From MI

Hey guys,

I'll continue as Ben reminded us with a post on how God has been working in my life. I had the privilege of seeing some of you at GYC this year which was a real blessing. A lot has happened, I can't believe it was just over two years since '08.

I've been going to school back here in Michigan for most of the time, now on my last semester in business. After the summer of '09 when I came back from doing a little work with Scott in Florida, me and three others started a campus ministry at Oakland University where I go. We started a little slow, but had a few students coming out to our studies, one of which is now part of our group.

DBF - has gone through some changes since ARISE moved to California. Many members either moved or have not come to church in a while. But a core remnant is still there. A couple newcomers from other churches also joined. Eddie Petreaca pastors both our church and Troy. We no longer meet at Freedom Assembly but another church we were blessed with in Sterling Heights. An evangelistic meeting will be held in the fall, which we haven't had since ARISE believe it or not.

A major blessing this last year was seeing my friend Dan I grew up with (some of you met him) get baptized. Thats after about two years of studying and praying for him. Its amazing to see a friend like that now ministering to others and getting involved in the church.

Even more than looking back, I'm excited about whats ahead. I'll be done with school soon and plan on being more involved with ministry. Pray for God's guidance in my life. Also right now I'm taking on 6 classes to finish while helping lead our campus ministry. But the promise of seeking God first and the rest being taken care of I already see being realized.

Love all of you and hope to see you soon wherever that will be,


Dmitri

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." - Jude 24,25

Fear, stress and learning the slow way

As my plane landed at Heathrow airport, and I looked out of the window at the foggy grey dawn, a feeling of dread filled my stomach. After two years of living and teaching in South East Asia, I was back in my home country, and I wasn't particularly excited. I was arriving in a place I'd never lived in before, I didn't know anyone, I didn't have a home to move into, I didn't have a job and only a little money, I was already experiencing waves of reverse culture shock and I had no idea what the immediate future would hold.

I thought back over the past two years, my mind grasping at the ways God had provided for me. It had been two years of richness, beauty, pain and growth, and although God had proved Himself again and again, from "big" things such as providing what I thought were impossible amounts of money so I could serve in the mission field, to "small" things such as simply getting me through hectic work days, somehow I didn't feel sure if He would do it again.

Whenever I'd read the story of the Israelites in the wilderness in the past, I'd always been amazed that they could have doubted and complained so quickly after witnessing so many miracles. Yet here I was doing the same thing! I wasn't so different after all. In fact, I grew quite depressed and stressed out. There was a point where I felt like my prayer life was nothing more than a list of complaints and worry, and I felt terrible for that. I began to pray less, wondering if God was getting tired of listening to me, although I knew with my head that He wasn't! My fears continued to fester inside.

Then one morning I opened my email to find a friend had shared with me something she'd read for devotions. As I read through the quotes, I felt as though God was speaking to me, not in the reproachful tone I'd half been expecting, but so lovingly that I began to tear up.

"'Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' Many who hear this invitation, while sighing for rest, yet press on the rugged path, hugging their burdens close to their heart. Jesus loves them, and longs to bear their burdens and themselves also in His strong arms. He would remove the fears and uncertainties that would rob them of peace and rest; but they must first come to Him, and tell Him the secret woes of their heart...

"He proposes to be our friend, to walk with us on all the rough pathways of life...Jesus, the Majesty of Heaven, proposes to elevate to companionship with Himself those who come to Him with their burdens, their weaknesses and their cares...

"Do just what He has told you to do, and be assured God will do all He has said He would do...Have you come to Him renouncing all your makeshifts, all your unbelief, all your self-righteousness? Come just as you are, weak, helpless and ready to die. What is the rest promised? It is the consciousness that God is true, that He never disappoints the one who comes to Him. His pardon is full and free, and His acceptance means rest to the soul, rest in His love."

(Our Father's Care p 98)

Crying into my pillow, I chose to put down the burdens I'd been hugging to my heart. God had not disappointed me in the past, and again I chose to trust that He would not disappoint me now, no matter what I was feeling. It felt incredible to be reassured in such a timely way of His love for me.

And God has been providing! I've found an apartment, and I've found a church family where I can be involved. I'm making some good friends locally to help me through the culture shock, who I can bless and be blessed by in turn. The job and saving money for college next year is still an issue (pray for me!), but I'm trusting God to look after my needs in that area too. It's a lesson I'm seriously slow in learning, but He is an incredibly patient Teacher!

