Dealing With Temptation: A Biblical Overview

Temptation is something we all must face, even for the Christian. In fact, a Christian may struggle with temptation more so than others because of the simple fact that the Christians want to please God and not themselves. In this article, I hope to give some helpful tactics to dealing with temptation from a Biblical perspective and offer some very practical help.

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

James 1:14 ESV

Before we move on, let me define what temptation is. A temptation could be defined as anything contrary to God’s best for us. It could be found in the form of disobedience, a struggle or rebellion against God and His plan and purpose for us. In James 1:14, we see a clear definition of temptation: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire (James 1:14 ESV). Temptation being that desire inside of us which draws us away from God. When we yield to that desire, or temptation, that is when we sin. Temptation itself isn’t sin but when we give in to the temptation is when our relationship with God and others suffers.

Here are a few practical things to consider when being tempted.

Pray. Yes, pray! I know it seems so basic and elementary and yet it is so necessary when we are being tempted. The scripture is clear that we are to always be in prayer. Temptation often comes to break our fellowship with God. It’s when our minds and flesh are being drawn to satisfy itself with something other than God’s provision. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to be praying always. When we remain in a posture of prayer, temptation can be lessened.

¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18 NKJV)

Prayer needs to be our first line of defense. Not our last. Call out to Jesus immediately when you sense temptation rising because according to 2 Peter 2:9: the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations…

Prayer needs to be our first line of defense. Not our last.

George Lockhart

Resist. Part of our problem in dealing with temptation is that we don’t fight very hard for very long. It can be hard to say no but say no the first time. The second time. The third time. Keep saying no each and every time until the temptation is gone.

I think of Jospeh in Potipher’s home when considering this point. To recap a little for you, Joseph is a good looking, young man with a bright future. He is in the house with Potipher’s wife continually, who is constantly tempting him to have a sexual relationship. You can read the story in Genesis 39. Part of the story informs us that this was a daily temptation for Joseph. Look at his response though:

⁷ And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”

⁸ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. ⁹ There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

¹⁰ So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. Genesis 39: 7-10

One can clearly see that Joseph had to resist day after day, time after time. He said “no” once, twice, every time. We have to say “no” once, twice, every time, if we are going to overcome temptation. The scripture tells us that it’s when we resist the devil that he flees from us. James 4:7 says: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

We have to say “no” once, twice, every time, if we are going to overcome temptation.

George Lockhart

Even as we resist the devil and he flees, there are times when that temptation may continue from other people or even within. What should we do then?

Run. As the story of Joseph continues, we see another crucial step in dealing with temptation and that is running! There may be instances when resisting means running out of a situation. Getting away from and removing ourselves from the situation that could cause us to fail may be the optimal thing to do. Look at this part of Joseph’s story:

¹¹ But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, ¹² that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. Genesis 39:11-12

When the temptation doesn’t go away, we may need to get away…far away. Develop an escape route for yourself. Make a plan on what you will do when you are tempted with various things or in sundry ways. Then follow through with the escape plan. If your house is on fire and you have a fire escape plan, it does you no good if you don’t take it!

When the temptation doesn’t go away, we may need to get away…far away.

George Lockhart

Fill Your Mind With the Right Things. There is no doubt that our minds are often filled with slogans, lyrics, sayings and even self-talk that is not God-focused. It is imperative for Christians who desire to please God to know God’s Word. How can we do what God wants if we don’t know what He wants? One of the best ways to know what God wants is to read and study His Word.

God has given us His Word to help guide us in life with decisions and with accomplishing His plan and purpose. When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted, Jesus used scripture to combat the devil. Matthew 4:3-4 gives us this important insight:

³ Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

⁴ But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Notice in that passage and others further along how Jesus says “It is written”. Jesus relied on The Word of God when He was being tempted by the devil. Jesus quoted scripture and it worked for Him; it will work for you. Memorize scripture that has to do with the temptations and struggles you naturally face. Then quote them and pray them when you sense the temptation being presented to you.

Jesus quoted scripture and it worked for Him; it will work for you.

George Lockhart

Part of overcoming temptation is having our minds renewed and refreshed by God’s word. Romans 12:2 gives us this admonishment: ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. When we choose to meditate and fortify our minds with God’s word, we have a much better chance in dealing with temptation properly.

Get help. Having a friend you can call or text when temptation is strong is a great asset. Some struggles are too much to handle alone. Find someone you know and trust and maybe just have a key word that you can share that lets them know you’re having a hard time. Remember this verse from James 5:16  ¹⁶ Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

When we reach out to others we will often find that the temptations we face are some of the very things others are dealing with also. It’s better to fight temptation together.

Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
¹¹ Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
¹² Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

George Lockhart is the lead pastor at New Vision Church and president of Vision 2 Hear Ministries.

El Salvador Awaken Tour Part 2

Hey everyone!

The week is winding down here in El Salvador but it’s been a very fruitful time. We began this week clearing an area to install a retaining wall at the lower part of  one of the neighborhoods in New Hope Community. We hauled bags of sand weighing about 70 pounds and then carried blocks to their locations. Mixing the mortar by hand reminded me much of my Nigeria times.

 The area we are in is the same as the NC WAVE Team worked in last year. We are happy to be back building a relationship with the community and assessing their needs.

The work has continued all week with us progressing up the hill to an area outside of Mirrim’s house. The community agreed that they needed a retaining wall built in this section. The work has been tiring but rewarding. Each day we are carrying blocks, bags of sand or cement and doing a lot of digging and clearing. The project should be complete tomorrow and we will have a small celebration at the end of the day for those in that section.

We got to spend some time with the kids in the houses around where we are building. We played several games and hung out with them for a couple hours.

We also got to celebrate Myra’s birthday and see Papi, which is Jorge’s Campos’ grandfather. Through the years, several have stayed with Papi and enjoyed his hospitality.

One other great thing for this week has been sharing with the deaf WAVE team. They came over for a couple hours and we caught up with each other. They were very excited when we presented them with 8 Amazon Fires donated by various people from Vision 2 Hear. After they got them all set up, we took some time to run through several songs, which they remembered well!

I’ll post again once I get back to the USA about the last few events. Thanks for your prayers and support of V2H and the effort in El Salvador! God is moving and blessing in awesome ways.

George

Awaken Tour El Salvador

We have been in ES for a few days now and just completed the #searchingcamp weekend with college students. It was a great time with about 20 students and then staff and volunteers from Fe Vive Church. We traveled out about 2 hours in the back of this truck and ascended into the mountains surrounded by a lake. 

We helped decorate the facility and prepare for the weekend. When the students arrived, they were mostly new to each other and certainly to us. The group was composed of local college students that had a connection to the pastor who also teaches at the college but most of these students are not completely connected to a church.

The weekend consisted of three sessions, along with music we performed. The church team had a great amount of games, activities and experiences to tie in the theme of the weekend. Saturday night was the culmination of the experiences with all going through several stations demonstrating Christ’s love.

On Sunday, we had several stand for recommitment to Christ and start their semester break with a renewed understanding of how God is searching for them and seeking after them. It was awesome! Pray for us as we leave now to begin working in a community installing a pipe system and VBS.

February 15, 2016 Update

AWAKE TENNESSEE

This weekend the TN Movement took Love to the streets in downtown Chattanooga. Even though it was blustery and cold, the members of the V2H church, TN Movement, spent Valentine’s Day downtown serving the homeless and poor. Bringing out coats and warm clothing to give away, they also distributed roses as another token of love. Vision 2 Hear is very excited about what God is doing through the TN Movement and how they are living out the gospel message. Continue to pray for them as they prepare to move into their own facility. Here are a few pictures from the weekend courtesy of Mandy Alexander .

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Also over the weekend, we had our Love Feast with a few people taking part of the challenge from home. The event has raised some funds for El Salvador and hopefully by the end of the month we will have collected all the funds and I can inform you then of how much we will be sending down to help children whose families are involved in gangs as well as our deaf friends with their schooling. Thanks for participating and helping us out. We have another Love Feast 30-hour famine occurring in Havelock, NC over March 4-5.

Our ministry with The Youth Culture Report continues to grow in its reach around the world. Mike Liebler works diligently to ensure that informative and helpful content is loaded up to our website each day to help pastors, youth pastors, parents and volunteers reach students for the glory of God. If you haven’t check it out yet, click here and peruse the site: www.theyouthculturereport.com There’s also a place to subscribe to our weekly Top 10, which is published each Friday, posting the 10 articles listend on the site that might be most helpful to you. It’s free, so why not subscribe today!

 

AWAKE INDIA

I leave for Awake India tomorrow afternoon. The trip will take about 26 or so hours and have me there for about 2 weeks. It really only comes out to about 10 days on the ground once you remove all the travel time.

This will be my 3rd trip to Vijayawada visiting our partners in ministry. A few of the goals for this trip are to host a WAVE Sign Team conference. One of the new things we hope to try this time is to actually SKYPE with some of our leaders and friends in the USA during the conference, adding more teachers and instruction.

