I was just in Nicaragua recently when, Willie Brown, my staff director there, had decided it was time for more action. Without even asking, Willie committed Rivers of the World (ROW) to building a bigger ship for our friends in Monkey Point, Nicaragua. When you hear the term “bigger ship,” you just never know what that could mean! For all I knew he was building a ship like the QE3 (Queen Elizabeth), a luxury cruise ship!

The village of Monkey Point needed a much stronger ocean going boat and now they have it! She is 35 feet long with a seven-foot beam, large enough to carry tons of crops and people to the market! This larger boat is more sea worthy and it won’t cost us that much more money. In the village of Krin Krin, which lies along the Rio Coco River, the church will now have two large mahogany canoes to use for ministry on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras. The Rio Coco River winds through Nicaragua and forms the border with Honduras.

We learn in James 2:17 (Amplified) that faith must be put into action to really constitute a faith in Christ. This verse says:

“So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).”

In order for the world to recognize us as genuine Christians, we must demonstrate an active faith. This means when we see a need in someone’s life, we find a way to meet that need. A passive faith is one in which all we do is simply tell people, “I’ll pray for you.” Move out of your comfort zone today and be the actual hands, feet, voice and heart of Jesus to those in your community.

The people of Monkey Point mustered up the courage to stand up to the local “corrupt bureaucrats” who tried to intimidate them and the villagers responded by throwing the bureaucrats out of their village as well! That was actually almost more difficult than dealing with the soldiers.

The people of Monkey Point have been reinforced in their faith in Jesus Christ, which has given them amazing courage, strength and backbone to withstand persecution and opposition from their “enemies.” If you are feeling a bit weak in your faith these days, let me remind you who you belong to and encourage you to stand up for Christ.

We have a wonderful promise given to us in Proverbs 12:7:

“Wicked men are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm.”

It may seem at times that those who are wicked are prospering, but let me assure you that God is a righteous judge and those who stand firm in the righteousness of Christ will ultimately prevail.

As the waves were pounding our boat, I looked around at the folks in the boat with me and noticed that some were literally curled up in a ball on the bottom of the boat. Others were bent over trying to shield their faces from the rainstorm. A few of us were sitting straight up facing the storm and taking in each wave as it came. That is almost a little analogy on life, isn’t it?

How about you, dear Christian? What do you normally choose to do during the rough seas of your life? Do you have a tendency to curl up and pray the storm will pass? Do you pretend the storm doesn’t even exist, hoping it will mysteriously disappear? Or, are you a Christian with such an impenetrable faith that you plant your feet firmly on the ground, straighten your back, take a deep breath and forge ahead knowing that the Lord is on your side?

I know life can be devastating at times but let me encourage you to hold fast and weather those storms in your life. Take a moment today to read James 1:2-3 (Amplified), which instructs us on the attitude we should have in the midst of affliction:

“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.”

Do your best to resist the temptation to pray and ask God to remove the trial in your life. Instead, come before the Lord and ask Him what it is you are to learn during this difficult season. One of the most admirable traits we can learn to develop during adversity is a total dependency upon Christ.

These children may still have parents but their parents are lost in drugs or alcohol leaving the children as orphans with no one to care for them, except Dona Coco. I discovered that it cost Dona $1 a day to feed one of her 10 children. That is a mere $10 a day to feed these little boys. Forgive me, but I just need to be blunt. These kids deserve a chance in life so if you can help Rivers of the World (ROW) to meet their needs I know the Lord will surely bless you for it. Check out our web site, www.row.org, go to the “countries” tab and click on Nicaragua to view some photos of these precious boys.

We learn in Deuteronomy 10:18 that widows and orphans have a special place in God’s heart:

“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.”

Before we accepted Christ as our Savior, we were lost, spiritually starving and dying in our sins. If you have tasted God’s sweet grace and have been nourished by His word, then wouldn’t it make sense that you should provide physical nourishment to those in need in order for them to be open to receiving the bread of life, which is Christ? Even if you don’t give to these boys in Bluefields, I strongly encourage you to give in some way to alleviate the suffering of orphaned children in your city or in a city around the world.

Everyone’s prayers were answered, just not exactly as I had hoped. The commander never showed up. My goal was simple. I was going to give the commander a Bible, ask him for a copy of the Koran and show him a picture of my family. My plan was to also invite him to America and then tell him that I was willing to go with him to Iran if it would help us to better understand one another.

