Family Gregg

UPDATE:
Missionaries on the ground. Cousins of a dear family in our home-fellowship.
________________

UPDATE:

John MacArthur's prayer after Katrina:

Well first of all, Father, we do pray for Your grace to be abundant and to abound in that situation. We grieve for those who are without hope in this world. We grieve over those that have perished without Christ. We rejoice over those believers who have gone on to glory. We are heartbroken over the terrible suffering and tragedy of those people who were the poorest of the poor and had the very least and now have even less, and we pray that through this their hearts might be turned to you that they might not be bitter or angry, but that they might consider their own sinfulness, the inevitability of their own death, that they might know that they're living on borrowed time, that they might assess the threat the way it should be assessed, that life is short and death is sure. We pray that through this time many would turn to You, not to show anger and not to question You but to cry out for mercy and grace in repentance and believe the gospel. We pray that You'll strengthen churches and believers to proclaim the gospel in this time, to do it faithfully and clearly. May the church step up and speak honestly about judgment, about Christ's return, about the inevitability of death, about the potential for disaster. May we use this time to warn the unconverted of the coming tragedy of death without salvation. We pray that the church would abandon its weak message, abandon its superficiality and cry out with the truth of the fact that hell is a reality, death is inevitable, salvation through Christ is the only way of escape. So may Your church be faithful in this time and may many come to faith. We pray for those all around the country who are now viewing this and saying, Wow, what a horrible thing, I'm glad I escaped. May they too know that they must repent or they will perish. We pray that You'll strengthen churches as they minister, as they labor, as they show love in the name of Christ, as they help in the restoration and the rebuilding. We just pray that You'll use that as an opportunity for the gospel. We pray that You'll cause the radio stations to find their way back to the airwaves to declare Your truth again and the churches to be rebuilt to send forth the message of Jesus Christ. And may we know as well that this is what all of us in this world deserve is divine judgment and it's only by grace through Christ that we escape it and do so eternally through Your mercy. We commit ourselves, Lord, to You to be used in this time, however You would see fit. In Christ's name. Amen.

------------------

Praying for Haiti.

Lots of conversations about the implications of such widespread devastation this evening. More orphans. Lost birth parents etc.

My kids know about the loss...but their beloveds do not yet know.

As my kids process...I am sure questions will arise about their own situations and the what ifs of life's tragic unknowns.

Upon learning the news, Zion eased off the couch and returned with the globe. Finding the pink and green masses far far away...she wanted to know in a trembling voice if Russia and Kazakhstan have earthquakes.

If you are led...please pray for G & J ...and all that news such as this brings up in their healing hearts.

As pastor said on Sunday..."the circumstances of our lives...there is no better classroom."