What about you guys? Where are you now and what has God been teaching you? How can I pray for you?     

1 year since our graduation - ARISE 2008

Hello ARISE family,

how are you all doing? Can you believe it’s a year since we graduated? Amazing, time goes by so fast, and still our LORD hasn’t come yet! Let’s stay focused on the mission we have, for he has PROMISED to come back soon and we want to meet him in the clouds, right?

You know, the last months have been up and down in my spiritual life, somehow I couldn’t figure out how to fit everything in one day, bible studies, university, studying for exams, calling people, cleaning the house… I was tired when I got up and tired the whole day, couldn’t really concentrate on my devotions, repeated the same phrases while praying and started doubting if this whole “religion thing” was just an imagination and nothing real. Most of my university colleagues don’t believe in God, in creation, the Bible,… Especially the last week was really hard. We were on a snow camp in another state, skiing the whole day, presentations at night, studying for the exam tomorrow afterwards. Whenever we had the time to be in our room, our neighbor’s listened to music really loud and I didn’t have a silent minute that whole week. We came back yesterday (Sabbath) and I missed going to church, spending time with other believers. At night I was just sad and this morning I remembered our graduation, the whole ARISE session, all of you – my brothers and sisters, and I started crying cause I was so unsure what to do and what to believe. I started playing the piano and singing hymnals, opened the book at page 322 “Nothing between”

My eyes flipped over the text and I started crying again. The last months I’ve been trying so hard to live a “good life”, but failed. I realized again that although I didn’t mean to, I again made myself the boss of my life. I knelt down and started praying and asked Jesus to enter my heart and make me more like him. I asked him to be the one sitting on my throne, asked him to fill my heart with his spirit and to cast out everything that’s hindering.

Lying on the floor crying I heard a small voice telling me to open the Bible at Isaiah 43. I started reading the first verse and had to cry even more. What wonderful love is this, that he who created us, calls us by our names – we are HIS. With every verse I read I could see the fathers love for us and also, that I can trust his word. Chapter 44 is amazing, I tell you, God has humor, it answered my question if he really can be the only one and true God, or if I’m stubborn and thinking in a wrong direction… God says, how can people take the same wood and use it for warming themselves, making fire to bake bread and yet cut a god out of it and worship him!? How can we worship something we created? Jesus Christ is the true God because HE created us and this is why we worship him. And he did not only create us, he loves us and redeemed us. I tell you, I was astonished anew, God is great!

God lifted my burdens and gave me joy and peace in my heart this morning. He wants to live in ALL of us, never forget: There is power in the blood (hymnal294)

Remember David’s sermon: Keep getting up? This is what I was thinking of this morning.

Falling is a part of walking, and struggling a sign of life! Jesus promised in Psalm 145:14 that he is with us when we fall and that he is the one giving us strength to keep getting up! (read Steps to Christ, p.64!)

Brothers and sisters, I wanted to share my little experience with you cause I’m sure that some of you might feel the same. Let me tell you: He is faithful!

I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN, EITHER HERE ON EARTH OR UP IN HEAVEN! Please keep fighting the good fight, keep studying, keep praying, keep sharing and keep taking the time to be still and listen!

I love you all,

my prayers are with you

Lissi

Who is doing the work, you or Him?

"When men loose sight of Christ's example, and do not pattern after His manner of teaching, they become self-sufficient, and go forth to meet Satan with his own manner of weapons. The enemy knows well how to turn his weapons upon those who use them. Jesus spoke only words of pure truth and righteousness.

If ever a people needed to walk in humility before God, it is His church, His chosen ones in this generation. We all need to bewail the dulness of our intellectual faculties, the lack of appreciation of our privileges and opportunities. We have nothing whereof to boast. We grieve the Lord Jesus Christ by our harshness, by our unchristlike thrusts. We need to become complete in Him."

Gospel Workers 328

Please let it be Him.