The trip will also allow me to make plans and discuss details about the summer camp week we intend to host in August as an outreach to the villagers and orphans. We have to get the location approved, begin discussing the “marketing” and follow-up plan.

One final thing this trip will allow is for me to be able to get more ground work done in what needs to happen for us to establish a radio station from the church and begin broadcasting by the early September. Please keep these things in your prayers as we seek to advance the work with SAC Ministries.

If you want to keep up with things that are happening within Vision 2 Hear and our ministry throughout, please subscribe to this newsletter and you can also follow me on Instagram @georgelockhart1 on Twitter @georgev2h and of course on Facebook: George Lockhart. I also have other blogs where you can connect: www.georgelockhart.com and www.vision2hear.com

AWAKE EL SALVADOR

In El Salvador here’s a little of what is happening from a post from Jorge:

Almost there…..
The blessings come by the privilage and honor of serving others!

The adventure to make it to the village started at 11am! The mothers and children’s team made it there already, and going back home already! They had a great time! Me, on our way for a youth workshop about our Identity in Christ, Boundries and More….!
And a movie sleepover Whooohooooo! Some of us remain Ricardo Melendez, others abandoned us right Christopher Melendez????
Also thanks to vision 2 hear and our beloved donors we will provide school materials for the special childhood development program that the youth coordinates for the infants on sundays!!!

Thanks to everyone who is helping the ministry in El Salvador impact lives of many others in Suchitoto and San Salvador! We could not do it without you!

As things move ahead, we have several items coming up on the calendar to make you aware of. Please take note and notify me if you have plans to attend a summer mission trip so I can get you the right information. If you will, add these things to your calendar and pray for us as we continue to make WAVES around the world!

Calendar

February 16-29 India

March 4-5 Love Feast, Havelock NC

March 6 Twenty year anniversary celebration Havelock Korean Baptist Church

March 13-20 Miami Florida Spiritual Emphasis Week and starting a new WAVE Team

 

April 4-6 Orlando Youth Pastor’s Summit

 

April 26-30 Tavares Florida Adventure Christian School Spiritual Emphasis

AWAKE SUMMER

June 1-13 El Salvador Mission $1500

July 6-10 Williamsburg Kentucky Cost$100

July 15-23 George Camp Miami Cost $200

July 24-26 Summit WAVE Camp

July 28- August 10 India Cost $2500

Please note that these dates are subject to change and so is the cost. However, please also note that if you are serious about traveling with us on any trip, we will do all we can to assist you in raising the needed funds to go. There has never been a trip that someone has wanted to attend with us who didn’t go because of finances. So please, let us know if you want to go and are willing to commit the time. If you have any questions feel free to contact me: vision2hear@gmail.com

Catch up with you again soon!

George

V2H Update February 8, 2016

 

 

 

Panthers Lose

Yes. The Panthers lost and I am sad about their poor performance. Everyone has days like that when things just don’t go your way. The Panthers were just outplayed and outmatched for the entire game. Hats off to the Broncos and Peyton Manning for a great career! Hopefully the Panthers will learn from this experience and become a stronger team next year. Now onto other things 🙂

The Love Feast

We are hosting the first Love Feast this coming Saturday at New Vision Church from 9am-6pm. There’s no food since we will be fasting during this time. Our gathering will be to become more informed about poverty and social issues around the world and mission opportunities, we are involved with in El Salvador and India

We are asking people to consider praying and fasting from Friday lunch until Saturday 6pm. This will make 30 hours. We are also encouraging people to give $1 per hour or solicit donors for this amount equalling $30. This money will go toward helping children in El Salvador who are deaf and of families who have been affected by gangs in El Salvador.

The Love Feast in NC will begin on March 4 at noon and end at dinner March 5. We will meet at the Korean Church on Saturday March 5 from 9am-6pm for times of prayer and teaching.

Awaken India

I’ve recently purchased my ticket to travel to India. I am still seeking donations toward this trip, as the costs of travel and mission work is costly. My plan is to be there for two assisting with the WAVE team, hosting a conference for them, where we will basically sponsor the event with name tags, papers, food and travel for some to get there. I will also be working with the orphans and with the churches (7 of them) along with discipling some of the students during my stay. We will also begin our plans for setting up a local radio station for the church to broadcast the gospel and determine the place and dates for the summer camp we will host this coming August. So there’s a lot to be done on this trip. Thanks for your prayers and support!

New Vision Church

Some of you may be aware that the pastor of my church has stepped down from the senior pastor role and our church is transitioning in many ways. During this time, I’ll be helping more with some speaking and of course any other way I can outside of my “normal” responsibilities. Please keep our church in your prayers and all of us as we seek God’s direction and what our next steps should be as a church and individuals.