Since the commander didn’t show up for the meeting my next step is to write a letter expressing my goals, deliver the letter to his embassy in Managua, Nicaragua and hope that I will see him then. Please continue to keep this matter in your prayers.

Are you aware that as Christians we can pray with all confidence knowing that God hears and answers our prayers? The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 5:14-15:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

We do not have to hope and wonder if we will spend eternity with Christ. If we have accepted Christ as our Savior then we have assurance that we will never be apart from the Lord. Likewise, as God’s children, holy and dearly loved, we can pray with confidence that God will not only hear our prayers, but He will answer them if we are praying in accordance with His will.

While in Monkey Point, we celebrated in both the English and Spanish churches. We were able to not only celebrate the Lord, but also the fact that Dave Tezza in Virginia helped make the English speaking church possible and that the Rev. Chris Price of Atlanta was able to acquire the Bibles for the Spanish church. Chris, who is serving as the interim pastor at The Church of the Hills in Duluth, Ga., accompanied me on this trip to Nicaragua. We also celebrated knowing that Rivers of the World (ROW) was able to provide the musical instruments for both congregations. As if all of that wasn’t reason enough to praise God, we were thankful that Sandra and Allison, the new teacher and the new nurse, respectively, have received their support and will soon be assisting the children of Monkey Point.

You know what I have learned these many years of helping people from all over the world? I have discovered that it isn’t difficult to change the world for Christ. You merely just have to decide to do it.

Jesus taught His disciples and followers many lessons and certainly one of the most important was how to get to heaven. In Matthew 7:13-14 we read:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

The path to destruction is considered broad because there are so many ways for people to be tempted and ultimately sin. The road to eternal life is narrow and the gate small because there is only one way and that is through the blood of Jesus Christ.

As Jesus spoke to His disciples about returning to His heavenly home where He would prepare a place for them, the disciples became troubled and confused. Thomas declared that they didn’t know exactly where Jesus was going so how could they know the way. Our Lord provides us the answer to this question in John 14:6:

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

Despite what the world and what some religions teach, there is only one way to heaven. Jesus is the true Messiah and all those who have accepted Him as Savior experience genuine life, here and eternal life in heaven.

I am currently in Nicaragua helping build a church in Monkey Point and preparing for a very important meeting. I have sent an invitation in formal Farsi to the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Managua requesting we meet on April 23rd at 10 a.m., Central Time, to discuss our mutual interest, which are the lives of some people living here in Nicaragua.

My intention is to meet with the commander publicly, present him with a copy of the Bible translated in his native language of Farsi, ask him to give me a copy of the Koran and from that point, I have no idea what will happen. Please pray that this meeting occur, that the commander see the love of Christ within me and that the Lord provide me the exact words that are necessary for this commander to hear.

Paul endured many hardships and physical persecution for preaching the Gospel. On more than one occasion Paul’s testifying about Christ landed him in jail. Throughout the New Testament we read several accounts where Paul not only encourages fellow Christians, but he also asks them to keep him in their prayers. We read in Colossians 4:2-4 (Amplified):

“Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving. And at the same time pray for us also, that God may open a door to us for the Word (the Gospel), to proclaim the mystery concerning Christ (the Messiah) on account of which I am in prison; That I may proclaim it fully and make it clear [speak boldly and unfold that mystery], as is my duty.”

I doubt that I will go to jail for speaking to this commander about the Gospel, but I still desperately need your prayers for courage and boldness and that no matter what that God’s Word goes forth.

We will have a great time celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, knowing that the tomb is still empty. Jesus arose on that third day out of love for mankind so that all of us would have an opportunity to receive salvation. But, when we accept salvation we shouldn’t stop there. Jesus calls each and every one of us to actively follow Him. He lives so that we might live and serve others.

Today, bask in the joy of the empty tomb but then ask the Lord where it is that He wants you to go, what it is He wants you to do and how you are to best serve Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your life today and vow to diligently follow Him no matter where He directs you.

Long ago Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee when he saw Peter and his brother, Andrew. We read in Matthew 4:19 that as the two fishermen cast their nets into the sea, they were told:

“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”

Did the two brothers continue to fish, telling Jesus they would follow Him when they were finished? Did they check their calendars to see what they had planned? No. Scripture tells us that they both dropped their nets and immediately followed Christ. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior are you able to honestly state that you are following Him? Is your life different today spiritually compared to this time last year? Christ did not die a horrible death on the cross just to save our souls and make a way for us to be with Him in heaven. We must die to ourselves each day, follow after Jesus and do everything we can to serve others, by every means possible.