Encouragement

If we would only do as the Lord desires us to, our hearts would become as sacred harps, every chord of which would sound forth praise and gratitude to the Redeemer sent by God to take away the sin of the world. With joy we would be able to say, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into the grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us." {RH, October 1, 1908 par. 4}
When temptations assail you, as they surely will, when care and perplexity surround you, when, distressed and discouraged, you are almost ready to yield to despair, look, O look, to where with the eye of faith you last saw the light; and the darkness that encompasseth you will be dispelled by the bright shining of his glory. When sin struggles for the mastery in your soul, and burdens the conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind, go to the Saviour. His grace is sufficient to subdue sin. He will pardon us, making us joyful in God. {RH, October 1, 1908 par. 5}
Looking at self, we see only weakness, and we forget God's purpose for us. We forget that he placed on us so high a value that he gave Christ to die for us. O, after all that has been done for us, how can we disappoint Christ by failing to live the life that he has made it possible for us to live? Let us no longer talk of our inefficiency and lack of power. Forgetting the things that are behind, let us press forward in the heavenward way. Let us neglect no opportunity that, if improved, will make us more useful in God's service. Then like threads of gold, holiness will run through our lives, and the angels, beholding our consecration, will repeat the promise, "I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." All heaven rejoices when weak, faulty human beings give themselves to Jesus, to live his life.

We may claim sanctification...

The Scriptures teach us to seek for the sanctification to God of body, soul, and spirit. In this work we are to be laborers together with God. Much may be done to restore the moral image of God in man, to improve the physical, mental, and moral capabilities. Great changes can be made in the physical system by obeying the laws of God and bringing into the body nothing that defiles. And while we cannot claim perfection of the flesh, we may have Christian perfection of the soul. Through the sacrifice made in our behalf, sins may be perfectly forgiven. Our dependence is not in what man can do; it is in what God can do for man through Christ. When we surrender ourselves wholly to God, and fully believe, the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. The conscience can be freed from condemnation. Through faith in His blood, all may be made perfect in Christ Jesus. Thank God that we are not dealing with impossibilities.

We may claim sanctification! We may enjoy the favor of God!

We are not to be anxious about what Christ and God think of us, but about what God thinks of Christ, our Substitute. Ye are accepted in the Beloved. The Lord shows, to the repenting, believing one, that Christ accepts the surrender of the soul, to be molded and fashioned after His own likeness.

2SM 32.3 (emphasis added)

don't forget

hey guys, i hope you are all doing well. listen, it's been almost a year since we started ARISE, and i don't want you to forget the experience we had. about a month ago, i was in troy shopping at the mall with my family, and after we finished i visited the Somerset Apartments neighborhood and the Troy church. even though there was nobody there, i thought of all the memories of morning chapels, falling asleep in class (haha) and returning from outreach to share testimonies of how the Lord had tried our patience and taught us to let Him lead. there were times on outreach that irrefutably could only have been orchestrated by the Divine hand. each one of us had many of those experiences.

the reason i am writing this is because many of us will be starting school soon, or working, or doing some kind of full time ministry, and i don't want a single person to forget that God was definitely leading us. as a matter of fact, He'd still like to, but are you giving Him the time to tell you how to live? perhaps you're too busy, maybe even too busy doing ministry that you don't have enough time for your personal time with Christ in the morning, and you're getting worn out. so please, take a step back and review your life with God, and ask Him to FULLY come into your life without you getting in the way. fully SURRENDER, and be vulnerable to the Spirit of God so HE can show you the way you ought to live, and what you should do. "The safest place in the world is in the center of God's will." remember, "We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history."

Revelation 2:10- "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."

Revelation 22:12- “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."

P.S. By the way, I saw Kayleen Burt and Josh Maloon a few days ago while I was visiting some friends in Berrien Springs. Kayleen's baby is doing well, and Josh is going to Palawan, Philippines as a missionary with AFM for at least a year. keep them in your prayers.

Kyrgyz Republic

A very good friend of mine is going to Kyrgyzstan soon and I was wondering if any of my fellow ARISE-ers know any body near there that my friend could meet with. I would love an email or a call if you know someone. Thanks.

highly recommended website

A news website that covers the news that matters, "through a prophetic eye":
http://midnightcrymedia.com/

Escaping Death...

This was just passing through my mind, and I wanted to offer it as encouragement to all who will read it:

2 Peter 1:2-4
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Here's my paltry attempt at even beginning to understand what that really means:

1. We receive grace and peace on the principle of multiplication through a growing knowledge of God and Jesus.

2. This is the result of His power gives us everything that has anything to do with life and godliness (once again through our knowledge of Him--which give me the idea we really need to get to know Him better).

3. He has set us apart to exemplify glory and virtue.

4. Through Him, who set us apart, we receive EXCEEDING (I love that word) great and precious promises.

5. By these promises, we may receive the Divine nature (HAVE MERCY!).

6. By these promises, we may escape from this world, its corruption (which is ever-increasing through unsanctified desires), and the end result of it (death).

