‘Setting The Captives Free’

Bethany Update From Switzerland

     Outreach teams for the field portion of my Discipleship Training School have finally been announced.  I am going to Ireland! 

     God is so awesome.  Before we were told what our three outreach locations would be, I never would have imagined staying in Europe for outreach.  When it was announced what the focus of the ministry in Ireland would be I immediately felt a tug on my heart; God was leading me to Ireland.

      The focus for ministry in Ireland will be on corrupt governmental structure, economic problems, work within churches (being that the church of Ireland is so divided), children, youth, intersession, and human trafficking victims.  We were given a week to pray about it and then present our final decision to our staff.  As I prayed I just felt more and more at peace about choosing Ireland as my outreach destination.  Ministry there would focus on work with children and youth, interception, and human trafficking victims.  Al of these things were areas that God had given me a passion for and all of which played big roles in God leading me to this particular DTS.  So as I prayed I was just so at peace about the decision and really felt that God was indeed leading me to Ireland.  Then today the final decision, about who would be going to each country, was finally announced.

      The Ireland team consists of ten students from our DTS and two staff.  We will be leaving for Ireland in April and will return to Switzerland the first week of July.  So right now it is my prayer that God would even now be preparing our hearts as a team for the work that God is preparing in advance for us.  Also that He would unify us as a team, and that God would be preparing hearts in Ireland to receive the work that God will be doing (Update Cont.) through us.    

        Also some interesting news, my local outreach group had our first opportunity for outreach in Biel, Switzerland this past week.  Personally, my role in this outreach opportunity will be teaching English to three teenagers.  All three of them are Swiss but are each originally from Shreelanka.  There are two girls and a boy; ages 16, 14, and 13.  They each speak Tamil, German, French, and they are also learning English.  But they are going to be meeting with me and one other person from our YWAM outreach group every other Wednesday and we will have the opportunity to spend time with them, invest in their lives, and build relationships with them.  Because I am the only one in our outreach group that speaks English alone, I am the one who will work with these three students every time we meet.  There will also be one other person from our group with me each time, but not necessarily the same person every week.  We will play games with them, spend time with them, teach them about our language and our culture, and we will even be able to cook food for them from our home countries.  I am really excited about this outreach opportunity.  I am building relationships with three teenagers, I have something to offer them that that they need, and I will also have the incredible opportunity of being Jesus to them as well.  All three of them are precious and so eager to learn.  So please keep them in your prayers and also pray that God would lead our conversation in a way that will bring glory to Him. 

        This past week I came down with a stomach virus that kept me in bed all day on Friday but God was gracious and gave me enough strength to travel with my DTS into the mountains for the weekend.  So we went up to Kantersteg on Friday evening, went sledding on the mountain all day Saturday, walked around the ski village on Sunday and drove back to the YWAM base that day.  It was such a refreshing time.  It was so good to just get away and have nothing scheduled (Update Cont.) but mandatory fun with the group.  It became an amazing opportunity to further develop friendships with the other people in my DTS and sense that weekend I have really noticed a sweet spirit of unity that has really begun to grow among our group.  Now as I see just how fast time is passing us by I realize that in just over a month and a half we will be parting ways as we enter the mission field.  So it is so important that I make the most of the time we have now, and really get to know my fellow students in a deeper way.

        In about three weeks we will all be heading off to Amsterdam for five days, where we will be working with a YWAM base and embarking on a practicum that will teach us more about ministering to victims of human trafficking.  So again I am struck by just how much time has already gone by.  I have been here almost a month already and that is so hard to believe.  God is so good, He is teaching me so much, and I am so excited for all that He has yet in store for me to learn.  I am so excited about the opportunities I am being given to minister; in being involved in intersession and blessing in Wiler and the surrounding area, teaching English to teenagers, in having the opportunity to go to Amsterdam, and finally in spending time ministering and showing the love of Jesus Christ to the people of Ireland.  God is so faithful.

