Freedom…at what price?
Today is Independence Day in the United States. Most will take the day off, have cook-outs, watch baseball games, spend time with family and friends. All good. But there might be more to reflect on, even briefly on this day.
…never to be called a veteran.
I was moved to tears recently as I watched a television special honoring those who have died serving the USA in times of war. It was very emotional, as actors read the first-person accounts of those who had suffered loss due to war. Some were soldiers who watched friends around them die at the hands of the enemy. Others were family members telling of a son who, though understanding the potential of death, served their nation, and never returned…never to be called a veteran.
The Viet Nam era was the time I served in the US Air Force, though far from the battlefield. I have walked the length of the Viet Nam War Memorial Wall that lists the names of those who died in that war…finding the names of friends from church, college, and my Air Force training days. I can’t talk while I am there. Tears flow. These men and women paid a high price. And I am a beneficiary of their sacrifice.
In past years, I have been in other countries as they marked their special days. I’ve seen the old soldiers in their uniforms stand at attention as the parade passed by, mustering a salute to their nation’s flag as it fluttered in the breeze. Moving. Freedom always has a price. Usually, it is the highest price…the ultimate sacrifice. The phrase we often use in remembering those who have secured our freedom with their lives is that they "…gave their last full measure of devotion".
It is easy to take the step into the spiritual realm, isn’t it? An ongoing war with Satan and his evil designs. Christ, the ultimate sacrifice, securing our eternal freedom at great cost. But His death on the cross was not the "…last full measure of devotion". Jesus’ resurrection means He forever lives to secure our freedom, not just in one battle or one war, but for all time and eternity.
[blockquote author="Ephesians 1:7" link="" target="_blank"]He [God] is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.[/blockquote]
We don't shrink back!
The global reports in recent weeks have been disheartening. Sixteen churches burned in a Southeast Asian country. Direct ISIS threats in a Middle Eastern country. And in another challenging area, government agencies informing Christian stations they need to turn in their licenses and apply for fewer and lower power frequencies than they now have.
Threatened…
Intimidated…
Diminished...
[blockquote author="Hebrews 10:39 (HCSB)" link="" target="_blank"]But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.[/blockquote]
Where 16 churches were burned, seven new Christian radio stations have been started.
Where direct ISIS threats were received, the radio ministry launched another Christian station, and is looking at another one in an area where there is no evangelical witness.
And as government agencies intimidate, bold broadcast ministries are seeking new frequencies to grow the impact of the Gospel…all the while thinking how to maintain ministry if the government carries through with their plan to diminish their opportunities.
I am so thankful and so impressed with the Christian broadcasters whom MEDIAlliance International serves. They face all sorts of obstacles. Satan throws many fiery darts at them to limit their powerful proclamation of the Gospel. While these broadcasters are not perfect, they are bold in their service to the Lord, and they do not draw back from what God has called them to do.
It has been our privilege to connect with, plan with, and encourage these faithful ministries as they use today’s powerful media tools to share God’s Truth and His love. Are they being effective? I can guarantee you that Satan would not be pushing back so hard if they were not making an eternal difference by planting the seed of God’s Truth in the fertile soil of men and women, boys and girls who are looking for hope. MEDIAlliance International will continue to do what God has called us to do…so these faithful servants can stay on the battlefield for the Lord.
What can you do?
First and foremost…pray. Pray for these we mention, and for many others around the world who are literally behind enemy lines bringing light to the darkness. Most of the international Christian broadcasters I see aren’t simply sitting in a studio putting good teaching programs on the air. Of course, that would be a blessing in itself.
These driven disciples of Jesus are out in the communities they serve, helping the widows, the children, the young girls who are targets of human trafficking, providing needed clothing, food, and books to poor Muslim families in forgotten villages, then lining up evangelical churches to continue the aid…all in the name of Jesus.
In other countries, journalists are seeking ways to engage a country in conflict with Truth, and others are fighting against the condemning culture of racism that stirs unrest and diminishes the lives of those for whom Jesus died.
