Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Ministry Need!

The latter part of James 4:2 says that "we have not because we ask not".....so we are asking!

We are looking for a van and/or enclosed trailer for the ministry.

We haul around a lot of things for outreaches and also for food pick ups and deliveries.

We also often have requests for people without vehicles to ride with us to church.

If you have something that you would be willing to give a miraculously great deal on, we would be so thankful!

Please contact Dean at 919-665-8997 to give him details.

Outreach at Twin Circles Park - COMING SOON!

The weather is turning nicer and we're getting ready for our first outreach of this year.  It will be at Twin Circles Mobile Home Park.  We have been involved with the residents there for about 2 years now....supplying them with clothes, food, prayer, love and of course the Word of God.

This year will be no different, we want to supply their physical needs, and even more their spiritual needs.  We will be grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, Resurrection themed goody bags for the kids, Bibles and a message from the Word for the people. We are very expectant that God will move by His Spirit to transform peoples lives!

Come out and join us!  Come be a light to those who need it!  You never know....the life that gets transformed may be your own.

We are hoping to have this outreach the afternoon of Friday, March 29th at 4:00p.m., on Good Friday.

**A big giant THANK YOU to Lori for providing the money for Bibles for this outreach!

We have recently purchased nice folding chairs and tables for our outreaches and have also had a gas grill donated.**

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

MARDI GRAS 2013

When we arrived in New Orleans you could feel a heaviness in the atmosphere. There was a dark oppression that seemed to be looming over the city. As we approached an intersection near downtown New Orleans, floats for the Mardi Gras parade begin to stream by, causing traffic to back up.

Finally as the last float went by, we continued to drive through the city. We saw many homeless people lying under bridges and sleeping on street corners. This is nothing new, we see homeless people on the streets where we are from, but it still saddens me to see it.

We arrived at our destination and got unpacked. During the day we took in some sightseeing of the city. That night we decided to go down to Bourbon Street where people were already celebrating Mardi Gras.  Bourbon Street is where the pinnacle of the party takes place.  People are drinking and dancing, and even stripping clothes off to reveal their bodies. When we arrived at Bourbon Street the party seekers saw our Jesus shirts and immediately begin throwing beads at us really hard.  I got hit in the top of my head so hard it stunned me.  I started to look up to see where it came from, but was afraid I would get hit in the face.  I guess that was their way of telling us that they didn't want us there, and the devil's way of trying to intimidate us.

We would not be discouraged or intimidated.  The onslaught actually encouraged us even more to fight the good fight. We would end up talking for hours to people about Jesus, and prayed with many that God would change their lives. It was an awesome first day, but the best was yet to come.

The next day we met at the church where would be eating our meals and fellowshipping. We would meet with other believers from all over the country.  Raven Ministries, a local ministry in New Orleans, hosted the event. They not only fed us three meals a day, but also provided sleeping arrangements for around 300 people. Praise God for Raven Ministries!

The bonds we made with other believers, and the experience of sharing our faith at Mardi Gras, will be something we will never forget.


(Below are some pictures of us witnessing for Jesus at Mardi Gras)



  This is our team of 10 that went to Mardi Gras to preach the gospel together


The prayer rally at Jefferson Square in downtown New Orleans where nearly 300 of us were gather together to worship and pray together. Then we would march all together down to Bourbon Street, where we would kneel down and pray right in the middle of Mardi Gras.


A group of guy's who came to Mardi Gras to party, but ended up meeting Jesus and praying for change in their lives!


This guy was really convicted as I expounded on the gospel and how it could transform his life




My beautiful wife preaching the gospel and giving her testimony! What a powerful testimony she has of how Jesus changed her life! AWESOME!!!




Courtney observing the people on the balcony's hurling down beads at us. This was Courtney's first time doing anything like this, and let me just say, "She was used by God in a powerful way!"  She was as bold as a lion out there!!! Way to go Courtney!!!






This guy was very angry with me at first, but later was shaking my hand and smiling.



When I saw this young man, the Holy Spirit gave me a word of knowledge for him. God told me that he had just broken up with his girlfriend and that he was having a hard time getting over it. I asked him about it, and he was so shocked by the whole experience that he took the beads off from around his neck and got rid of his beer..When I asked him if he wanted to get serious with God and live for Him, he said, yes, that he was serious and we prayed together.  I believe God did a wonderful change in his life!  Praise God!