Lent

Lent is the 40 day period that many Christians mark between Ash Wednesday and Easter. That period starts on this Wednesday and goes until Easter Sunday (minus the Sundays in-between). I usually give up something during this period. I would encourage you to also consider doing something of significance during this period as a discipline of sacrifice and surrender. Here’s the thing: don’t do it to out of pride or trying to become spiritual. Practice this because of love and desire to draw closer to God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Schedule

Right now we have several things in the works for the summer. Here are the things we are fairly sure about and the approximate costs. If you would like more information, please contact me.

May 31- June 13 El Salvador Cost $1500

July 6-10 Kentucky Cost$100

July 15-23 George Camp Miami Cost $200

July 28- August 10 India Cost $2500

Please note that these dates are subject to change and so is the cost. However, please also note that if you are serious about traveling with us on any trip, we will do all we can to assist you in raising the needed funds to go. There has never been a trip that someone has wanted to attend with us who didn’t go because of finances. So please, let us know if you want to go and are willing to commit the time.

Thanks!

George

V2H Update February 1, 2016

 

Hello Everyone,

It was a busy but great weekend! Thanks for your prayers concerning me and all the travel and events unfolding over the last couple of days.

Conference In Miami

On Thursday I flew to Ft. Lauderdale to get into town a little early for the Becoming a Woman of Influence conference. Many have wondered what was I doing at a conference like this. Here’s why I was there; I was invited.

A friend of mine os a pastor at New City Church in Miami, Fl. His kids attend Christ Fellowship Academy and they have all seen me perform many times at their school for Spiritual Emphasis Week. So when Joe, the pastor/dad/my friend saw me perform several months ago, he asked me if I would come and be part of the event. Because of my “deal” with God, I don’t turn down any event where the door has been opened and I have an invitation, especially from a friend. So that’s how it came together. I was honored to be the only “male” guest speaker at the event.

There were about 100 attending this conference from several churches in Miami. It was hosted at the Sheraton at the Miami International Airport and let me say what a great time I had being there! New City Church and the team who put this together did an exceptional job of not only maximizing the venue space but caring for me as a guest/speaker and providing what I feel was also a great lineup of other guest speakers for the ladies to learn from and be encouraged by in their growth of influence.

I was at the conference to share a few songs and then some words about how God has influenced my life and brought me to where I am today. My songlist included the Lawnmower Dance, Shark Song, Awake, No One Like You, Watch The Lamb and Jesus Paid It All. God removed my apprehensions and gave me peace as I shared and it really went well. There was a great sense of community and I didn’t feel out of place, which was nice given it was geared for “women”, which goes to show that when we do whatever we do for the glory of God, He will bless it and use it.

Thanks to my friend Pastor Joe Mira and all those at New City Church for investing in the lives of the women of Miami. You guys did an outstanding job this weekend and were a blessing to all of us involved…even us “guys”. Also a special shoutout to my good friend Mike Liebler who was driving me around over the last few days and making sure I made my appointments. And the Gallos who hosted us during my stay.

Wedding In Atlanta

When I agreed to do the conference for Joe in Miami, I failed to remember and check my multiple calendars. This caused a little scheduling conflict as Henry Bruce had notified me of his upcoming wedding on the same day. When I realized this, I called Joe and thankfully he was able to arrange the schedule so I could get a ticket back to GA without having to miss Henry’s wedding, which I certainly didn’t want to happen.

With God’s hand at work, I was able to make it see another one of my “children” get married on Saturday evening. This was not without its challenges however. When I got to the check-in kiosk, I couldn’t seem to do so. After numerous attempts, I went ahead and stood in line to speak to real person.

After waiting in the que for about 10 minutes, the lady informed me that the flight had already closed and that was why I couldn’t check in. She told me that they want people like me there an hour ahead of time and I had gotten to her 45 minutes ahead of time. Really? Ugh. So now we were having to look at rebooking me etc.

She put me on the list for the next flight but told me to go to the gate for the flight I was originally booked on and see if I could make it. So I did with haste. As life would have it, my terminal and gate were on the far side of the airport, requiring me to have extreme patience in the TSA line and on the SkyTrain as I made my way to D-60!

Once I got there they were still boarding the flight so I jumped in line. The ticket I gave the lady was not for that flight, which I knew and I explained to her what happened. Then she passed me off to another guy who looked up some information and told me that I never had a “seat” confirmed on that flight. Really? Wow!