As I write this, I am praying for these dear servants of Christ. As you read this, would you join me in lifting up those who are not “shrinking back,” but who are walking courageously in faith?
International Media Leadership Summit
This fall MEDIAlliance is launching a major initiative for key international media leaders. The International Media Leadership Summit (IMLS) will be hosted by Dallas Baptist University, October 10-12. This invitation only event will see some 35 Christian media leaders come to Dallas for three days of seminars in media, leadership, and spiritual growth. In addition, the group will take part in a number of cultural activities, from Mexican food fiestas to museums to worship experiences.
Thanks to Dallas Baptist University, the international guests will enjoy beautiful facilities, transportation, meals, and worship experiences. DBU is assisting MEDIAlliance with logistical and support help, which is greatly appreciated.
The guests at the IMLS will attend at no cost to them, thanks to MEDIAlliance International and its many supporters, including some key contributors who have made substantial financial gifts for the Summit. Each attendee will receive a scholarship to offset some of the travel expenses as well.
Outstanding speakers, such as Tony Evans, O.S. Hawkins, Phil and Kathleen Cook, Jim Denison, J. Keet Lewis, Bob Lepine, and DBU President Dr. Adam Wright are on the agenda for the conference. Attendees will also worship at First Baptist Church Dallas, and will sit in on the broadcast of First Dallas’ Sunday worship, too.
If you would like to sponsor one of the invited international guests to attend, the cost per individual is $3,000. If you would like to provide scholarship funds for transportation, that amount is $1,000 per person. Other gifts of any amount are welcome. And if the funds received exceed the expenses, those funds will be used for MEDIAlliance International’s ongoing ministry to these and other Christian broadcasters as they take the Gospel to the dark corners of the world.
Excitement is building for the International Media Leadership Summit. Pray for those who need a visa to enter the US. Pray for the finances needed for the IMLS event. Pray for the many logistics that MEDIAlliance will be provide. And pray for an eternal impact as these dynamic media leaders come together for this special event.
India
September 21-23 is the date for the next Kingdom Media Conference to be held this year in Bangalore, India. The Indian Christian Media Association hosts this event in major cities in India each year, and MEDIAlliance has been honored to provide a number of the media instructors for the training seminars. As in the past, we are expecting some 350 attendees for the training workshops in television, social media/internet, church media, and ministry management.
Pray for the ICMA as they work through the many details for the event, and as they promote it to those in media, Christian ministries, and the church. Pray for the team of US and Indian instructors who will participate in the teaching. Pray for the finances needed to hold such an event. Most of all, pray for India and the need for the Gospel. There are many forces working against Christian churches and ministries as they share God’s Truth in a largely Hindu land.
Albania-Radio Emanuel
Korçë is a quaint town in south central Albania in a region with a growing Muslim influence. For the past 14 years there has been a strong voice for Christ through Radio Emanuel, a Christian radio ministry directed by Tani and Efti Baraku. On my visits to Korçë, I have been impressed by the great ministry work that Radio Emanuel is doing. Their small studios are often filled with young people and children who are producing programming aimed at their own generation. And the ministry, due to its proximity to Macedonia and Greece, produces programs to reach into these cultures.
These days are challenging for Christian broadcasters in this country that was officially atheistic for decades before the fall of Communism. Yet, in spite of the current challenges, Radio Emanuel is taking steps to expand its ministry and its outreach.
One key step is to have adequate facilities to produce many local original programs. The dream of new studios and offices is now becoming a reality. Radio Emanuel is poised to transform the structure seen on the left into a wonderful broadcast and ministry center, right in the heart of Korçë’s city center.
Pray for the ministry as they gather the needed funds, refurbish the building, and outfit it with appropriate broadcast equipment for their ministry needs. And pray that they will overcome all challenges that would try to diminish the voice of the Gospel through Radio Emanuel.
Finally...
Thank you for your prayers and your support. It is a blessing to serve Christian broadcasters and media professionals who are spreading God's Truth. Your gifts to MEDIAlliance International allow us to come alongside these ministries...at no cost to them...and bring the encouragement and help that strengthens them and their work.
Pray for the International Media Leadership Summit as we continue to finalize plans and programs that will bless and encourage. One broadcaster, who is impacting his culture in spite of Satan's opposition, said his greatest need was for refreshment. Pray that the IMLS can be that place of refreshment and insight for all these international friends and servants who labor courageously for the Lord Jesus.
Struggling with God’s Will
A recent devotion I read from Chuck Swindoll, taken from his book, The Mystery of God’s Will, got me thinking. I’m in a bit of a dilemma over knowing and following God’s will.
In the devotion, Dr. Swindoll says that God’s will for us
“…almost without exception requires risk, adjustment, and change. We don’t like that. Even using those words makes us squirm. Experiencing the reality of them is even worse.”
Swindoll goes on to talk about our love of the familiar, the comfortable, something we can control. And I think that is usually true.
…And here is where the dilemma comes in. God’s Word also tells me that the Lord will give me the desires of my heart. Here it is, scripture and verse.
"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires". Psalm 37:4
How do I get from “the desires of my heart” to being willing to risk, make adjustments, change?
I think it comes with spiritual growth..maturity…trust in God. Our desires become what He wants for us. His desires become our desires. We trust in His unfailing love, as the song says.
Jesus went through that dilemma in the Garden of Gethsemane. Facing what he knew to be a horrendous agony and death on the Roman cross, He asked His Heavenly Father if there was any other way.
“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Matthew 26:39
Chuck Swindoll concludes this way:
…the closer we walk with the Lord, the less control we have over our lives, and the more we must abandon to Him. To give Him our wills and to align our wills to His will requires the abandonment of what we prefer, what we want or what we would choose.
God’s will and God’s way in your life and mine brings the ultimate satisfaction and joy. If we give up anything…comfort or control…it is for the better life our Lord has laid out for us as part of His plan.
Huh? What?
Husbands are often accused of “selective hearing,” grasping only what we want to hear and ignoring the rest. There is probably some truth in that, but not just for husbands. All of us have selective hearing. Want an example? There are probably some noises going on around you right now that you ignore. Traffic on the street. The sound of an air conditioner or fan. Crickets. We just tune these out.
In our role as leaders, we need to be sure we are listening to those we serve…really listening. Mentor and executive coach Fred Smith loved communication and had some thoughts on listening.
Every leader spends a good part of the day communicating with others. A lot of books have been written on techniques of good communication, but the real problem is the spirit, not the method. Attitude is often the barrier. Almost any two people who want to can talk together. The emphasis on open lines of communication hides a deeper problem. Often people who are unable to communicate find that they are hindered by their desire to impress, not express.
Fred Smith added…
Most leaders are adequate talkers, but inadequate listeners. The ability to listen creatively and positively depends on the leader’s ability to listen on four levels:
1. the meaning of the words
2. the choice of words
3. the sounds of the words
4. the sight of the words.
Most people listen negatively, which is simply keeping silent or reloading while the other is shooting. Positive listening guides the talker both in the giving of facts and a display of emotion that permit the listener to evaluate on more than a surface level.
There are some great insights here. Two things stand out
from Fred Smith’s comments.
Almost any two people who want to can talk together.
Often people who are unable to communicate find that they are hindered by their desire to impress, not express.
Jesus often spoke in parables, and then would tell those around him, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (Matthew 11:15 NLT)
Listening…really listening…takes effort and is active. And leaders who listen…really listen…strengthen their organizations and the relationships among the staff. And, by the way, it works in the home, too.
Toss 'um Out!
I should have thrown them out. Dead. Lifeless. No great value. Good for a season…but no good now.
Those thoughts went through my mind over the winter as I looked at some flower pots filled with dead plants. We had left them out over the winter months. And, though those months had been mild, the plants died and dried up. I should have tossed them…thrown them out. I didn’t.
I remember one instance as I served as manager of the local Christian radio station. The program director came to me, closed the door to my office, and said, “We have to let Joe (not his name) go…fire him.” The PD had hired Joe about six months before.
“Why do we need to let him go?”
