What about when we hurt???

I was at a worship meeting tonight and a friend was sharing his heart on where he was at and what God was speaking to him during this time. It really impacted me, so I thought I would share… He firstly shared about the parable in Matthew 20, how a landowner hired some workers for the day and agreed upon a wage for their work. As time passed throughout the day, the landowner hired more workers who didn’t have work for the day. The day grew later and later and the landowner continued to hire workers into the late hours of the day. At the end of the day the landowner gathered the workers together to pay them their wages, he paid the first hired workers their agreed upon sum and then continued to pay all the other workers hired throughout the day and even late in the day, the same wage as the initial hired workers! Those who had worked the longest hours of the day were furious! They felt this so unjust, to be paid the same wage as those who had only worked a small fraction of the long laborious hours they had! How unfair!!! (Feel Free to read the whole story for yourself if you want the story in its entirety and full meaning.)

Isn’t that how many of us feel in various seasons of our lives?! I know I have several friends right now, of whose circumstances, I think so unfair!!! Why them? Why now? Why still? Why this?

He continued to share from John 11 regarding the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus was in another city (a nearby city), away from his friend Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. The sisters sent news to Jesus that Lazarus was very ill- could He not come and heal their brother?! But Jesus delayed and continued with His work in the other city and came once He was done. But he came too late! Lazarus was dead. Then, Jesus wept. He wept! But couldn’t He have saved Lazarus had He come earlier? Why didn’t He come earlier?! Why didn’t He come when the sisters called? Why doesn’t He always come at the timing when we call? The parable continues, and Jesus tells them to remove the stone from in front of the tomb. But they replied, he’s been dead for 4 days, it will really stink… really stink….really stink!!!! Isn’t that just it?! Sometimes our circumstances really stink!!! They really are horrible to experience.

But Jesus doesn’t stop there, and nor should we. It’s far easier to walk away from the smell. It often seems easier just to not deal with, or get bitter about. But He says “Unbind him, and let him go.” In other wards, take his grave clothes off! Remove the sorrow, free him! It is time to move forward, it is time to praise. It doesn’t mean it’s easy, but let’s remove the grave clothes.

Jesus didn’t give us life to be bound, but to be free. If this is where you’re at, I pray (and have been praying) for victory and breakthrough in your life, and for the freedom to rejoice!!!

Prego & lovin' it!!!

Well I promised to send updates of mine and our babie's growth...so here it is. We're growing, and loving it! These pictures are of me between 24 and 27 weeks. Time is passing quickly. I'm maybe a little sad to see this second trimester end, it has been soooo wonderful! But muchly looking forward to next few months, every day is a new kick, a new movement, a new emotion and a new joy. Thanks for your prayers and support, the baby and I are doing very well, everyone's healthy and all is on par. (I think that dad's coping with it all pretty well too, expect maybe some of my hormone surges:) But he's loving the belly and all the baby's interactions!)

Serbia Church Update

Here is a quick update on Sasha and Sara in Serbia.

With the fire bomb in the church right before Christmas, the church received alot of damage. One of our Staff has just talked to Sasha again and he was quite happy saying that God has really used this event to make the church and HIS NAME known. Sasha has been interviewed by 6 different news stations both locally and nationally and the police have put into writing that they will bring some level of protection to the church, I know it doesn't sound like much but from the way Sasha has been treated over the years from town officials this is a miracle. Let's pray that all theirs repair needs are met. If you want to see a picture and an account please read the article below.

Many Blessings to you,

Ronnie +

There’s no persecution in Europe…right?

Imagine you are the only pastor in a city of 70 000 people…people who are mostly suspicious and hostile towards you. Every day is a struggle to serve Jesus and make his name famous to the thousands of people who label you a sect or cult. You work primarily with the down and out, refugees and gypsies, which doesn’t help your reputation much. Nothing is easy for you but you press on because you know that these people desperately need Jesus.

Now imagine that one day, after years of hard service with little fruit you come to your tiny church building only to find smoke billowing out the windows. You’ve had your church fire-bombed in the middle of the night and everything you have is gone. All the equipment, chairs, bibles and aid that others have given you from around the world is now ashes.

This is what has really happened to one of our close partners in Serbia. That’s right in Europe, not a muslim country, not Africa, not Asia…but in Europe in a supposedly Christian nation. Sasha Vitakic and his wife Sara have served faithfully and in isolation for many years in Kralajevo because they know that people there need Jesus. Sasha found his church in ruins after vandals smashed his windows and threw a petrol bomb into the church in order to stop the work that they are doing. This is the edgy reality that he has to live and work in. This is not the first threat they have received but the most serious and violent.

This is what Sasha wrote to me in an email:

bombed churchWith great sadness we want to inform you that during the night between Sunday and Monday (17 & 18 Dec.’06) our church has been attacked by a petrol bomb. The unknown attackers first smashed the windows of our church with stones and then threw in a petrol bomb that caused a great fire in our hall. When we came in the morning the fire was still burning and we couldn’t go in because of the very thick, black smoke.

We opened the doors and windows, then with water tried to put out the fire which was still burning. We then called the police and the firemen who came and finally put out the fire. Our hall has been burned and it caused great damage. Our floor is burned and the carpet, our air-condition system is burned and the chairs in the front too. All the walls are black and our church looks like a horror movie. It is exactly that. They burned our church in order to destroy us so that we would not exist. Please pray for our boldness and protection.

We are sending to you some pictures from our burnt church, so that you can see for yourselves what has happened. We also want to tell you that despite all of this we are still very committed to the vision God has given to us and that is to reach central Serbia for Christ.

Please pray for the church in Kralajevo that they would not have fear but that they would be strong, courageous and filled with grace and love. Remember Sasha and the persecuted church in Serbia and others all around Europe that face persecution that doesn’t get reported. If you have a blog, please link to this so others can know and pray for Sasha, his family and the church in Kralajevo. If you want to help Sasha rebuild his church please contact me at: moldableclay@gmail.com and we will help you in this matter.

T'was indeed a Merry Christmas!!!

  

Well we had a marvelous Christmas together as the Zerr family- thanks Mom & Dad. It was such a blessing to have you here!!!
I was also blessed to see my brother, Steve in London for a few hours as he was passing through New Years day!!
We feel very blessed to have such wonderful families and are so excited to have them expanding in this next year. Ronnie and I are both soo excited to see all that this New Year holds for us as a family, in ministry and individually. Hope you'll stay along for the ride....