Now he tells me that I have a confirmed seat on second flight but I was put on the standby list for the first one. So I sat and waited and had to trust God to get me on the flight. And He did. Within a few moments, they called my name and another woman, who ended up sitting right next to me to take the last two seats on that flight. Praise God!

So that’s how it worked out. I made it back to celebrate with Henry and Lauren as they joined together in God in holy matrimony. It was a wonderful wedding and a joy to be there with them in this life-changing event.

Henry was one of my students in youth group at Bethany Baptist Church many years ago. He was also part of our sign WAVE team there and at The Point. Henry traveled with me on a few mission trips including one to Florida for George Camp. He’s always been a faithful friend to me and the ministry and always served well regardless of his role. He loves to sing and has made it known on various trips like the ski trip to Winterplace 🙂 You can watch that video here:

Henry has a passion for life and a passion for God. But He also has a passion for the love of his life, Lauren and I am so happy for the both of them as they embark on this journey together! Henry has gone on to learn sign as an interpreter and works at a local school in GA with the deaf. What a great circle to the investment of Vision 2 Hear. I am grateful for what God has done!

It was also awesome to catch up with these fine folks at the wedding reception. Some of them I have not seen in years, while others I recently saw at Krista and Carey’s wedding a couple of months ago. I have resigned myself to the truth that now I will see most of these people at such events as weddings as they have all grown up. Where has the time gone? It was great to see you all and I love and miss you guys. Thanks for being such a blessing to me and part of the V2H family! It’s people like you and all the others who have made my life so special.

Preaching At Church

The weekend concluded with me preaching at my church in Fayetteville. With my pastor recently resigning, the church had asked for me to cover a few Sundays as they put together a search committee etc. So this weekend I launched a 3 week series called Awakenings.

With no surprise to those who have been part of my ministry, we had many technical issues leading right up to the beginning of the service. From trying to understand why the screen color was “pink tinted”,  to trying to hook up my “Mac” to run from the back, to getting the signals set for a scenario for me to run it from the front, to transferring 50 slides to another computer so someone else could run it, everything finally came together with about 5 minutes to begin. But it came together, at the last moment, right on time, which seems to have been the case for all things concerning this weekend.

God moved in the service and removed my apprehensions of speaking; and for that I am always grateful!

In Other News

Angela is back from El Salvador and I am waiting for her to send me a little note about her experience. Once I get it, I’ll send it out so you can hear about how this trip shaped her life.

Also, I’ll be making a definitive decision about India this week. As you may know I am supposed to head out on Feb. 16 but I have not generated enough support yet for the airfare. So will see. This may be God saying wait. So I’m praying over the next day or so to see what all happens. Of course, they would like for me to be there but I also have many irons in the fire here to take care of and deal with. So please pray God’s will be done. I’m willing to go or stay…whatever I need to do.

If you’d like to give toward this trip, or any other mission project, you can do so at vision2hear.com or just follow this link: paypal

Thanks so much! Catch up with you next week.

George

System Reboot

 

The year is moving with alacrity. The question is are we moving with it? Time waits for no one but I have found that when my computer, phone or other electronic device isn’t working properly, maybe it’s time for a system reboot. This may be the case in your personal life also. If life seems a little sluggish, consider these things.

Start the day right.

Giving time to God and refocusing on the matters that are most important to you in life are great in the system reboot. When we lose sight of goals, reasons for living, purpose, etc., life is not just a drag, it seems like everything is a waste.

Slow your pace.

Busyness doesn’t equal productivity or fruitfulness. What’s wrong with taking 15 extra minutes to complete a project if it means it will be done better? Or arriving 30 minutes later if it means everyone arrives safely? Living at a pace where things are enjoyed as well as accomplished is what I am working toward…let me encourage you to do the same.

Sabbath.

God established sabbath as weekly time to rest, worship and reflect. Our bodies are made for this kind of rhythm: work, celebrate, rest. How are you are this? Maybe a look at why you struggle with this flow in life will help with a system reboot?

Schedule.

Making use of calendars and to-do lists can help with not only managing life’s pace but ensuring there is margin and meaning in each day. Taking time to schedule meetings, events, and family time will give you the freedom to be flexible and or stringent, depending on what “crisis” or surprise pops us.

Simplify.

A distracted life can lead to a destructed life. Clear out mess. Clean out files, closets, inboxes, and junk. Don’t buy into a false sense of importance through accumulation. Don’t let things from the past slow you down, weigh you down or pull you down.  Get rid of as much “physical” stuff as “emotional” that you can. Baggage is heavy. In a system reboot, deal with the past and move on.

Stop.