“Because he isn’t sounding good,” the PD said. “He isn’t living up to his potential. He just needs to go.”
My next question was said in a rather straight-forward way. “What have you done to help him improve?” The PD paused…thought…looked down…and responded, “Not much.”
With a little encouragement, the PD began to work with the station employee, to set standards, to make suggestions, to coach him…yet hold Joe accountable. And little by little there was growth. The radio man became more and more valuable, playing a solid role in the programming for the station.
What made the difference? Yes, setting standards and offering help were part of the reason for improvement. However, I think the main reason this employee blossomed is the encouragement that said, “We think you are valuable, and you are worth us working with to help you improve.” Years later, after the program director had moved on, Joe was still a valuable member of the team.
Yes…I should have thrown that plant out. It wasn’t worth much. It didn’t look like it had potential. But I kept it. I broke off the old dead branches. I gave it a chance to grow. And something beautiful emerged from that flower pot. I’m glad I didn’t toss it out. It really adds something special to our backyard landscape, don’t you think?
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19
It's a Balancing Act
Balancing, juggling… these sound more like terms fit for a circus than for our ministry work. Yet juggling all the priorities of ministry, business, family, and personal faith journey is a full-time job. And achieving balance…it is a never ending challenge.
When I was younger…much younger…I used to try to balance on one of those boards on a large pipe-like roller. And juggle. I took a lot of spills in the effort. And when I did accomplish this feat, I could never relax. It took constant effort to maintain balance.
The same is true in our lives, particularly as leaders in ministry. It is a constant effort if we are to maintain a healthy balance between work…even if it is ministry…and the rest of our lives.
Ben Case, of Case Consulting Services, has a daily blog on fundraising. He often gleans from guest writers, as he did recently. Robyn Mendez has some good reminders on things we can do to maintain our perspective in the daily struggle for balance.
1. Schedule a no-meeting day - time spent in meetings can kill productivity during the workday. Block out a day each week when no meetings take place.
2. Learn to say "No" ... or "Not Right Now" - the world is full of great ideas. As a leader, the additional work or projects that you approve often falls on the shoulders of those who report to you.
3. Define a consistent time that you will leave the office - by establishing a consistent time to head home, you are giving yourself time in the evening to live your life. You also are telling your staff that it's OK for them to head home in the evenings.
4. Take your vacation time - this seems so straightforward but in 2014, 40% of Americans forfeited vacation time. You've earned this, so take it.
5. Guard your time at home - don't allow work to creep in. Create at least a two-hour work-free zone where you have to focus on family time together.
Most of these suggestions we have heard before. The challenge comes in implementing them in our weekly routine.
And about the actual juggling and balancing I did so many years ago…that’s another reason I’m glad we didn’t have You Tube back then!
Lead…follow…or get out of the way!
Maybe you have heard that saying before. While it might seem harsh, it does relate to the urgency of these days. As servants of the Lord Jesus, we need to be willing to give strong leadership, or we need to be good followers of those who lead. Or…we need to get out of the way, so as to not impede the impact of the Gospel in the lives of the lost.
In reality, we are all leaders and followers. As Christians we follow the teachings of our Lord, and the examples of other Christian mentors. Yet all of us have those who look to us to be the example…to teach the Truth of God’s Word, whether we do so formally or by our living example. We have family, children, friends, co-workers, that God has placed in our path that we might lead them in His ways.
You may say, “But you don’t understand my past. I can’t be one of God’s leaders.” You are right in one sense. I don’t know all that may be in your past. But you are wrong if you think that disqualifies you from the leadership role the Lord has for you.
You don’t have to look too deeply into the Bible to find some of God’s leaders who had some pretty bad history. There is Moses….who killed an Egyptian, hid him in the sand, and had to flee from his place in the palace to the far side of the wilderness. Yet God had a plan for him to lead the children of Israel.
There is David…a man after God’s own heart. The situation with Bathsheba, the orchestrated murder of her husband…you would think that would take David off the playing field and out of the role of a leader. But God showed mercy, and used David greatly.
Maybe you would look to the Apostle Paul. Saul…a terrorist. He was instrumental in the persecution and even the death of many of God’s faithful believers. In fact, he was on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christ-followers when God stepped in and changed his life. One of God’s faithful leaders to his death.
There is an urgency for the Gospel today. Persecution of Christians has reached new depths. People need hope…God’s hope. They need leaders who will boldly do what God is leading them to do. They need the Gospel. And the good news, of course, is that God supplies all our needs by the power of His Holy Spirit, alive and active in our lives.
What is it God has for you to do for Him? Who are the people who look to you for leadership? Follow the direction of the Holy Spirit. Lead the flock God has given you. Trust in an all-powerful Lord to accomplish through you what He needs for His plan. And be quick to give God the glory. Amen.
Ministry Needs, Prayer Opportunities
Middle East
I mentioned earlier a country in the Middle East where followers of Christ are
asking for training for Christian radio stations operating in this mostly Muslim land. While religious and ethnic conflict has been part of their DNA for centuries, evangelical believers are presenting the claims of Christ, the Prince of Peace to their land. Because of the sensitivity of their work, we won’t mention the country here, but know that it is a place where God is at work in spite of the opposition. Prominent leaders and everyday people are putting their hope in Christ as they hear of God’s love and salvation through His Son, Jesus.
Pray for Christian broadcasters and evangelical believers who are boldly presenting the Gospel. And pray for our discernment and wisdom to know the Lord’s will for MEDIAlliance in providing training for these broadcasters.
Turkey
Our time at the NRB Convention in Nashville gave me opportunity to sit down with several ministries we have been connected with through the years. Radio Shema in Ankara, Turkey is led by Soner Tufan. We visited with him and with his American assistant, Sarah Wibberly in Nashville, to learn of the current needs for this ministry. Radio Shema is in a significant location in the capital city, with studios in downtown Ankara. Some security issues are causing them to look for a better location for their Christian radio station.
Radio Shema also continues to look for Christian radio programs to enhance their schedule, needing creative programs that translate well into the Turkish culture. Soner wants to grow the influence of the station by expanding into producing a newspaper, which are quite popular among legislators and those in leadership in that country. It will also help promote the radio, pointing readers to the daily input of Christian programs.
France
Radio Gospel, part of the ministry France For Christ, continues to seek an FM frequency for Paris. About 20% of the population of France live in Paris, so a station there would have great impact in that country. This has been an enormous challenge, but Paul and Laura Harrigan continue their efforts. A recent newsletter pointed out some facts about France, showing why they continue the effort:
- Only 4 ½ % of the French people regularly attend a church service- whether it is in a Catholic or Protestant church.
- France has the highest population in Europe of followers of Islam and Judaism? Between 8 - 10 % of the French population claims they are Muslim.
- According to an article in 2011 in the Economist, the suicide rate in France is 14.6/100; in other words, more than two times greater than the rate in Great Britain and 40 % higher than in Germany and the U.S.
Paul Harrigan believes that when revival of the Christian faith comes to France, the impact will be felt world-wide due to its influence in the European Union and in the 29 countries where French is the official language.
Gospel Radio continues to upgrade their programming online even as they explore new avenues to secure a radio frequency in Paris. Pray for this ongoing effort.
Bolivia
Radio Mosoj Chaski in Cochabamba, Bolivia, continues to impact hundreds of thousands of lives among the Quechua Indians in the Andes Mountains and the cities and villages of this South American country. We visited with Ann Wheeler with Mosoj Chaski, and learned that the ministry is taking steps to position the station in such a way as to help ensure its continuation, even in the face of political and cultural pressure.
Mosoj Chaski is also starting to produce DVD’s of Bible studies and other programs. Often the little one or two room homes high in the mountains will have a small color TV and DVD player. Television signals don’t reach into the area, so the DVD’s provide entertainment, education, and insight for these who live simple but difficult lives.
Pray for needed equipment and training to produce these television programs. Pray for wisdom and direction for Radio Mosoj Chaski as they upgrade and replace aging broadcast equipment, including their transmitter.
Haiti
Radio 4VEH in Cap Haitian, Haiti, continues their history of making an impact for the Gospel since its start in 1961. Storley Michel is the director of Radio 4VEH, and is being used by the Lord to make this long-standing ministry more effective and more financially stable. The ministry operates several frequencies from the northern part of the island nation into the central region. It is a much needed lighthouse in the midst of spiritual darkness.
MEDIAlliance International is talking with this ministry and looking at a possible radio training conference in Haiti in 2014.
India
Building upon the foundation of our first experience last September, MEDIAlliance will partner with Good News Television and other groups to hold another media training conference. This year's event will be held in Delhi, and is expected to draw over 200 media professionals for a series of workshops in television, radio, Internet/social media, and management. As in previous conferences, we will have top Christian media professionals serve as our faculty. Pray for these plans, for the prosepctive instructors, and for those in India who need to attend.
In addition, we'll be in India in May to assist those in that country as they work to form a Christian media association. Their desire is to have a unified voice for evangelical broadcasters as they speak to legislators and regulators in India. Pray for God's wisdom and direction in this effort.
Romania
One of the joys of this ministry is getting to know God’s great servan
ts in other parts of the world. Now, working together through the years, the Lord has forged great friendships and partnerships with His leaders in Christian media. The investment of our work in the Balkans has yielded such relationships. In Romania we work with Lucian Despa of Radio Voice of the Gospel (RVE) headquartered in Bucharest. With nine stations scattered across Romania, RVE is taking God’s Word to many listeners, growing stronger disciples in this former Communist country. Lucian is looking at new strategies for distributing the programming, even as he seeks to grow the number of stations. Pray for these initiatives for Radio Voice of the Gospel.
Tudor and Mirela Petan lead Alfa Omega Television, based in Timisoara, Romania. From their three-story broadcast center, Alfa Omega uses satellite, cable, and the internet to distribute many Christian programs to the Romanian people, both inside the country and beyond. In addition, because the ministry is uniquely positioned in the center of the Balkans, Alfa Omega desires to add additional channels for the many other languages spoken in the neighboring countries. The prayer need for them is for funding to meet the equipment needs to accomplish this, and for other broadcast ministries to use these new channels to reach many people throughout the Balkans.
As we met with Tudor and Mirela at the NRB convention, one of their main desires was to pray for our new MEDIAlliance International ministry, and to see how they might help us. This same spirit was expressed by many of our international partners. I can tell you it is very moving to have such support from those we serve around the world!
Albania and Kosovo
We have detailed in previous newsletter some of the struggles encountered by Radio 7 as they established a radio station in the Kosovar capital of Pristina. But the Lord is working in amazing ways, opening the heart of even Muslims in media to put Christian programming on television in Kosovo. Though they are Muslim, they recognize that Christian teaching builds moral foundations, not found in other religions, that will help their children and young people in their daily lives.
Pray for Enkel
ejda Kumaraku of Radio 7, and their staff, as they continue to minister in both Kosovo and Albania, seizing every opportunity available to proclaim God’s Truth in these spiritually needy regions.
A Cry...A Challenge...A Blessing
The recent National Religious Broadcasters convention brought many international Christian broadcasters to Nashville. A group of more than thirty Christian media leaders from around the world met three times during the four-day conference to discuss recent challenges to Christian media. Our desire is to determine ways to work together for the cause of Christ.
Jan-Eric Nyman, who serves with IBRA in East Africa, gave an impassioned plea…a cry for help…for training nationals all over Africa. Several of our major ministries such as HCJB Global, TWR, and Far East Broadcasting are active in Africa, and together formed Africa by Radio a number of years ago for that specific purpose. They are doing a good job, but Africa is huge, the opportunities are growing, and the need is great. As Jan-Eric put it, “We need you to come to Africa, to come again and again. Not just once, but again and again. Come to Africa and help us!”
Though our ministry is relatively new and small, I am praying how we might answer this call, this cry, from Africa.
