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I just learned about an incredible interactive web series produced by Missions in Action, a ministry with the simple purpose of making a difference around the world.  They currently have a team traveling around the globe for the purpose of

1. Identifying a problem somewhere around the world that people are facing.
2. Highlighting the actions that individuals and/or companies are taking to help those in need.
3. Providing a way for viewers to help out through a specific call to action.

As a long time child sponsor and a blogger for Compassion International I am excited about the impact this series will have.

They currently are in the Philippians visiting children and families who live in extreme poverty in the flooded villages of Northern Manila, and showcasing the power of child sponsorship.

Watch this powerful first episode and then ask God what role He might have you play.





I have so enjoyed the relationships I have had over the years with various children.  Currently my family and I have the privilege of sponsoring  Fernando Isaac Tetlalmatzi Reyes in Mexico and so enjoy the developing relationship we have with him.  What a joy it is for my family knowing that we are blessing a young boy living in the midst of great need.

If you have not already done so, I encourage you to consider becoming a child sponsor.  You will bless a child in untold ways and you yourself will experience blessing like never before.

On February 26-27, I, my students, and thousands of others worldwide will be participating in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine.



This will be the 15th year I have led a group through this amazing event.  It's purpose is simple.  To get a taste of what hunger feels like, and raise funds for, and awareness of, the hungry and needy in our world.  It's in Matthew 25:31-36 that we read Jesus' words instructing us to meet the needs of the lonely, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned, and that in doing so, we minister to Him.  It is our desire to do that very thing.

Would you please consider joining us?  Would you please pray that God multiplies our efforts to show His love and heart to the needy in our world?  Would you also pray that our hearts would be broken and drawn in closer to His?

Would you also please consider giving to this strategic effort?  You may click here to be taken to my secure online giving site.  This year your giving will even be multiplied by 10 due to a generous government matching grant!

Here's a brief look at a past famine.

We all know Jesus performed great miracles during His time here on earth. He healed the sick, made the bind to see, and raised the dead. Because of His love for humanity, particularly the suffering and marginalized, He brought healing and restoration to the lives of many. He did these things for one reason. It was so people would experience Him for who He is, and as a result enter into relationship with Him.

It's easy to fall victim to the line of thinking that says, I can't possibly have the same impact that Jesus did. May we not forget, it was Jesus who said in John 13:12, I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. Jesus has left this earth, and in doing so has given us the opportunity and responsibility, to now be His presence here. We are even told we will do even greater things!


Here are a few activities our church will be engaging in this week. Might you join us?

• Sponsor a Compassion Child or give to World Vision through their gift catalog.
• Donate time or goods to a local charity.
• Pray for people in your home, community, and around the world.
• Put a gift for God under your tree. Put into practice what you have learned through the Advent Conspiracy.

I love that Christmas is a time for giving.  Giving is a wonderful expression of love and gratitude toward those that are most important to us.

Two years ago our family began a new Christmas tradition.  While we still give gifts to one another, we place more emphasis on giving gifts to Jesus.  It is after all...His birthday.

In Matthew 25:31-46 we read of Jesus honoring those that gave to the "least of these." Those that suffer and have been pushed to the margins of society.  He goes so far as to say that when we give to the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the imprisoned, the strangers, and the sick, we are actually giving to Him.  What better way to give to Jesus than to give to those that have real need!  I love that World Vision has provided a fun way for people to do that very thing.

The World Vision Gift Catalog is filled with incredible giving ideas.  Opportunities to give to the poorest of the poor in the name of a loved one that you would normally give a gift to.  It's an opportunity to let someone a world away know that they have not been forgotten.  An opportunity to be a blessing to those Jesus referred to as "the least."

As you consider the gifts you will give this Christmas, consider how you might also give to the One in which we celebrate.  It will change your whole outlook on how you celebrate Christmas!

In recent years my family and I have viewed Christmas very differently. We have made the decision to make Christmas more about presence and less about presents.  This switch has resulted in a deeper appreciation for the presence of Christ in our lives, and a deeper understanding of how we can be the presence of Christ in the lives of others.