Anything that is unproductive or harmful: STOP! Don’t perpetuate bad or harmful behavior. Discontinue procedures or plans that aren’t working and helping you reach your goals this year. Stop signs are all around us, if we don’t heed them we will wreck.

Seasons.

Remember that each year is filled with 4 seasons. Life is also filled with different seasons. Evaluate what season of life you are in and live accordingly. A system reboot will help in assessing where you are in life. It will also help in resetting the new course of direction needed to enjoy the season you’re in. Remember, we don’t determine times and seasons; God does. We can however, embrace each unique season with joy and gratitude.

What do you do when you need to move forward?

 

Vision 2 Hear Update January 11,2016

 

I’ve been in El Salvador for several days now. It’s been a great trip thus far. From spending time with old friends to making new ones, Vision 2 Hear is off to a great start for 2016. Here’s some of what’s been happening.

Before we even left from the USA, we were already excited about being able to offer this trip for Angela Lowe, a college student from Messiah College in PA. She found Vision 2 Hear online, actually looking at sign videos from YouTube. Needing to have a cultural “deaf experience”, she contacted me to see if there was any way we could help. With El Salvador being the primary place we have ministry with deaf people, we were able to work things for her to be part of this trip and spend the required days she needs in order to graduate on time. If this didn’t work for her, there was a very good chance she would have to postpone her graduation until December…So we praise God for His mighty power and the use of the internet to connect us so that she could benefit and help us in ES. The first time we met was at the airport in Atlanta.

Even though the plane was delayed several times, the overall trip wasn’t too bad. But we were basically awake with travel for about 24 hours.  We were met at the airport and made our way to San Salvador, discussing possibilities for the week. Angela is here to learn about deaf culture and interact with the deaf primarily and I am here to assist with teaching music for the WAVE Team, which is primarily made of deaf students, preach at a church, host a couple of meetings and plan for the summer.

We plan to disburse the school supplies to several groups of people since the primary school we were going to give them out at has closed down. These school supplies were collected from Christ Fellowship in Palmetto Bay last October while I was there for Spiritual Emphasis Week. We brought down three suitcases of glue, pens, pencils, markers, etc. and still have more to bring back in June.

Because the school were going to go to has closed down, we thought we would have the students all deaf, along with their siblings come over and spend time with us at the mission house. So for three days last week they came over and we worked on music, signing songs, playing games and watching Netflix. They have loved it. Most of the don’t get to do things like this, so it’s a big deal for them to be able to come and have fun and build community as well.

As we met and talked about the things that happened with the closing of the deaf school we explored the idea of having the students meet at the mission house for some of their educational needs. It was a wonder to me why couldn’t we do this? So after talking a bit and finding out what the real problems might be, we decided to move forward with using the mission house as a temporary location for these students to gather, learn, continue their education and get tutoring on the weekends, until they find a different location sometime in the future. School technically is just starting back so the timing is perfect! God knows what He’s doing! Because we were here, I was able to use some of our ministry donations to help provide the chairs, tables and school supplies they will need to use this facility. We give God praise for what He’s doing!

 

Another thing that is really coming together is the work Daniel is doing with several children teaching them English and of course sharing the gospel. These kids all live in the area where Daniel grew up and are faced with gang-related violence everyday. If you didn’t know, El Salvador has about 40 people killed each day!!! We have been supporting Daniel with his college education and now he’s investing in the lives of others. We are very pleased to see and hear of all he is doing. He’s given me a budget and we are going to have the Love Feast Fundraising event on Valentine’s Day weekend, a 30-hour fast to generate some funds for his program.

 

 

 

I was able to get a filling for one cavity while here, which was a huge blessing as I had started to feel some pain and discomfort from it. Also one of the local church plants had me speak and share the message yesterday, which was very well-received.

Last night I met with some of the Vision 2 Hear El Salvador staff and a couple of missionaries from Oregon who support the work here. We had a great open and honest talk about the future work in Suchitoto, which is growing tremendously. Some of that work includes helping with water irrigation, discipling families by providing special meetings for men, women and children. Jorge and his whole family are deeply involved in this work there and they have seen God’s hand moving in people’s lives. So please keep that ministry in your prayers. They travel to Suchitoto twice a month for programs. Only twice because it’s a couple hours away in the mountains.

So that’s a quick update with what’s been happening here. Thanks for your prayers. Another update to come soon!

George

 

 

Vision 2 Hear Update Christmas Week

It’s been a very busy week with V2H, to which I’m sure you can all understand. Leading up to Christmas, we’ve had two Christmas concerts, made plans for the El Salvador trip in January and more. Here are a few details.