Check out Bethany's blog at:
freeingcaptives.blogspot.com

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Ministry Progress in Virginia

     I received the official go-ahead from the WHKT Freedom 1650 AM radio station Regional Manager to procure funds for a week-day, drive-time broadcast.  I have been creating marketing materials for the project, contacting marketing agencies and making arrangements for public appearances.  I had the chance to appear on 1650 AM radio show in January with hopes of standing in as a guest host for that show while I am working up support.  I am grateful to South-Eastern Virginia celebrity Jon Cash for giving me the opportunity.  Jon Cash can be heard live on the air from noon to 1 pm or by internet at www.1650whkt.com.

Egypt: People, Parties, Pundits –

A Matter of Perspective

David Alan Carmichael, Freedom Ministries

February 8, 2011

     As a soccer referee, I get to observe people during soccer games, at close range, trying their hardest to perform well.  From my perspective, I see how much effort a player is giving and how their fatigue increases in proportion to that effort.  I hear parental pundits, resting on their posterior, 200 feet away from the play, shout to their exhausted superstar, “Come on Johnny.  You should have gone after that ball.”  With a change in perspective and with some understating they might instead say, “Great job Johnny!  Good idea to save a little energy and oxygen for a more important play.” 

     As a referee for the sake of examining current issues from a biblical perspective, I take note of political pundits who might well apply an adjustment in perspective prior to their public proclamations.  What should we think about Egypt?  What should the United States’ President, Secretary of State, and Senators think about Egypt?  What should the basis of that thinking be prior to any public pronouncement?  What should be the reference for our perspective?

     The U.S. President, Secretary of State, some U.S. Senators and the media decried the actions of the Honduran Legislature and

(Egypt Cont.)  Supreme Court when Manuel Zelaya was stripped of presidential power on June 25, 2009.  Over the next several months, they took actions intending to affect the return of Zelaya to power contrary to the authority of constitutional law and lawful acts of the other branches of government. 

     Why would the U.S. President and Secretary of State chastise a lawful government for acting lawfully?  Why would they promote and protect impassioned impropriety?  Why would they think it so important to keep a particular person in power in such a way that the country’s constitution and constitutional powers are undermined?  It is a matter of their perspective.

     In Cairo, a passionate portion of the populace rioted, burned and damaged private and public property, and impeded free access and travel on the public square.  They demanded that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak abdicate his office.  Otherwise, their blocking streets in Tahrir Square will continue.  How can they expect government to act lawfully in protecting their free speech, while demanding the government act unlawfully to change the regime?  It is a matter of their perspective.

     Riding the wave of the protest, U.S. and international journalists, some U.S. Senators, and a prominent and vocal Egyptian protester, ElBaradei, have called for a Egyptian regime change immediately rather than through constitutional means.  Would that not be a real coup d’etat in contrast to the constitutional ouster of Zelaya?  Should Egypt’s Head of State be removed by means without any lawful authority because a passionate portion of the populace refuses to budge from a plot of ground?  Do they believe rioting in the streets, lawlessness, violence and instability are the proper process that ought to procure political position?  It is a matter of their perspective.

     Government is instituted among men to protect life, liberty and property rights as a minister of God for our good.  It is instituted to protect a protester’s liberty of free speech and to protect his life while he exercises that right.  It is also instituted to protect the life, liberty and property rights of the shopkeepers

(Egypt Cont.)  and residents of ‘Liberty’ Square. 

     The people have an obligation to ensure that their servant government executes justice rather than perverts it.  They also have an obligation to ensure their expression of protest does not damage their neighbor’s life, liberty or property.

     What would cause government agents to violate their trust?  What would make people intrude upon their neighbor’s liberty and damage their property?  It is a matter of their perspective.

     Mankind tends to rebelliousness and irrationality.  Governors and the governed allow passions to cloud their concept of justice. Hence the necessity for the government police power, and constitutional boundaries upon that power. 

     Religion, or the duty we owe the Creator, is an obligation of the governed and governors alike.  Without morality and true religion neither the governors nor the governed can fulfill their obligation.  All are obligated to self control, understanding, equity and justice.  Neither Egypt nor America’s constitutional government can keep peace, foster prosperity or protect life liberty and property apart from the morality of its people.  It is a matter of their perspective.

     “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all.”  Proverbs 29:5

     ”When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”  Proverbs 29:2

     “A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.”  Proverbs 28:16

     “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”  Exodus 23:2

     “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘ Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.”  Zechariah 7:9

Holy Bible, NKJV