This year our church will again be participating in the Advent Conspiracy.  I look forward, as a community, to celebrating the birth of Christ and at the same time making a big difference in the lives of those that have great need.

With Christmas less than two months away, now is the time to begin considering how you will approach and celebrate this important time of year.  Begin a new tradition.  Make plans now to join the conspiracy.

Ok, so it's a little cheesy, but watch this video and then ask yourself ... what if it really happened?

Our family has been tremendously blessed by the relationship we share with Lizbeth an 8 year old girl from Mexico. We have had the privilege of being a part of her life for a number of years. In her most recent letter to us she writes, "May God's peace be always with you! I want to tell you that I am doing well in school. I will pass to 4th grade of Primary School soon. I give thanks to God because I have earned good grades. Everyday I pray for your family and you. At Bible School I have learned that God is great and that He is everywhere. God loves us very much no matter is we are of different nationality or if we have different color of skin."

Sponsorship is definitely a relationship of mutual blessing!

What is it you treasure? What are the things in life that are most important to you? We live in a culture that desires to dictate to us the things in which we should treasure. Money, cars, friends, homes, status, success, all things we fall victim to.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

Recently I have been captivated by the words of Paul in Philippians 4:10-13.

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

I love that Paul knew what it meant to be content. In whatever circumstances he found himself in, he was content. If he was without food, he was content. If he was in poverty, he was content. If he was experiencing wealth, he was content. He understood the secret to true contentment. Christ. It was through Christ that he was able to go through any situation and experience contentment. Christ was his treasure.

John Piper says it well in this 1031sermonjams produced video.

I have been actively involved in the ministry of Compassion International for many years and have seen countless children set free from the bonds of poverty as a result. In my years of sharing the ministry of Compassion I have met many a skeptic. Unfortunately there are enough "relief agencies" out there that are less than honorable with the money that has been generously entrusted to them. As a result skepticism often arises in people's minds when introduced to the ministry of Compassion International.

Aside from being very open with their financial information they do a great job of giving people a first hand look at their ministry in action. One of the many ways they effectively accomplish this are blogger tours. To date they have taken bloggers to Uganda and the Dominican Republic. On April 26 a team of five bloggers leave for Kolkata, India to experience first hand the abject poverty, and the difference Compassion is making in the lives of those living in it.

Following along with these bloggers to see what they see, and feel what they feel.

If you have not already, prayerfully consider sponsoring a child today. The relationship you will enjoy and the difference you will make will be greater than you can imagine. Click here to begin your ministry to a very special needy child.

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40.

This is the first year in many that I have not participated in the 30 Hour Famine. It is a movement that I so believe in, and am thrilled to see the students I leave behind continue to embrace. If you know a student participating this year, give. Your participation through your giving will have a profound effect on many.

If there is one thing I have learned through World Vision's 30 Hour Famine, it's that we as God's Church, particularly in America, need to realize that God desires, and expects, us to responds to the needs of the world. For it is in fact the purest form of worship. When asked what worship is, the average American church goer will answer, singing. Singing is only but one very small element of worship. Bigger than singing, is responding to the cry of the needy, the suffering, and the broken in our world (James 1:27, Matthew 25:31-49, Romans 12:1).

I so appreciate what Hillsong United will be releasing this year. Were All in This Together, a feature-length documentary, will illustrate the inseparable union of worship and justice - aimed at inspiring people to see injustice, think creatively and act in response.

Watch this teaser and let it move you closer into the heart of God.



May we never forget ... we are in this together.

For more see i-heart.org.

You ready for more free music? Shaun Groves is offering it up! Shaun Groves is offering a free download of his song "Kingdom Coming" with the hope that it will inspire and challenge people to sponsor a child through Compassion International.


Til the sword is spared
And the bread is shared
‘Til the dying’s done
Let your kingdom come
‘Til the rich ones give
And the poor ones live
‘Til the weak are strong
Let your kingdom come

Shaun Groves, "Kingdom Coming"

This morning as Robin and Benny were having devotions together, she asked him what he would like to pray about. He said, "Bugs and spiders and beetles." When asked what specifically he wanted to pray about them, he replied, "To pray that they would fly way, way, way up high into the trees and stay there."