Summit Church Christmas Concert

A little over a week ago now, the Vision 2 Hear WAVE Teams performed their Christmas concert at Summit Baptist Church in Loganville. With teams coming from Fayetteville, GA, Snellville, GA, Loganville, GA and Hixson, TN, the church was packed with people and abuzz with excitement. The teams came together and worked well as a family of signers making this Christmas concert a pure joy.

Photos courtesy of Jamie Jenkins

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Giving Tuesday Results

This year V2H was able to collect $2000 for India Orphans! Thank you all for your faithful giving and support of the work we are doing around the world. Your gifts will help the SAC orphanage in India continue to grow and support children in need. May God bless you for your generous gifts!

NC WAVE Christmas Performance

Last night the NC WAVE Team performed at the Havelock First Baptist Church with a great response. The team did exceptionally well for their very full Christmas concert, sharing 12 songs in sign and movement. It was a great time for all and I am very proud of this team and all their hard work! Videos from the show are being uploaded onto my Youtube Channel.

El Salvador Is Set

As I mentioned in previous newsletters, a college student is traveling with me to El Salvador in January. Here is some of her letter

I am coming up on my final semester of my undergraduate degree this spring. The opportunity has come up for me to take a trip with an organization called Vision2Hear that will count for a credit that I need to graduate in May. I stumbled upon this organization through a series of random events when I was searching through the internet on topics related to American Sign Language for the club that I teach on campus.

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries on earth. Coming out of various civil wars, the government is untrusted and crime rates are high. There is not much care for the country’s Deaf community. Unlike the Deaf in America who are educated and can read and write English, along with speaking their own language, Deaf Salvadorians are not educated in written Spanish. Also, many of them are lucky if they have a modality of language at all, as there is not a very unified Deaf community. Deaf education is a huge need. In some instances, untaught Deaf persons will make up their own signs called “home signs” so that they can at least communicate with family. All of this contributes to the difficulties and scattered nature of the Sign Language in El Salvador.

“There is an estimated 15,000 deaf signers in El Salvador, 0.25% of the population of El Salvador. Roughly 65% use Salvadoran Sign Language (LESSA), about 20% use a Salvadoran variety of American Sign Language (ASL) (either mixed with LESSA or following Spanish word order), and 10% use a combination of Costa Rican Sign Language (LESCO) and LESSA. In addition, roughly 5% live in rural areas and may use home signs (2010).”

As you can imagine, considering these language barriers, there are also significant resulting obstacles in spreading the love of Christ. Considering the lack of written education, most Deaf persons cannot read a bible, though they may have access to one. Since they don’t speak Spanish, they only have their visual language for communication of ideas. This is a heartbreaking reality, that even today there are people that still do not have access to the knowledge found in the bible.

In my participation with V2H, I would be working with the Deaf in El Salvador in various different contexts. Many of them use American Sign Language, which I am already quite familiar with. V2H is partnered with a church specializing in Deaf ministry in that area, so assisting their needs will be an important part of the trip. I will also be paired with the Wave team in El Salvador and do Sign Language outreach in the area to open up conversation about Christ. It is also a possibility that I may be working with Deaf schools in the area. There are various other outreaches done by the team such as ministries in local skate parks that I would likely be helping with as well.

I have never had a specific direction pertaining to God’s calling on my life—a surety such as that is something that all Christians wrestle with and hope to gain. In light of this truth, I am overwhelmed with an inexpressible joy within me that is unmistakably of God, and unmistakably, somehow, connected to the Deaf community. Sign Language does something to the spirit inside of me, where I feel a pull of compassion and purpose that I don’t feel as intensely in any other area of my life. I don’t believe that all of the coincidences that have brought me to my current position were coincidences at all, in fact, I believe I am just beginning to see the path that God is intentionally setting before my feet. I am unable to be convinced that this trip is a chance encounter. I am overwhelmed with His care and provision for every area of my life.

God Bless,

Angela

So we are very excited to be part of helping Angela and El Salvador at the same time. We are gearing up for this trip in early January and I’ll stay for a shorter period of time than she, since I had some other engagements back in the USA I need to take care of. But continue to pray for her and this great start for V2H’s New Year!

The Movement

Over the last couple weeks The Movement, V2H’s church plant has been working diligently at raising funds for purchasing a building/land in TN for their own church facility. With the church having more than 60 in meetings at times, the space they currently use is really not adequate for gatherings. Please continue to pray for them and V2H as we move forward into 2016 seeking god’s will for the church movement and work God is doing in TN. For more information about the church check out tnmovement.com

El Salvador Update And More

Happy December Everyone!