What an awesome and life changing experience we had in New Orleans! God is moving in these last days, and He is looking for those that will fulfill the Great Commission. I hope this blog post has challenged you as much as this trip has challenged us. God Bless!!!


Luke 14:23
Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
 
 
 
RADICAL FOR JESUS,
 
Dean

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

MISSION MARDI GRAS 2013

On Thursday morning at 3:00 a.m. we will be heading to New Orleans to preach the gospel at Mardi Gras.

One account given by David J. Stewert
Mardi Gras is EVIL!
By David J. Stewart

"Mardi Gras is one of the most despicable and sinful celebrations in the world! Although originally began as a religious holiday (holy-day), it's one of the most pagan celebrations existing today. Droves of lesbians, whoremongers, and Sodomites creep into New Orleans every February to participate in this apostate godless event. Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" and of course is celebrated on that day of the week. The date can fall between February 3 and March 9 depending on the Catholic Church. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter Sunday. The official colors for Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. These colors where chosen in 1872 by the King of Carnival, Rex. He chose these colors to stand for the following:

Purple represents justice
Green represents for faith
Gold represents for power

The Mardi Gras season begins about two weeks before Fat Tuesday. During those two weeks, parades can be viewed nightly and on weekends. Almost all businesses are closed for Lundi Gras (Fat Monday) and for Mardi Gras itself. People all over the world come to New Orleans to enjoy this extravagant holiday."

Another account from crossbearer.net says: 

"In the past years of preaching at Mardi Gras, the Christians who have come out to tell these lost souls to turn from their sins and share the gospel of Jesus Christ, have been arrested, lit on fire, bitten, spit upon, had beer thrown in their faces, been urinated upon, mocked, cursed, screamed at and fondled by the sexually perverted who think that Christians are puppets for their use. Women are raped by perverted men. Homosexuals drug unsuspecting male guests and drag them into back alleys where they are raped! Satanists perform their rituals upon the Christians including throwing the blood of their animal sacrifices on them! The Voodoo practitioners blow incense in their faces while chanting curses. Tarot card readers, psychics, and mediums line up their business in front of the Catholic Cathedral in Jackson Square each day! Unless you have been to this sinful party, there is no way anyone can explain the decadence of this revelry in words that can accurately share the depth of sin that has fallen upon this city that has, year after year, allowed such evil to persist! Only the words "Sodom and Gomorrah" can come close to describing this atmosphere of sin! Mardi Gras has infected much of the Gulf Coast cities and is observed from the shores of Texas to Mobile Alabama, which has its own Mardi Gras and is second to New Orleans in size and revelry!"

While hundreds will be gathered to celebrate ungodliness at this festival, hundreds will also be gathered together to preach the gospel. Believers from all over the country will unite to spread the good news of Jesus Christ at Mardi Gras. We are believeing for a great harvest on this trip.

Even though we have a great task set before us, we believe that God's Word can reach anyone.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Please pray for us that God will have His way as we allow Him to make us living sacrifices for His service. Our goal is to love people into Heaven by getting them to see the Hell that their living in. To share the precious and powerful gospel of JESUS  CHRIST which can change a life for all eternity.

John 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

James 5:20
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
To God be all the glory for the things that will be accomplished at Mardi Gras!!!

Living Radically for JESUS!!!

Dean

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Furniture Need for Local Family

A local family of 6 in Creedmoor is in need of living room furniture and dressers.  They recently moved out of the Durham Rescue Mission into a home in Creedmoor.  They have a kitchen table and beds, but they do not have anything to sit on or use in the living room.  They also do not have dressers for their clothes.

There are 4 children in this family....a set of 1 year old twins and two older children.

If you can help - please get in touch with us ASAP!

Thanks,

Melissa

CHRISTmas is Coming!

CHRISTmas is coming - are you getting excited?  We surely are!  It's one way we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Every day is a day to celebrate Him - but this season allows us to share it with others even more!