I told Dave how much it would cost to build a church in Nicaragua and he provided Rivers of the World (ROW) enough money to get the project completed. Right now the funds are in Nicaragua with Willie Brown, who will soon be busy helping to construct a new church in Monkey Point, Nicaragua. That pastor who confronted me will be rejoicing all because he was assertive for the Lord.

Personally, I don’t think I come across as being pushy and I certainly don’t intend to, but sometimes it is necessary in order to accomplish the will of God. I am glad that ROW is going to be able to meet the need of a new church in Monkey Point and I am so very grateful that people not only listen to Christian radio but they respond to the needs of this world.

It is not the responsibility of our government or even our church to meet the needs of people. It is the obligation of each follower of Christ to reach out to those who are suffering. There will come a day when we stand before Christ and He will either commend us or reject us for the deeds we have committed during our lifetime. We read in Matthew 25:35-40:

“‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 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.’”

Remember today that when you help people in need you are demonstrating your love for Jesus and likewise when you shun people in need it speaks volumes about your love for the Lord.

The church in Monkey Point, Nicaragua asked Rivers of the World (ROW) for Bibles, organs, guitars and an accordion. We couldn’t say no so we sent the money to Willie to purchase these items for the church. When the money arrived, Willie stopped by the village to make sure everything was in order. You know what? The folks in Monkey Point changed their minds. Instead of Bibles, organs, guitars and an accordion, the village decided they needed machetes and shovels even more.

In this instance, and always, ROW tries to meet the needs of a village, even though it may not be what we deem as necessary. Willie turned right back around and used the money ROW sent to purchase shovels and machetes. Now the people of Monkey Point are growing food, which they will eventually sell and be able to use some of the profits to give back to the Lord.

Whether we are a farmer, computer technician, homemaker or the owner of a large corporation, we must follow the instructions found in Proverbs 3:9-10 (NKJV):

“Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.”

We must reach a place in our Christian walk where we realize that all we have belongs to the Lord. He doesn’t need our money or possessions, but He does desire His children to be obedient and faithful to His commands. When we support missionaries in our church, give an offering or present our tithes we are in essence demonstrating to God that He is more important to us than money or possessions.

What took place next was fascinating. The man I was dealing with comes from a very remote jungle village where the only church the people have is over 100 years old. The people simply can’t maintain it anymore. This man knew that Rivers of the World (ROW) loved to build churches throughout the world so he came to me demanding that I build a church in his village.

I’ll come right out and tell you that at first I was sort of offended by this guy’s attitude. Then I quickly decided that quite possibly the Lord sent him with this message, “We must have a church in this village and we must have your help.” I thought about what he said and you know it makes all the sense in the world. The village must have a church and ROW must help build it.

This means that we need your help. It is going to cost just $3,000 to construct a church in this village in Nicaragua. ROW will not only need the funding, but we will also need volunteers to help build the church. Stop by www.row.org to see how you can help with this project.

May I remind you the next time you are placed in a situation with a seemingly bossy person, stop and count to ten before you speak and then remember what James 1:19-20 says:

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

The only anger that is acceptable in God’s eyes is one in which we boldly speak out against sin. It is not appropriate for us to get angry because our pride has been hurt, because someone doesn’t respect our opinion or because someone fails to even listen to us.

Allow me to share with you one of those extraordinary times that I encountered recently. When I go for a walk I do it right by taking big strides, my mind is off somewhere else and I just step into the “zone.” During the last couple months I was in the “zone” while walking in Nicaragua. I stepped out into the street and for some bizarre reason I came to a complete halt. Both of my feet were side by side, I was standing at attention and I was not really aware of what was taking place around me. Then I realized that a police car had missed hitting me by about three or four inches.

Even though I was completely unaware of my situation, God wasn’t. It became very apparent to me that God had raised His hand and stopped me on the side of the street. All I could do after that dramatic intervention by God was continue on my way giving thanks and praise to Him who love us and daily protects us.

I challenge every believer in Christ to search for ways today that God is active in your life. If you think about it, drop me a line and tell me about your encounters with the Lord.

Throughout Scripture we read of the many ways God protects His people from their enemies, from environmental disasters and from spiritual ruin. In Proverbs 1:33 we have the assurance that God draws near to those who abide in Him. The verse states:

“But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

A good habit to develop as Christians is to pray each morning for the Lord to provide a hedge of protection and traveling mercies for the day that lies ahead.