I want to give you a few updates on things happening this month so you can pray and be part of the wonderful things God is doing through Vision 2 Hear. It’s hard to believe that the end of the year is already here and as we quickly head into 2016, there’s still much happening in 2015!

Currently I’m in NC with my mom, helping with various things. She has a couple of doctor’s appointments today and tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll meet with the NC WAVE Team to help them prepare for their upcoming concert on December 20. I’ll head back to GA on Saturday so I can attend New Vision Church on Sunday and visit The Summit WAVE team for practice that afternoon. I’ll travel to TN on Wednesday to work with the WAVE team there and help them for the upcoming concert on December 13th at The Summit Church, where we will host our only Christmas Concert in GA at 6:30pm. That concert will include the WAVE teams from TN and the two from GA. It’s gonna be a great night of worship. If you are able to join us, please come out!

 

We also have our Christmas concert in NC at The First Baptist Church of Havelock on December 20th at 6:30pm. It’s located at 111 Hollywood Blvd. Havelock, NC 28532. Please come out and support this team as they perform Christmas music for the first time!

Giving Tuesday

This past Tuesday we celebrated Giving Tuesday and several of you gave toward helping orphans in India. I am sincerely grateful for the donations that came in. I will get the totals out to you soon on how much was raised and how many orphans that will help in 2016. Please keep the SAC ministry in your prayers. Pastor Rajendra is working hard there with many engagements for speaking and developing the outreach of the church. I am making plans to return there in late February to lead a Sign Language WAVE Conference and disciple a few students for the work of the Lord to continue. We have a couple of other ideas forming and hope to be able to see those things develop over the coming weeks. I’ll let you know as soon as I have something confirmed to share.

Here is a link for video you can watch. Pastor Rajendra has been able to preach on TV locally several times. This will help you see the potential we have for reaching more people in India for Christ.

Please be praying for India as they are suffering from monsoon rains and flooding is a serious issue for them now.

El Salvador

Jorge Campos has written a little note to inform us of what is happening in El Salvador. Here is his letter:

Jorge (left) with a friend at work during the Christmas season.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, God’s special possession,
that you may declare the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness
 into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

 

God and His word are so clear to us. He is the One that created us and gave us an identity. Wrongly society has been teaching that our actions define who we are, that it depends on what we do or what happens to us then we are. But Christ is so clear to teach that our identity is defined by Him and that’s what determines the actions, and what we are called to. First, we Are then we Do! Human Beings not Human Doings.

As Vision 2 Hear Ministries El Salvador, we strongly believe we have to transfer this core truth to the different communities of youth that have being marginalized for so many reasons by society; still we believe the main problem is not the discrimination but the internalization of it, this is that the communities of youth that have being marginalized have believed the discrimination as truth.

So in the last month we have developed different activities with the communities of youth to transfer the one and only truth: HIM. We had an Glow Skating and Graffiti Outreach at the missionary house and the skate park that we have been supporting through the generous offerings of our donors.

While skating and making the graffiti art, all the attendants had the chance to see the WAVE team perform and to hear the special truth of a loving God!

Also with Nuevo Renacer we celebrated children’s day, with piñatas and special snacks as we taught the mothers to love their kids as they are loved by God. For sure we pass to the infants and youth the special and unmeasurable value they have in Christ.

 

God provided  money to rent a truck that will allow us to visit the rural community, have piñatas, snacks for the mothers and children, and refreshments on a regular basis. And God prepared a special team of students and volunteers to help with more than 125 people in attendance.

Thank you all for you prayers!

Sincerely Gracious!

Jorge Campos

From that letter, you can read that God is doing some great things there. I am making plans to visit El Salvador in January and work with Jorge bringing in some school supplies that were donated by our friends at Christ Fellowship Academy. I’ll also be traveling with a student intern from Pennsylvania who is seeking to get college credit working with the deaf in El Salvador. Vision 2 Hear is making this trip possible for her to complete her degree and graduate in May. So we praise God for this chance to be part of her life and career. Her name is Angela Lowe and she will be staying in ES for 3 weeks working with Jorge and others in Vision 2 Hear to further the Kingdom! Please keep all of us in your prayers as this trip comes quickly and there are still many details to confirm. But we are all excited to see what God has awaiting us in January.

If you would like to make a year end contribution to Vision 2 Hear, we would greatly appreciate it! You can give online here: Donate or mail a check to 2046 Kyhber Pass Snellville, GA 30039.

More updates coming soon.

Thanks for your prayerful support.

Sincerely,

George