There is an elderly apartment complex in Butner that we have been out ministering in before.  We love to visit with the elderly....talk with them....love on them....and just bless them with goodies.  I would like to make baskets for each of the residents for Christmas.  A lady that helps with our ministry regularly has agreed to make up the baskets all nice and fancy once I've gotten all of the items together.  I am thinking of putting some goodies, fruits, lotions, soaps, gloves, socks, etc. in the baskets.  I will start shopping for items soon - so if you have some things that could be donated for this project - let me know and we'll meet up!  I believe there are 24 residents in this complex.


When we last checked in with you, we were doing a service project at Heather's house.  The situation was not good when we got there and we found lots of mold and mildew and damage all throughout her trailer....due to old wood and leaky windows and roof.  We are working on finding some assistance for her.  She is staying with her mom right now so that they are not living in this hazardous environment.  I am hoping that we will be able to help her find another place to live altogether - unless the landlord agrees that the problem is partially his and agrees to come in and make wall, floor and roof repairs.

We were able to get her yard cleanup done and we pressure washed the trailer.  A big thanks to Antioch Baptist Church youth and members for joining with us and helping out.

Since then we have been able to join forces with them to help out two of their church members with yard/garage clean up.  We had a great time and hope to be able to join up with them again soon!

We have been doing many food deliveries to needy families in the area.  God has really blessed us with some food access lately and we are sure to praise Him every time we receive the means to meet a need.  Our food pantry is always in need of non-perishable items, so please let me know if you have some things you'd like to donate.  I can set up a time to meet you.

We have also received many baby/kids donations recently - so we will be sorting clothes and toys and finding good homes for all of these items.  Thank you to all that have donated!  We greatly appreciate them all and really appreciate your trust in us.  (If you would like to help me sort and organize one day - please let me know!!  I would love to have you over for a couple of hours.)

I found a ministry that ministers to the homeless in downtown Durham on Wednesdays.  They serve a hot meal and a great message from the Word of God.  It has been a huge blessing to be able to serve with them for the past few weeks and I hope to be able to continue.  This is the perfect mid-week lunch break and is an excellent refresher in the middle of a work week.  I have already started forming bonds with these folks and have enjoyed being able to share the love of Jesus with them.  We have been able to provide shoes, blankets, coats and Bibles so far.  Thank you to those who have donated items for this also.

Dean has continued his crosswalking and is loving every minute he gets to spend on the streets sharing about Jesus.  He has had some wonderfully interesting encounters and conversations and has even spoken at a couple different places about his endeavors.  My husband has an evangelistic heart and would love to go out witnessing and sharing Jesus every day of his life if he could.

He also tagged along with Pastor Terry (Bull City Outreach) to jail ministry last Tuesday.  He really loved that too and will be starting that regularly, Lord willing :)

Prayer night continues at our house each week and we would love to have you join us!  We do rotate days of the week - so if you're interested, let me know and we can keep you informed of the day for that week.

I am starting the Love Sex and Lasting Relationships study again....lol.  The date has been changed several times....but we are officially starting this Saturday at 1pm at Bethel Christian Center on Rose of Sharon Road in Durham.  This study is for girls of all ages.  It is free of charge and will be very informative and lots of fun.  We would love to have you there and you can email or call for more details on that.

I hope I have covered everything and I'm sorry it has taken so long for us to update the blog.

Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Update On Urgent Need

We posted about an urgent need for a lady named Heather.  A big shout out to Kyle and Beverly Mulholland of Antioch Baptist Church for stepping up immediately and offering to help out. 

Dean called to touch base with Heather today to see when he and Kyle could come over to make a list of necessary supplies, and Heather was able to report that her previously unresponsive landlord came over and got the repair done! 

Praise the Lord!

(She was in a rent-to-own situation with this mobile home and her two year maintenance agreement with him had literally just expired.)

We will probably go by sometime this weekend to check out the repair and see what else is needed for this single mom of 4 kids.

We do know that only one burner on her stove is working, and the oven doesn't work at all.  So if you have a working stove that you would be willing to donate or sell for cheap, please contact us immediately.

We will probably be setting up a date soon to go over and help her with yard work, roof sealant, and any other minor repairs and cleaning that she would like to do.

We would love to have any fellow brothers and sisters join us and show the love of Christ to this family.  This also makes a great youth group project!!

Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa