Last week a fire in Livorno, Italy killed four Roma (gypsy) children from Romania, who were still citizens of Romania even though living abroad.  The Italian police publicly blamed the children's parents for "failing to protect them," even arresting them in front of TV cameras while they grieved and wailed over the loss of their children. 

   But then this weekend, a self-identified as "ethnic cleansing" group sent a letter to an Italian newspaper, claiming to have set the fire with an intent to kill more than just the four kids who actually died.  They said they wanted all of the Romas out of their country, calling such people "the lowest of the low" (which prompts me to think, why would anyone consider the gypsies "lower" than themselves, if they would either do or condone the act of murdering the gypsies' children?).  The letter also contained threats about the future, demanding all of the Roma people living in Italy to leave the country in 20 days or less, or else the terrorist group will, they say, begin to launch monthly attacks on their camps "with more serious consequences than the Livorno one."

Here are some prayer requests we have as a family for next week’s move across the country:  

1) For the Lord to help us in packing, in finding more boxes to pack, and in taking care of all of the logistical things we have to do to close out our apartment in Buzau. 

2) For the Lord’s help with much work to be done at our new apartment in Cluj, making it ready for us to live in for the next couple years, for which we now have a rental contract.     

3) Praise God for His help with finding a moving truck and driver for hire, and for providing a couple other men to help with loading the truck in Buzau.  Pray for God to be with the truck with our belongings on the trip to Cluj, and for His provision of men to help loading furniture and other things that won’t fit into the elevator up to our new 9^th floor apartment in Cluj. 

4) Please also pray for God’s help with the long travel by car in our move, specifically for help for toddler Briana, who isn’t accustomed to long drives, and for all of us to be protected from motion sickness, to which each of our family is prone, since much of the ride will be on winding mountain roads.   

“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’”

--John 2:5

            For the eastern orthodox followers, today is the high point of a two-week period of fasting in reverence for Mary as a focus of worship and a mediator between God and men. 

            While we know without a doubt from the Scriptures that she is no such mediator and should not be the recipient of any prayers or any kind of worship, it might be helpful for those tempted to revere Mary to look closely at her words in this single passage of the Bible in which she did have words that could be taken as instruction for followers of God.

            The statement was made by Mary to people at the wedding in Cana, who were seeking her help in time of need.  And, although we know that—as a mere person not possessing any of the qualities of omniscience and power that God alone has—she cannot hear any of the prayers being said to her, I think it is safe to assume her answer to those who seek her help today, if she could give an answer, would be the same. 

            She would point them away from herself, and to her Lord, Jesus the Messiah, Who created her and made her His mother.  And she would say, “Just do whatever He tells you.”      

Just a quick update for our friends: 

Right now, our move to Cluj is scheduled to happen on Thursday August 23.  Please continue in prayer for us for all of the many logistical issues that have to be worked out, for the packing, and for the move itself and travel. 

For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro about the earth, that He may strongly support those whose hearts are completely His.
--2 Chronicles 16:9a

          One Sunday some years ago, I was in New York and went to church at the Brooklyn Tabernacle.  A 17-year-old boy in the youth choir gave testimony about how God's hand had been on his life.  He grew up in a very rough neighborhood where gangs, drugs, prostitution, and violence were rampant.  As a young boy, he looked up to the gang members and wanted to be like them.
          But he said that when he grew old enough to actually hang out with them, his heart wasn't in it; and he came to know that he didn't really want anything to do with them.  Because his heart belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ.
          One day, the boy said, he was in a helpless position when accosted by two men who intended to rob him, and perhaps even kill him.  He was overwhelmed with fear, but the eyes of the LORD saw what the two villains were doing.  Suddenly, inexplicably, "something just came over them" and they took off, leaving him completely unharmed.
          God's word gives us the promise that if we have a heart that doesn't belong to the ways of the world, He will be our unseen protector in times of distress.  Our eyes might not readily notice His presence when terror strikes, but His all-knowing eyes see everything on earth, and He has the situation in hand even in those emergencies that allow us no time to pray more than, "Help!"
          Because the eyes of the Most High are active eyes.  They don't sit still.  They don't take up residence in a church building and fail to go with you elsewhere.  They diligently search the world night and day for every opportunity to show God's strength on your behalf.  They glorify His name by watching over the righteous.  Anyone, no matter how strong, who tries to harm God's children has no chance to do so outside of His will.
          Perhaps your circumstances cause you to live in fear.  Maybe you live alone.  Or maybe you live in a dangerous neighborhood.  Or maybe you're petrified because someone threatened to do you harm.  Or maybe it's something else, but for whatever reason, your home just doesn't feel like a safe haven for you.  And you just can't shake the fear you feel for your safety, or for the safety of your spouse, children or other loved ones.
          God's message for you is one of good tidings: You've no need to fear if you know the Lord and live for Him.  "He Who watches over you will neither slumber nor sleep," (Psalm 121:3-4) so that you can sleep easy.  "When you lie down, you will not be afraid.  Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.  Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught."  (Proverbs 3:24-26)
          He Who sits on the throne of the universe is a Defender of unmatched strength, and He is watching you all the time.  Make your heart completely His, and find rest and perfect peace in Him at all times.

   If you're knowledgeable of Bible prophecy, then when you read THIS ARTICLE from the NY Times, it will be evident to you why I linked to it.  (And if you're not knowledgeble of Bible prophecy, you should become so.)  Here's a link that could help you learn while listening to teachings online. 

   We just returned from Cluj to Buzau to begin the process of moving to Cluj.  Our goal, Lord-willing, is to move there in two weeks.  

   UPDATE SATURDAY--The link to our web photo album of the new neighborhood we'll be living in didn't work, so I've removed it today.  But you can see the photo album by emailing us to ask for it, and you'll receive an invite email to go to the album, which will contain a link that works. 

   We got a witnessing opportunity this morning to the real estate agent who represented our new landlord at the apartment we have just rented.  It happened when she suggested we must do what is a common practice in Romania these days among owners and renters whose integrity is worth less to them than a little money.  She said what we must do is first sign the real contract for the rental, and then make a second fake contract that would lie about how much money the apartment was being rented for, so the landlord could report the false numbers to the government and avoid paying the taxes she owed.  It is done so commonly and with so little conscience against it that when I said No, we won't do that, she was pretty sure I was just joking.  (Because the end result is that we will have to pay the taxes on top of our rent since we refuse to help the landlord avoid it, and in a city like this, someone taking that stand is uncommon.)   

   When I told her I was completely serious, and she realized that I was refusing to tell a lie that would have made my rent cost 16 percent lower by bilking the government, she said somewhat mockingly, "Yes, you would go to hell for sure if you did this." 

   I said, "Oh, no, I'm definitely going to heaven, but even though I know that for sure, I'm still not going to do this.  If she (the landlord) lies to the finance officials, her signature will be the only one on the paper." 

   Then she said, still kind of mockingly, "Okay, so you'll always be poor in this life, but at least you get to go to heaven because of this."

   "No," I said, "I'll never be poor because of this, and I'll not get to heaven because I was honest, either."  

   Something in that moment changed her demeanor, because the situation that started out with flippant talk about eternity, because of our willingness to do what was right even at a financial cost, somehow had just become a situation where she wanted to talk sincerely about such issues.  She was intrigued about a couple things in what we had told her that were different from anything she had ever heard before. 

   The first was that I was speaking with assurance that I have eternal life, and the second was that I wasn't trusting in any good works or in personal integrity to earn it for me. 

   So why will you be going to heaven, then, she wanted to know. 

   I explained to her that the Bible teaches that no one is good enough to deserve heaven, and that the only people who go there will be those who receive it as a free gift of God because they trust in His Son. This is possible, I explained, because Jesus had lived a perfect life in our place, and then had died on the cross in our place, taking all the punishment we deserve for our sins against God.  So we can have eternal life if we trust in Him, and let Him give us His righteous record. 

   "And it is because of thankfulness to God for that gift of eternal life," I explained, "that I can be motivated to refuse to be dishonest in this situation." 

   She marveled at that, saying that "our church always threatens us with hell and says 'if you're not really good and don't do this and this and this then you'll go to hell.'"  The idea that eternal life is a gift of God, not of works so that no one can boast, was a completely new concept to her. 

   And I tell this story to ask you to continue to pray for us, because as we share the gospel in Cluj, Romania, we'll see that this all-important truth about right relationships with God is a totally new concept for almost everyone we share it with.  And I also share this story to remind all of you reading it who believe, that this is a truth that is lost on almost all of the people you encounter each day, wherever you live in this world.  Even among religious people, you'll find most folks you know think that "good people" go to heaven and "bad people" go to hell. 

   If you know the Lord, and know the simple, Biblical way to come to know Him, live your life looking for and asking God for opportunities to tell others about Him.  He wants the people you encounter as you go about your daily life to know the gospel of Jesus Christ, and as you pray asking His Holy Spirit to fill and empower you, and to prepare the hearts of people you meet, then He will give you chances to share and the boldness it takes to walk through those open doors.