This is not the only call for training. We met with Ashvin Dhyriam from India and furthered our plans for another media training conference in India in September. This enormous country desperately needs the Gospel. Broadcasting and the electronic media are the tools to reach the masses…the 1.2 billion people of India…with the Good News that Jesus saves. More on that later.
We are also hearing from a country in the Middle East (nameless due to the sensitivity of their culture) about Christian broadcasters in that country, and their need for training. We will likely go there in the near future to see the need and determine how we can help.
As I weigh these opportunities, I often wonder how God will meet our financial needs in order to assist these who cry for help. Yet I know God is faithful to supply our needs to do His will. And He is already doing just that.
The Blessing
Recently I opened a letter and received a huge blessing…and a challenge. A faithful donor has offered us a $50,000 matching gift! Wanting to encourage others to also support MEDIAlliance International, he is willing to match all donations up to $50,000 total. What an amazing blessing! I rarely use this newsletter to talk about our financial needs because the needs of our many ministry partners are so great. My heart and my focus is on their ministries and their opportunities to spread God’s message of Hope to their country and their culture.
In real sense, that still is my focus, because securing this $50,000 matching gift will help us train, mentor, facilitate, and encourage these dedicated servants to a much greater degree than otherwise possible. We do not charge these international ministries for what we do. We even ask our instructors, who help us teach and train, to pay their own travel expenses. We depend on God’s people, whom He has blessed, to support this work.
The Bottom Line
As we began this new phase of our work, and as we established 
MEDIAlliance International in January, I sought a verse from the Lord that expressed the bottom line of ministry for us. In the opening of the Apostle Paul’s second letter to young Timothy, he explained his own calling…his reason for serving…as an example for Timothy, and for us all.
“From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to further the promise of life in Christ Jesus….”
II Timothy 1:1 NET
There it is. The bottom line. To further the promise of life in Christ Jesus. Apart from Christ, we are dead. Living in darkness. He is the Light. He is our Hope.
In most of the countries I visit, evangelical Christians are a very small minority. The message of hope found only in Jesus needs to reach the masses, but the laborers are few. Our work strengthens committed Christian media professionals who use these strong tools to take God’s message to souls living in darkness. To further the promise of life in Christ Jesus.
If God moves you to contribute, you will not just be giving to a ministry called MEDIAlliance International, but to directly “…further the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” I pray God will put that calling on your heart, and that you will respond as He directs. Our world needs that hope…that life. Help me help others share that hope...that promise of life in Christ Jesus.
Prayer and Praise
Middle East
We continue to connect with individuals, who are working in certain Middle East countries, about training for Christian broadcasters. While the effort seems slow (see “patient endurance” above), I believe God is going to open doors soon. Pray for God’s direction for us as we seek to help those in Islamic countries who are boldly proclaiming hope found only in Jesus.
Albania
Korçë, Albania, is in the southeastern part of this country in the Balkans. Radio Emanuel is a strong, effective Christian broadcast ministry that is reaching in
to Muslim villages and across borders into Macedonia and Greece. Tani and Efti Baraku lead a talented and dedicated team that works hard to engage many different people groups and ages with the Gospel. Programming for children, youth, adults, Albanians, Macedonians, and Greeks are produced from the modest studios of Radio Emanuel.
Radio Emanuel is now identifying potential locations to have adequate space for the many programs they produce in various languages. Pray for them to find the right facilities at an affordable price for the ministry.
In addition, Radio Emanuel has applied for a broadcast license for a station in the southern part of Albania where there is no Christian broadcasting. Pray for favor with the media authorities in Albania for the awarding of this license. As always, funds are needed to put this station on the air. God may be already moving on that front, with a ministry in Europe offering a matching gift for a portion of the need.
MEDIAlliance International
Our ministry has been blessed with a generous matching challenge gift of $50,000. As of this writing we are about 45% of the way to the needed funds to secure the full amount. A gift of any size to our ministry will actually be a double blessing for us as we lay the foundation for this ministry that brings assistance, training, and encouragement to front-line ministries in challenges places.
Our website, www.medialliance.cc, has more information on our ministry, our team of instructors and ministry partners. To go to the page to donate, you may click here.