very few women that showed up. But I look at it this way. The eight that were there were meant to hear the messages that were presented. I told them that and they were pleased. Louise Skelton and I ministered to the women who were all Christians. We gave them hope and encouragement to keep them in their time of storms and trials. Louise taught on how Great God is and I spoke on how they can Call on the Name of God.

The second women's meeting was to be held for a group of women in town who we had not ministered to before. A young lady heard my teaching on the Names of God and wanted her church to hear the message. However, unbeknownst to her, the Saturday that I was available, her women's group had a speaker in from another Central American country giving a seminar. So my Saturday got filled up with other tasks that need to be accomplished.

The Sunday seminar DID take place. This was the church who experienced the sudden death of a son of one of the women last fall and they had to postpone this meeting. So it was rescheduled for this time. We held it at their church, provided the refreshments and a small lunch. My seminar was on the Names of God which incorporated an activity of making a necklace of all the names each one of the women hold. For example, wife, mother, aunt, cook, housekeeper, jogger, gardener, etc. They realized that they are one person, but have many different roles or descriptions. That helped them see that God is one God, but can have many different roles in our lives. We played games and sang songs.

Each woman was like a sponge and actually took notes on the over 12 names of God that we discussed. I am believing God that these women will call on the name of God in which they have need. I love that about God. In Psalm 91:14-16 says, "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."

I have understood this scripture more and more as I put it into practice. God wants us to call out the name of His attribute when we are in a particular need. For instance, if you need God to heal your body pray to Jehovah Rapha, the Lord your Healer. If you need Him to provide a job, food, housing, etc., pray to Jehovah Jirah, the Lord your Provider. He loves the fact that you are calling on His Name.

If you would like your church or group to hear this message, I will be happy to share this wonderful truth to them.

Report from Honduras

When we follow God's heart, we know our life will make a difference.

Our activities here have been varied, but all working with groups. . . mostly with children. Yesterday we had the neighborhood children come to this property in the training center Vicky refers to as the Salon. It was their normal weekly Bible Club. It was overwhelming to see 57 children sitting on chairs, singing songs with gusto, naming the books of the Bible, first with charts then from memory. There was a Bible story, the prodigal son, that was acted out, questions that were answered and then a Bible drill.

I was overwhelmed because these children had absolutely no knowledge of the Bible when Vicky started the Bible Club 2 years ago. Now, they can recite verses, find verses in the Bible and sing songs they really enjoy. Next week, they are going to put on a program for their parents that had to be cancelled before Christmas because of very bad weather. It was a Christmas program that the children and Vicky had rehersed for a while. Now they will have the opportunity to show off the story of the baby Jesus. It is meant to be evangelistic. I'm really looking forward to it.

Today we held the first women's meetings here for the neighborhood women. We really expected quite a few since so many children came this week and Vicky went to all the houses to personally invite the ladies for a time just for them. Unfortunately, only 8 came, but they enjoyed their time. We had a game, refreshments and both Louise and I spoke. These ladies attended the seminar we held last September so we are beginning to establish a relationship. That is good - especially in this neighorhood.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to speak to some young adults who go to a small church in town. It is being arranged by a young lady who sat in on my class last September and wants her friends to hear me. We don't know when or where yet, but that is the "being flexible" part of being a missionary. For sure, however, the ladies from Pastor Ricky's church will come here on Sunday morning for a whole day. I'm really looking forward to that. This will be my third time to minister to them.

Please keep praying for me, Louise and Hugh and the rest of the team. We are honored to be here.

Honduras Report

I'm doing great here. The weather is awesome! Cool - enough for a cover of blanket at night. The days are almost 80 degrees. We are busy with getting the ministry wheels turning here again. Allen and vicky were in the states from December until March 4th. So, there is a lot to be done on the compound with the houses and grounds. Then there are the ministry groups that we are getting back into the groove. The old folks home will have a service and refreshments tomorrow. Today we are going to the village and have an event for the children. We'll be visiting an orphanage where the oldest is about 5 and then on Friday Saturday and Sunday we will holding Women's Seminars. Louise and I will share Friday then on Saturday and Sunday I will be doing all the teaching. Louise is doing a lot of teaching during this week while I am helping to serve.

We all pitch in on food preparation and clean up. then we have our own houses to which we retire. Each afternoon we walk to the beach and are amazed at how much it changes each day! The sunsets are georgeous. I think I could live here!!!

Last year, mission teams were cancelled due to the political unrest over the president situation. This year, with a new president in office that everyone is satisfied with, things are very normal here. So, we are expecting a good mission team season. I'm hoping to work down here for about four weeks this summer in July/August. We can take more teams if you know of anyone who wants to go on a mission trip that will be great for young and the old. It is like going on a Vacation with a Purpose!!! Also, if there is anyone you know that are considering to go in to mission ministry Vicky will be holding a school for missionary training for 12 days August 1-12 of which I will be a part of the staff.

OK, well just wanted to let you know what we're about. Allen and Vicky want you to know you are invited to come and visit any time.

Love ya
Debbie

Jesus Takes Back Dominion

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

For 4,000 years, mankind had been living in a dark, oppressed, hopeless, sin-sick world. Now Jesus was going to take back the dominion that had been transferred to Satan by Adam and Eve. The only hope mankind had was for God to intervene with mercy. His mercy involved sending His only Son... For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son...John 3:16. We must recognize that this was a sacrifice for God as well. He released Jesus, who was God in the flesh, to the world to bring back the authority mankind had lost because of the rebellion of Adam and Eve.