Praise God for the promises of The One who loved us to death, that we may escape death and receive again the sinless nature we lost in Eden!

What God Prizes

Sometimes it feels like the work we're trying to do for God is hardly making a drop in the vast ocean of need...I felt this way this week...and then a friend sent me a reminder that I thought I'd pass on.

"It is not the great results we attain, but the motives from which we act, that weigh with God. He prizes goodness and faithfulness more than the greatness of the work accomplished." 2T 510-511

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Gal 6:9

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor 15:58

bible worker opportunity

There's a position that's just opened at a church near to me (Portland, ME). Year long. Summer to summer. Please call or email me if the Lord is speaking to you about this. 

The Love of God

The revolting sound of my alarm clock called my name this morning at 6. -Forget it,- I muttered under my breath, -this is a black day.- I turned over, planning to skip devotions, cancel worship, and walk into work wearing a scowl and all black. Thirty minutes passed--6:30--the time when I usually awaken my housemates for worship. From my sleep a knock at the door called for my attention. No way. I knew I had to get up. I went to my door and no one was there. I knocked on my housemates' doors figuring one of them had done it, but they hadn't. -Might as well have worship,- I surmised.

The devotional verse was from Romans 8. The point was, no matter what comes into our lives, it cannot separate us from the love of God. Trials can come. Heartaches may befall us. Nothing can separate us. Read the chapter. I was in tears as I finished reading it in its entirety after worship. Nothing can separate us. As you read the end of the chapter, substitute in all the problems that you think you have and realize that nothing can separate you from His love that was manifested in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Preaching in Spanish

hey everyone, how are you? i'm preaching in spanish for the first time in my life tomorrow, so if you could pray for me it would be swell. 11am EST.

say, if you don't have a prayer journal, you should keep one! this week evan bambrick (the oldest of the three boys whose family came to the evangelistic meetings and some of the last ARISE classes) showed me that i really needed to get back into mine. (by the way, for those who remember him, he gave his heart to God in this last month!! He's oN FiRe!!) I basically write what i read and learn in my devotions, what's happening, what/who i'm praying for, and how God is leading in my life. it's really great to keep yourself accountable to God, and it's really important for later on to see how God is truly active in your life. i hope you're all doing well! God be with you! don't forget His promises!

-David Fernandez

Psalm 32:8- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

Prayer request

I also have a prayer request - Satan really seems to be attacking the members of our team at the moment - there have been muggings, road accidents and other issues both physical and spiritual to deal with, and we really need God's protection and strength.

Miracle in the middle of the street

I looked up from preparing supper out my open door, wondering why on earth there were so many people congregating the middle of the main road.
"Hey, I think something's wrong!" I called to one of my housemates. I could already see two other members of our team jogging over to join the group, so I sprinted out into the warm evening air - and my stomach almost flipped at what I saw. A man lay sprawled awkwardly in the middle of the street next to a motorbike, a puddle of blood around his head, his mouth slightly open and his eyes shut. "I think he's dead," my team mate Dan (names changed) said as I came up to him. "I think so too," I replied. "It looks like his neck is broken." From what we could pick up from the other people, they agreed with us.
Another team mate, Brianna, bent over the man to check his pulse. "I think...I think maybe he's still alive...I can hardly feel a pulse though..." she called. The accident victim didn't stir as she touched him, and individually we three started to pray: "Lord, return this man's spirit to him! Lord, please don't let this man die."
Brianna reached out and touched the man again - and he twitched, and opened one eye. Then he began to close it again. "God, please no!" And this time, the man twitched again, lifted his head and tried to sit up! A collective gasp went around the circle of onlookers.
"Someone tell him to stay down," Brianna instructed. "Lynette, go get my first aid kit." She treated his wounds, sticky with blood, while I tried to sort through what had happened! Silently I praised God for returning life to the man... He had answered our prayers with an amazing miracle! Truly, there is power in prayer!

How God leads - just wonderful! :)

Hey siblings,
how are you doing? I'm praying for you and hope we will all see again soon - hopefully united in heaven, at Jesus side!!