She then asked him what else he wanted to pray about and he said, "There are people who don't have any lights to turn off, or blinds on their windows, or a house to live in, or chocolate chips to eat, they really need chocolate chips to eat."

He gets it! If only the rest of us would.

Our family just received a wonderful letter from Lizbeth, the little girl we sponsor through Compassion International. Lizbeth lives just outside the Mexican city of Toluca, where the average family income is only $142 per month. We have enjoyed so much the relationship we have with her. Even, Benny our 3 year old, prays for her each time he prays.

This particular letter blessed me more than most. She writes...

Mr. Brian Eberly,

Hello godfather, I feel very happy to send greetings for you and your family. I had my summer vacation for a month and a half. I helped mom at home doing some chores and putting up all my stuff. I am attending third grade now and I am excited to learn many new things. I also attended Summer Bible School at the project and learned many scriptures by heart. I feel very happy to have a family like you, it does not matter that you are far away, what matters is that we love each other and that we have Christ in our hearts. I will always pray for you and your family. So long and may God bless you richly.

Please pray for all my family. Thank you for your nice letter, and for your support given to me.

Lizbeth

Per usual, I think we come away feeling as blessed as she does. How incredible!

Want to make a big difference in the life of a very special, needy child? Click on one of the Compassion boxes in the sidebar of this blog to learn how.

This week, November 2-7, Compassion International is with six bloggers in the Dominican Republic. The purpose...to give first hand exposure to the ministry of Compassion there, to tell the stories that unfold, and inspire the nearly 1 million readers to sponsor a child.




As an official Compassion Blogger myself, let me encourage you to follow their week long journey at compassionbloggers.com/dominican. Let their stories touch your life, and if you don't already, allow God to move in your heart to sponsor one of the children they meet.

On October 15th, 12,800 bloggers worldwide, came together for Blog Action Day to address the single topic of poverty. There were 14,053 posts written. Mine is found here.

What a great cause. Because of all those posts, there were 13,498,280 readers who read how they can personally respond to the issue of poverty.

Here is a video recap of the event.



It is my hope that the discussion will continue, and more importantly, action will follow, the kind of action Jesus calls us to.

If the number of "Advent" Google searches leading to my blog right now are any indicator, I would say that it is safe to say, people are beginning to think Christmas. Christmas is nearly two and a half months away, but it's not too soon to consider how you will celebrate it. How is the operative word.

Last year our family did Christmas very differently. It was wonderful. Instead of spending a bunch of money on one another, we spent it on Jesus. In following the teaching of Jesus found in Matthew 25, we gave birthday gifts to Him, not us. Made sense. After all, it is His birthday!

Some of my reflections on our Christmas last year can be found here and here.

I love the spirit of the Advent Conspiracy.



What would happen if this year ... you spent less and yet gave more? What if this year you celebrated the birth of Christ with gifts for Christ.

The video speaks for itself.



Join the over 6,000 bloggers who will together address this important issue on October 15.

"It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases."

-Bono

I have been involved with Compassion International for over 20 years. I have had the privilege of sponsoring a number of children and have seen God bless both their lives as well as mine.

Just today as I finished writing a letter to Jaciel Dominguez Hernandez the little boy we sponsor in Mexico, I came across the video that we were shown at the Student Life Camp I was just at. It speaks for itself.



This is why I so appreciate Compassion.




Click on the banner below and sponsor a child today. Please.

Over the last year God has really been growing my interest in and compassion for the poor. He has shown me that it is the poor that are closest to His heart, and should be ours as well.

In Mexico we had many thought provoking and challenging conversations about the poor. I am sure I will be posting some of my thoughts in the days ahead.

Below is a great video of Michael Frost offering his thoughts on Jesus, the poor, and the church. Very compelling.


HT to Rodney Olsen for the video.

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have too much...it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt