The Church of Oprah

I received an email today from a friend.  They asked me to check out this link and stated this is a very dangerous movement in the USA today.  What are your thoughts?  Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA

I had an email sent to me today that gave us this link to youtube.  Check it out and tell me what you think.  This young boy is amazing - wise beyond his years.  It is the story of a young boy that called in on a Chrsitian radio program.  It really touched me and my wife's heart-strings.  Here's the link:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aPXls7lKUHE

Today marks the one year anniversary since the bus accident in Southern Chile.  He certainly has taught me a great deal through the whole experience.  God was very good to spare my life.  I am very grateful to Him for His hand upon me.  The surgeon said my neck should have been broken.  God apparently is not yet done with my life and has things He wants me to do.  I don't want to disappoint Him.  I want to serve Him and please Him everyday of my life.  I am glad God has allowed me to see my children and their families and grandchildren.  I love them all from the very depths of my heart.  And I am glad I can still hold my wife in my arms whom I love with all my heart.  I surely do not deserve her.  My greatst prayer today is that He might be pleased with my life and that our children will love Him with all their hearts and serve Him all their lives.  Thank you Lord for you great kindness and patience.  I love you.

POLITICS

Here are some interesting pieces of information:

1.  Some News Journalists did a survey in the state of Ohio and polled at random some 1000 prospective voters and found the following:  They believe Hilary will win the democratic nomination and Rudy will win the republican ticket.  If they were voting today, Hilary would win by a +3% margin.

2.  I read Time Magazine which came out this week.  Time did a random poll of 1064 registered voters and found the following: 

     A.  Of the 11 potential candidates in the republican and democratic parties, the percentage of those polled with a favorable view of the candidate, Rudolph Giuliani had the highest vote with an 82% favorable view.  Second place was tied between John McCain and Barak Obama with a 70% favorable view. 

     B.  The percentage of those polled that would definitely support the candidate in election was 28% for Hilary Clinton.  Second place in this category went to Barak Obama with a 22% vote.  Rudy Giuliani came in third with a 18% rating.

     C.  The percentage who think it's likely that the candidate would win:  Hilary came in first with a 63% vote, Rudy came in second with a 62% vote.

3.  Time went on to report that if primaries were held today, 40% of the democrats would vote for Hilary and the next closest to her in the democratic party was Obama with 21% of the democratic vote.  On the republican side, 30% said they would vote for John McCain.  And next to him was Rudy Giuliani with 26% of the republican vote.

I predict a few changes this election over the last election: (1) I predict the Christians will not be as unified in this election as they were in the last and will be more divided as to who they will vote for.  (2)  I predict Hollywood will play a much bigger role in this election than in the last one.  I think they will use their influence to muster up votes for their candidates pouring big bucks in their campaigns and doing commercial spots for them.  (3)  The internet will be used extensively by the candidates more than in the last.  Blogging will be a big tool and they will put spots on Youtube to promote their campaign.  Any comments?

Dear Prayer Supporters,

We want to take this opportunity to wish each of you the very best Christmas ever and a Christ-filled New Years.  With all the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, let us not forget our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It is His birth we celebrate and commemorate.  May we be pleasing to Him in everything.  The Lord of Lords and King of Kings is worthy of our best devotion and service.  May He have first place in all areas of our lives.

Since our last prayer letter in September, we have been doing a lot of traveling.  Since the first of September, we have shared in 17 different churches, 5 of which were mission conferences.  In addition we have shared in 6 other special meetings, participated in 5 training conferences, 4 services in a prison ministry, 1 couples retreat, and even managed to get in a week of deer hunting.  And we greatly enjoyed Thanksgiving with family and friends.  We had much to catch up on since our last furlough was over six years ago.

We thank the Lord for His provision in our lives and ministry.  When we first came off the field 5 months ago, we were short $466 in monthly support.  That figure has now dropped to $249

thanks to a few of our supporting churches that have increased

their support and to a few families that have decided to support

us on a monthly basis.  Please pray that the remainder of these funds come in as soon as possible.   If you would like to support this ministry and be a part of what God is doing in Chile, please write or call us and we will send you the necessary information to get you started.

We had planned to return to Chile by late March of this next year – which would have made it an eight month furlough .  It appears now that our return will be near the end of June or the first part of July – making it a full one year furlough.  This is due to various reasons but a few of them include:

1.  We could use the time to pursue more training in Biblical Counseling.  Nikki and I have taken some courses already and now I am looking to start my masters program in Biblical Counseling.  The extra time will greatly help in that endeavor.  The training will be a help to our ministry in Chile as we seek to encourage national pastors, perhaps teach a course in Biblical Counseling at our Bible Seminary there, be better equipped to help our missionary colleagues should they need counseling, and enhance our church planting ministry.

2.  It will allow more time to raise the monthly support we still lack.

3.  It will allow us to be able to visit family members and enjoy some down-time which we really haven't had ever since our return to the USA this past July.

4.  It will allow us to spend more time in our sending church building relationships with them more.  We have been there very little due to our very busy schedule traveling to all our supporting churches.

There are other reasons as well but these are the main factors influencing this decision. 

We have had some good news recently:  Our son Matt and his wife Jen had an addition to their family – a baby boy.  Matthew Scott Russell, Jr. was born Nov. 16, and so we now have two grandchildren.  We’re getting old!!  Our dear church family in Chile is doing well.  This week we will have our annual baptismal and church picnic.  There are 14 being baptized this year.  To God be the glory.  Our daughter church in Rancagua is struggling a bit but we continue to move ahead for now with our plans.  They continue to meet in a school house and have around 15 in attendance.  

As we close please remember these other prayer requests:

1.  Pray for Scott’s continued recovery from neck surgery.  He needs to get in to a good doctor here in the USA.

2.  Pray that God lead us to the right national to pastor our dear church in San Joaquin.

3.  Pray that some of our current supporting churches increase our support and/or more individuals take us on for support – so that we may return to Chile by late-June of this next year.

4.  Pray that we might be able to raise the remainder of “outfit and passage” funds to purchase a newer vehicle for our ministry which will replace our 1991 van.  We still need to raise about $8000 for this purchase.

5.  Pray that God meet all of Luke’s needs while in Bible college.  Money has been tight for him.

6.  Pray that our home-schooling for Laura and Samuel be thorough and efficient.

Thanks for your faithful prayer support.  It means a lot to us.  We love

you and look forward to seeing you as we travel around to all our sup-

porting churches.

For the Cause of Christ,

Scott & Nikki Russell and family

2Cor. 4:5 – “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.”