The News from Haiti this past year is far optimistic from a human standpoint.  The political, economic and overall morale is at an all time low.  BUT GOD!  We know as the Body of Christ that historically the CHURCH THRIVES in the face of persecution.

Today on Thanksgiving Day in America…I give thanks for our Pastors in Haiti who are enduring difficult times for their own families, yet press on and bring hope and love to the people in their communities.   TODAY WE PRAY….Lord Jesus, break this oppression.  Let it be no more.  Bring PEACE to this country in their time of unrest.  “Are you weary?’…YES….then let us come to the Father.  Father we need you.   Love on our Pastors, our friends, our communities and on this Nation.

HAITI is ‘hard’ does not mean ‘run’, it means ‘LOVE MORE’ Though facing difficult circumstances in this country we want to remain oddly hopeful. Crisis offers danger but also opportunity.  Our lack of ‘being present’ in this season cannot allow us to ‘move on’, we must stay the course.  Love more…Pray more…Encourage through social media more!

Courageous leadership sees beyond the danger to leverage the hidden opportunity for change. Haiti is hurting.
 We can choose to be negative or find a way to help. 
Together we must look for meaningful opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others. The past year has left our partners frustrated, weary, discouraged and so often perplexed.

TODAY WE OFFER PRAYER!  Though miles away we are near.

For an entire year we have again been reminded that in the country of Haiti, a voice that is to be heard by any ‘authority’ will only be heard through violent demonstrations. It is not right, but it is their way.   The physical needs are real and so great, but their need for LOVE is greater.

We must help those who ‘cannot’ help themselves and then we must love our neighbors. Love is an action. Love is selfless. Love is unconditional.   Love holds no record of past accounts. Love is HARD. Haiti is HARD.  We must pray for Haitian Church leaders to stay the right course and  rather than lower the standard and cave in to radical extremism when the going gets rough, we pray for a demonstration of love.   As a parent, when a child rebels, we don’t lower the standard. We persistently hold on to truth, and pray for wisdom and strength.  A child throws temper tantrums in order to get what they want. When the child gains composure we sit them down and ‘discipline’ / ‘train them’ on what just happened. This is not the way life works.   What you want is not bad. How you are expressing yourself and how you are trying to get what you want is ‘not’ the way to go toward achieving your want or even need.  How can we find appropriate solutions and experience a sense of normality once again?  We pray for love and the spirit of wisdom.

Accomplishment is worth something. Let’s work together to find solutions for the better good of each other and the communities and people we have come to love. Let’s love more deeply.   Jesus laid down his life and only offered words of humility to His heavenly Father about the ones who were persecuting Him the most.   “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And then He inspired men, to write down words of wisdom to help us do this better.

THE DESCRIPTION OF LOVE (1 Corinthians 13) Love is Patient   v.4 A person who is wronged and has the power to retaliate, but doesn’t. Joseph is a good  example. Matt. 1:18-19 Love is Kind   v.4 A person who lives to benefit others by being useful to them Love does not Envy   v.4 Jealousy desires to have the same thing another has, Envy tries to deprive another of what they already have, The concept describes a person who will not try to deprive you of something due to jealousy Love does not Boast   v.4 A big “windbag” – Describes someone who does not verbalize their own accomplishments in order to make themselves look superior or make you look inferior. Love is not Proud   v.4 Boasting is the verbal action of Pride. Pride is an inner attitude – It descibes a person who does not think that they are better than you and who would rather focus attention on you than themselves. Love is not Rude   v5 To act in an unbecoming manner. Lack of manners and self-discpline  It describes a person who has excellent manners toward you. They treat you with respect. Love is not Self-Seeking   v.5 Describes a person who is not interested in their own things, but rather those things that interest you. Phil 2:3-4 Love is not Easily Angered   v.5 A sudden outburst- It describes a person who does not get angry easily and who is not always ready to fight or argue at the drop of a hat. Love Keeps No Record Of Wrongs   v. 5 To keep a mathematical calculation of being wronged. It is the same word used of God’s forgiveness- It describes a person who does not keep a mental record of what you have done wrong in order to use against you in the future. Love does not Delight In Evil   v.6 Unrighteousness or Sin – It describes a person who does not want sin in their life or relationship to defeat us. Love Rejoices With The Truth   v.6 It describes a person who wants to see the truth of God’s word lived out Love Protects   v.7 Describes a person who doesn’t drag your faults in front of others. Love Trusts   v.7 Describes a person who believes in you and is not always suspicious of you. Love Hopes   v.7 Describes a person who does not bail out at the first mistake or misfortune. Love Perseveres   v.7 Describes a person who is willing to endure great opposition and still love you. Love Never Fails   v.8 Describes a person for whose love never falls to ruin or destruction. LOVE is hard. At best we are capable of humanly loving on 2 out of 3 levels of biblical love. 1. Eros – We can physically and intimately love another human 2. Phileo – We can physically love a brother…. ‘I love you man’ But the third kind ONLY comes from God.   We can only achieve it IN relationship and in perfect union with God.   Only those who have GOD are capable of this kind of love. 3. Agape. – God’s unconditional love. That He loves us in spite of us.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:35