Christ is Risen. Hallelujah!
Dear Partner in Ministry:
It is the season of the year when we – with all Christians past and present – celebrate Christ’s resurrection victory over sin and death. And because of Christ’s victory, we can be, as St. Paul puts it, “steadfast, immoveable, always excelling in the work of the Lord.” (I Corinthians 15:58)
At all times, and in all circumstances, we can be bold, strong, and effective in fulfilling the mission to which God has called us as followers of His Son. What a promise that is for us to claim.
We are victors, my
friend. Christ is Risen! Happy Easter!
I cannot remember a time since World War II when we American Christians have so needed to hear and trust that ‘resurrection message’. Clearly, many of us are afraid of what’s going on around us. War, threats of terrorist attacks, and economic uncertainty are intimidating scores of believers today.
We here at Compassion Radio, along with other faith-based ministries around the United States, have seen giving from our donors decline from normal income levels in the early months of 2003. Some ministries have had to lay off valued staff members and cut back outreach programs.
We, so far, have not received enough funds to ship a single container of school desks to Afghanistan, as we had planned.
There’s a spirit of fear that’s causing many American believers to hold back financial resources and to resist reaching out to support ministry opportunities – especially to people in the Muslim world.
My friend, the truth of Easter reminds us that this spirit of fear is both unfortunate and unnecessary. The Christians of Paul’s time lived under conditions that were more difficult and threatening than what we are experiencing.
And, yet. by the generosity of their giving and the sacrificial nature of their service, people noticed that they were “turning the world upside down” for Jesus Christ! (Acts 17:6)
Those New Testament Christians “lived out” the power of Easter. And we can do it, too!
I want to challenge you, during this Easter month of April to INVIGORATE two important projects that have been lagging behind the levels of support that are needed to put them “over the top”.
Anniversary Bibles for China
The first of these is our “Anniversary Bibles for China Drive” that we began last month. The goal for this project is to send at least 20,000 Bibles to persecuted Christians in China who have no access to copies of God’s Word.
This Bibles for China Drive has special meaning this year because . . .
As before, for every $4.00 you contribute to this project, one Bible will be placed in the hands of a persecuted Chinese believer who has asked for one. So, . . .
$20 provides 5 Bibles
$40 provides 10 Bibles
$100 provides 25 Bibles
$1000 provides 250 Bibles.
And, through the generosity of an anonymous benefactor, your contribution will be ‘matched’ dollar-for-dollar, thus doubling the number of Bibles that your gift will provide.
Think of this: What better time could there be than Easter-time to give the precious gift of God’s Word to courageous Christians who are suffering for their faith in Communist China?
We really do want to go “over the top” in reaching our goal in fueling the greatest growth movement in the 2000-year history of Christianity with the Word of God. Thanks for helping us make this a successful project!
The second project that desperately needs to be bolstered during April is our shipment of school desks and supplies to the city in Northern Afghanistan where our successful “Advent in Afghanistan” project took place last December.
As you may recall, we took the message of Christmas, along with gifts and cards, to 30,000 school children in 20 schools in a Northern Afghan city. It was a fantastic witness for Jesus in that Muslim country that has suffered war and political repression for so long.
In response to our appeal for assistance to the schools that the Taliban destroyed, we acquired more than 3000 excellent school desks and 100 computers to equip these Afghan schools. But so far, the funds donated to cover shipping costs have not been sufficient to send even one 10-foot container of desks to Afghanistan.
If you could see the damaged schools, you would see that the children have nothing to sit on. We have thousands of desks. All we need is $50,000 to get all 5 shipping-containers to Afghanistan.
This provision will not only greatly improve the educational situation - it will also bear powerful witness to the loving concern of American Christians, and to the Christ we serve!
We must get these desks, computers and supplies to Afghanistan now.
Please help us help these school children in Afghanistan!
If we do not receive the necessary funds during April, we will have to give all the desks away except for one container toward which we have received donations. We cannot warehouse the rest of the desks after the month of April.
We greatly need your partnership now.
I trust that you will be part of a tremendous April outpouring of financial support for God’s work through this Compassion Radio ministry. Remember: No other radio ministry is involved in the same ways to touch the toughest places in the world with the compassion of Jesus.
New Adventures
In the days ahead, I’ll be telling you of some unique and exciting new doors of ministry that God has opened up to us in recent weeks. We’re believing you will partner with us in all these ventures for Christ.
May God give you a rich experience of His Easter Power. And may we together be “steadfast, immoveable, always excelling in the work of the Lord.”
Yours for others,
Due to its popularity throughout the month of March, we are extending our offer of “The Revelation” until Easter for everyone who requests it along with a contribution of $25 or more.
This magnificent performance of the entire book of Revelation, by Karen Heimbuch, backed up by the London Symphony Orchestra, with special effects by Academy Award winner, Frank Serefini, is the perfect gift to give to someone you love for Easter.
Even if you ordered “The Revelation” during March, we urge you to share the album with friends or loved ones to enrich their experience of the season of Christ’s Resurrection. It will bring hope and encouragement during this time of celebration.
