Yahweh is unfolding His plan for Echo quite rapidly. As the Almighty is rallying His forces, so is the enemy. Through many different experiences it has become increasingly more apparent that the love of Jesus must always prevail. Unfortunately that is a very difficult concept for many to grasp. The enemy has clouded our spiritual optics so much that it is hard to even view the truth anymore. Any possible excuse whatsoever not to love one another or have division seems to be the favored choice. I could list many Bible passages where Jesus says we are to be one as He and the Father are one. Be of one accord, and do not cause discord among the brethren, and the list goes on and on. I could easily fill the next few pages with Scriptures supporting this. But somehow we justify our way around these verses so that we do not actually have to go through the tough times together.
I have been guilty of most of these offenses more than most. However, through the past 10 months or so, I have been in a state of spiritual flux. The ability to love unconditionally was never in my arsenal. Only by the presence of Jesus Christ showing me a better way to love, I have been learning how to love. I have rejoiced most recently in opportunities to love others in difficult situations. Ultimately every situation we are in can be boiled down to a very simple component. Did we demonstrate the love of Christ towards one another ? According to the Scripture, this will be very important to Jesus when we are before His judgment seat. The only way that Jesus will empower the body is when we are in unity and of one accord.
I am not worthy to be involved in such a body, however the Lord has seen it fit to allow me to participate with my family in Africa. All-night prayer sessions, intervening in the needs for others constantly, pastor training and Bible distribution, continually looking for the opportunities that the Lord has placed before us. The list is far greater than this. All of this is for the glory of Yeshua. By the hand of the Almighty is the reason that it exists. No one could have perceived or predicted what would come out of a simple trip last December. This only demonstrates the power emanating from the heavenly realm of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All praise, honor and glory to Jesus!
A head-on collision could have taken the lives of four Echo team members. Only through the hand of protection from the Almighty was this averted. The result was bumps and bruises and a couple of stitches. Praise Jesus. The Bible tells us when we walk in righteousness we will be protected. 1 Peter 3:12-14, NKJV For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the lord is against those who do evil. And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord answered our prayers in a miraculous fashion. The pictures that show the damage to the vehicle reveal how amazing the outcome is. There is no reason for us to ever fear the devil. Jesus claimed the victory long ago, and it is up to us to believe it.
Another brief description of the car accident provided at the end of the blog, sent by another EchoAfrica Team Member.
We are continuing to look for warehouse space to facilitate a coffee bean business and brick manufacturing. We believe that these two areas can give us enough recurring revenue to sustain many of the Echo Africa operations. We are very thankful for the opportunities that we have had. Jared in Kenya came across a man that needed our help desperately. He had received some medical attention two years ago and was supposed to have a follow-up visit 22 months ago. I pray that this man will not lose his leg. We have included a picture to show how critical the situation is. The sad reality of the Continent of Africa Is that tens of thousands of such things exist. The other sad reality is that we do not care enough about others to try to eliminate as many of these sufferings as we can.
I include myself as a past culprit of such beliefs, but when Jesus Christ occupies more real estate of your heart, and whole being, then it is no longer an option not to help. Everyone that calls themselves a Christian is commanded to help. Jesus himself says Matthew 25:45-46 NKJV, then he will answer them, saying, assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. I plead with you brothers and sisters, do not walk by a situation where you can lend a helping hand. Do not ever let inconvenience stop you from doing the will of the Master.
Here are more details of the car accident as described by our Team member Martin:
"Two of our ministry field workers took four young guys in the car to the location where we are building a Water Borehole and an Education Center. It’s located 2 hours from Blantyre called Ntcheu. The four young guys are new Christians and part of our development project. They spent the night at the village with locals after a hard days work of digging up tree stumps and helping with the labor work. The next day as they were returning home, a truck failed to stop at a stop sign and pulled up in front of their vehicle, they braked, but the car failed to stop as they were driving on the freeway at about 100km, as per speed limit. The truck was in the wrong and driver knew that, he took off leaving our team smashed up in the car. Thank God no one died. A few of them needed stitches. One needed stitches on his head and another guy on his elbow. One is still limping, he hurt his leg. They were all in shock, but they still worked together, to help each other out. A car passed by and took the seriously injured to a local village hospital. We Praise God for His protection, but the team also realized this was a spiritual attack on them, to put fear in them so they would stop serving the Lord. They also had the realization that our lives can be taken at anytime, so we need to be ready to meet our Creator and we also better be busy in doing His Will. "
