Tsunami Response Guide for Christians

Developed by Jeff Fuson for Rising Leader Alliance.com and Crestwood Baptist Church Student Ministries on January 5, 2005

Tsunami Response Guide

January 5, 2005

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
They will run and not grow weary,
They will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31The Bible


5 Things YOU can do NOW…
1. Pray through this prayer guide – take your time. Work through this solo or gather some friends for a special time of prayer.
2. Prepare to give a special gift of $$ above what you normally give. Make your donation to an established, proven relief agency like World Vision. Check out this blog to help choose one that matches your beliefs and passions.

Ideas on how to get the $$ to give.
a. You can fast from a meal and donate the $$ you would have spent
b. Donate the $$ you would normally spend on your next CD / DVD.
c. Throw a ‘Tsunami Relief Movie Nite’ at your house. It’s simple, fun, and could raise some serious cash…have your friends over to your house and watch a DVD that you already own, pop your own popcorn and take all the $$ that you all would have spent going out to the movies and grabbing dinner and give those $$. With just 5 or 6 friends that could easily be $50!
d. Take on some extra hours at work or baby-sit an extra nite, or clean a house – do something extra and give those $$.

3. Get involved in upcoming Mission Experiences on a local level so you’ll be prepared to ‘GO’ when you are needed in the future.
Join your church in local projects to help those hit by personal ‘tsunamis’ like divorce, cancer, death, missing children, etc.
Make your next vacation a vacation with a purpose. Check out http://www.missioncation.com to learn more

4. Go ahead and get a passport so that as International Missions & Crises come up you’ll be ready to go. In the United States you can get the paperwork for your passport at most U.S. Post Offices.

5. Go ahead and get your basic lineup of immunizations from the health clinic or your doctor so you’ll be prepared to travel into remote areas of the world in the future.

Scriptures for us to commit to memory and ‘brew on’ as we face challenging times:
Psalm 39:5
Proverbs 10:5
Proverbs 27:1
Isaiah 55:8-9
Matthew 6:34
Romans 8:28
Romans 11:33-36
1 Corinthians 13:12
2 Corinthians 4:1
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Hebrews 3:15
James 4:13-16

Prayer Guide

Take your time and pray through these different areas. If one area hits you harder than another then just take as much time on that area as you’d like.

Pray for the small children left with no parents wondering where they will find a place to rest or food to eat.

Pray for parents whose arms ache because they can no longer hold a missing or dead child.

Pray that The Christian ministers and missionaries who are working in that region will be able to ‘leverage’ this opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus to many people who have misplaced their trust in other gods like Allah and Buddha.

Pray for our military personnel who are flying rescue missions and delivering supplies.

Pray that fresh water will be delivered without interference to the people who need it desperately.

Pray that we don’t take our lives and all the good things that God gives to us for granted.

Pray that Relief workers will be able to rest so they can remain healthy and effective for what will be a very long recovery.

Pray that Relief Organizations are good managers of the donations that are given so that every dollar given will do the most good possible.

Pray that in the midst of the horrible smells of decaying bodies that fresh winds of the spirit of God will bring peace to the broken hearted.

Pray for Medical doctors and nurses who are working long hard hours to have stamina to meet the overwhelming needs of so many people.

Pray that the diseases that can come from decaying bodies are held in check so that the disaster doesn’t intensify in the coming weeks.

Pray that the Christian Church all over the world will be effective in leveraging this moment in history to share the good news of a God who cared enough to send His own Son to suffer so that we could have eternal life where there is no more death or disease.


Quotes from the book, “God’s Grace from Ground Zero” by Jim Cymbala
Pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City

“Seemingly negative or frustrating experiences often yield beneficial results we never could have imagined.”

“We do not always understand what is going on, but we can still rest in the assurance that we know who sits on the throne and reigns supreme.”

“The apostle Paul wrote, ‘Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known’ (I Corinthians 13:12) There will be a moment in the future – the ‘then’ to which Paul refers – when we will comprehend all the apparent mysteries of life on earth. Until then, however, we must walk by faith. We must keep trusting God, whose ways are often inscrutable (hard to understand) yet always governed by his love.”

“Let’s not forget that God’s ways of dealing with people on earth are far too complex to fit into our simplistic religious formulas. Contrary to what some Christians teach, a tragedy like this cannot be declared unequivocally as judgment on this nation or chastisement for an individual because of some sin or misbehavior. Yes, the Bible records many examples of sinful sowing followed by a sure and horrible reaping, but not everything in life can be so easily categorized. As was the case with Job in the Old Testament, many tragedies have no discernible, spiritual cause, and we do well to remember this truth. … We will have to content ourselves with the knowledge that our sovereign God is at work and recognize the future hope emphasized in the lyrics of the old gospel song: “We will understand it better by and by.”

I hope this guide helps you deal with the quesstions that we all face and that it draws you closer to our God who loves us and offers us a life beyond this one where there is no more death, disease or disasters. To learn more about Him, click HERE.

Peace,

Jeff Fuson

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