I had an awesome day yesterday. There is this lady, Gudrun, we had one bible study together like 2 months ago or so, called me yesterday and asked me to come over because she wanted to introduce me to someone.. so I went there, and there was this girl, Sarah from Kenia, and she is Gudrun's sister's Au Pair (nanny) :) A really nice young lady, 24 years old.. so we started talking (english - yesss) and pretty soon I told her about ARISE and I told her about the Bible and what we studied. And then she asked me: Do you know for sure that you are saved? wow, it was so amazing, she is reading her Bible every day and memorizing verses, praying (and the family she is in is atheist!!) and yeah, she really misses going to church, cause she hasn't found one yet. so I told her about our church and invited her and - by god's grace - she'll come in 2 weeks. cause this weekend i'm not here..
I'm still so excited, we want to study now and meet every week (english bible studies *praisegod*) and pray together, sing and just get to know each other a little more..

Isn't it wonderful how god leads? I love working for him.

And at night I went to a faaaaraway town, cause one of my friends asked me to present the books there (the 10!!) and both of his friends took them, so I earned quite a lot yesterday - praise God, I really needed it..

God is working in our lives, ARISErs. He is in control - always and every day. TRUST him!!
Please keep Sarah in your prayers,
love you all
God bless

Prayer Request

Tomorrow starts my first evangelistic series. Please keep me in your prayers. I'm tempted to be anxious. Thanks ahead of times.

-Ben J. Man

Lessons in Manure

"God, why don't you just kill me?!" he shouted through his tears, "This isn't fair. Just kill me!"

The 16-year-old boy leaned in pain over the broken wheel barrel full of manure. He was tired by a chain of consequences for his own actions. He was the one who played instead of working. He was the one who put the prong of the pitchfork into the wheel barrel tire. And he was the one who now had to finish moving all the manure with the broken wheel barrel before he could eat supper. He had tried time and time again to pull it, but all his efforts were to no avail. More often than not, the wheel barrel would tip over and he'd have to begin his task again. Dragging the wheel barrel along was literally back-breaking work. His frustration led him to verbally express a desire to cease to be in the land of the living.

I called his name. I walked to where he was and looked into his tear-filled eyes. "Can you do this alone?" I asked.
"No! I can't!" He cried out.
"Then why don't you admit that you can't do it and ask for help?"
"Because I don't think anyone would help me."
"You'd be surprised if you asked."
He paused for a moment and then asked, "Would you help me?"

Without a word I took hold of the wheel barrel full of manure and dragged it to the far end of the garden. By the time I'd gotten there my back was asking me, "Why are you doing this? This isn't your problem." True. It wasn't my problem. But then again it was.

Seeing that I was doing all the work myself, and perhaps feeling a little guilty that he was doing nothing he said, "Maybe we can carry it." We returned again to the manure pile and filled it again. I took hold of the handles and he took hold of the wheel as we started towards the garden again. Within 25 paces he dropped his end and cried out, "I can't do this! It hurts too much."

Without a word I walked to the other side of the wheel barrel and picked up his side so he could have the lighter end of the load. Again, this time more swiftly, my back questioned, "Why are you doing this? This really isn't your problem!" Then my mind began to more clearly see what I was being Jesus and this boy was being me. Now I knew I couldn't quit, no matter the cost.

Time and time again we made the tedious trip to and from the garden. Each time my bodily agony grew stronger as my muscles grew weaker and my prayers for divine help grew more fervent. And then at last the final trip was made. I looked at my hands that had so eagerly awaited supper. They were covered in manure. My once clean jacket had fared even worse. My body ached, and I feebly attempted to straighten myself from the deformed posture to which I had accustomed myself.

The boy walked away to eat his supper, apparently unmoved by my act of benevolence. He never said thank you. I was tempted to feel outraged, but then I thought of the Son of God who came down from a kingdom of indescribable glory to help resolve a problem He didn't create. He endured all the abhorred, filthy elements of this world to save me. And after He'd carried my burden, and after He'd been covered in a different manure, I walked away unmoved by His act of benevolence. And I'm the one who didn't say thank you. The story repeats itself time and time again as I continue in sin, crucifying Christ afresh--putting Him to an open shame.

Walking away from the garden, I learned the lesson. I can only hope the boy did too.

prayers

Hey guys,

how are you all doing? It's just so good to have something to stay connected with you all and to read what's going on in your lives. I pray for you, my ARISE family, and I really hope we meet again soon... Let's pray that the Lord may come soon, and let's hasten his coming by working more and more and staying focused..
Please (really selfish) pray also for me, I'm not quite sure if I should stay here as a literature evangelist or go abroad again, I'm still praying to really see God's will, cause only when we are centered in his will we will be truly satisfied.
Love you all,
God bless
your Austrian sister in Christ =)