When you look at Jesus’ outline for ministry, He was about to set the devil on his heels. Jesus was going to let everyone know that things were going to change. He did this by teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God. When Jesus opened their eyes of understanding, they began to see light, hope, joy.

I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46 Jesus' purpose was to bring the government of Heaven to the earth. That means that there would be solutions to mental, physical and moral problems. There was an answer and Jesus was proclaiming to everyone that there was going to be a huge change in our outlook on life.

But that wouldn't take place until He made the ultimate sacrifice with His life. Until then, Jesus dedicated His ministry to traveling from village to village speaking on the Kingdom of God.

Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given (presented as a gift); and the government (empire, to have power as a prince) will be upon His shoulder. Isaiah 9:6

Since the Garden of Eden man has lived in a world of sorrow, heartbreak,
sickness, disease, futility, hopelessness and distress. It had been over 400
years of silence between God’s last prophets in the Old Test and the first
words of John the Baptist in the New Test. “Repent for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand!” (Matt 3:2)

God knew the status of the world and had a plan, in the fullness of time – He had a Son whom He would deliver to the earth in a miraculous event that would set Him apart from the rest of the world which is what we celebrate at this time of year.

Before Jesus would die on the cross, He had a big job to accomplish in three short years. This morning we are going to explore what Jesus’ job
description included.

Read Luke 14:18-19
Jesus defined his ministry as an ongoing essence of GOOD NEWS of the
gospel of the Kingdom of God. It was Jesus’ outline for ministry.

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord (Supreme authority) is upon Me because He has anointed Me to:
ANOINT = smear or rub with oil, to consecrate to an office
1. Preach the gospel to the poor.
PREACH = Announce good news, declare good tidings.
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit (no hope) for theirs is the Kingdom of God. The word BLESSED = Long duration. It is an adjective that means supremely happy, a condition in which “Congratulations” are in order and special joys.
POOR = to crouch, a beggar as in cringing, the idea of causing to fall

2. Heal the brokenhearted (such a sad word)
HEAL = To be whole physically, cure
BROKENHEARTED = to crush completely, to shatter literally or figuratively, break in pieces

Who are the brokenhearted? Lost child to death, drugs, a bad marriage, a lost dream, “Blessed are those who mourn (grieve, wail) for they shall be comforted (invoke consolation, to call to be near)

3. Proclaim liberty to the captives
PROCLAIM = Herald, as a public cryer, publish
CAPTIVES = Prisoners of War, hands bound, confined, restricted, overwhelmed to inablility to function

4. Proclaim recovery of sight to the blind
RECOVERING of SIGHT = Restoration of sight
SIGHT = Opaque, to envelop with smoke, i.e. to inflate with self-conceit; highminded, be lifted up with pride
John 9:39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
Make aware of truth where they were ignorant before. Like taking off the blinders Satan had placed over minds, attitudes and habits.

5. Set at liberty those who are oppressed
OPPRESSED = Crushed by the works of Satan – evil desires, self destruction, fear, anger, lust, pride
LIBERTY = Pardon, deliverance, forgiveness, remission of sin

6. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord!
ACCEPTABLE = approved To announce good news that the Kingdom of God has arrived through the Messiah

For 4,000 years, mankind had been living in a dark, oppressed, hopeless, sin-sick world. Now Jesus was going to take back the dominion that had been transferred to Satan by Adam and Eve. The only hope mankind had was for God to intervene with mercy.

Our Final Days

India is a nation that is FULL of religion. It is the way of life here...Hinduism, Muslim and even some others. Christianity in the past was reported to be only 3-4% in India. But today, the Hindu leaders are shaken by a new report that says 17% are professing Christianity. That disturbs them greatly and is causing persecution among the Christians. But as we know, when Christians are suppressed it seems they get bolder and tell more about Jesus, causing the numbers to increase! Praise God He is working in a very hard place.

I went to villages where the pastors had incredible testimonies. One was a muslim man who was so confused and disturbed in his mind that he just wandered the streets for 4 years. Then one day, he saw a bright light and out of the light a voice said, "Will you trust me?" He didn't know who it was! But a church was very nearby that was holding a worship service and he went in. He then realized it was Jesus who had spoken to him. He is the overseer of several pastors today with a very stable mind and a heart totally for Jesus.

Another Hindu man had a similar experience where he had a vision of Jesus. He hadn't even heard of Jesus and yet Jesus cared enough about him to bring this man to Himself. Visions and dreams are being experienced all over India as well as the Middle East as Jesus is drawing mankind to himself. Another pastor spoke of having a sister-in-law that was a Christian. He was Hindu. He would curse her, treat her badly and even beat her over her faith. The Lord appeared to Him and now not only he but all 7 of his brothers are Christians and serving the Lord!

Let us always consider the power of Jesus and that He will never leave the unsaved alone even if there is no missionary or preacher in the area. God loves mankind soooooo much! So as we prepare to leave this nation, I realize that God will do whatever He needs to do, use those who make themselves available to Him and the heart of a nation will be changed to embrace His love.

Continue to pray for us as we return back to our home land and lives. We must never forget the nations where it is a struggle to be a Christian. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are on the frontlines.