messenger international newsletter nov 2011

www.MessengerInternational.org/Newsletter | 1.800.648.1477

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NOVEMBER 2011 | MESSENGERINTERNATIONAL.ORG Inside, brand-new message by John…

JOSEPH WENT JOSEPH WENT JOSEPH WENT THROUGH THROUGH THROUGH SLAVERY SLAVERY SLAVERY

AND PRISON AND PRISON AND PRISON BEFORE HE WAS BEFORE HE WAS BEFORE HE WAS

PROMOTED.PROMOTED.PROMOTED.

ABRAM ABRAM ABRAM EMBARKED ON A EMBARKED ON A EMBARKED ON A LONG, DIFFICULT LONG, DIFFICULT LONG, DIFFICULT

JOURNEY JOURNEY JOURNEY BEFORE BEFORE BEFORE

BECOMING BECOMING BECOMING ABRAHAM.ABRAHAM.ABRAHAM.

PAUL WAS PAUL WAS PAUL WAS SHIPWRECK, SHIPWRECK, SHIPWRECK,

BEATEN, BEATEN, BEATEN, STONED, AND STONED, AND STONED, AND

WHIPPED WHIPPED WHIPPED BEFORE HE BEFORE HE BEFORE HE

REACHED ROME.REACHED ROME.REACHED ROME.

SOLOMON SOLOMON SOLOMON EXPERIENCED EXPERIENCED EXPERIENCED

PROFOUND PROFOUND PROFOUND DISILLUSION-DISILLUSION-DISILLUSION-

MENT BEFORE MENT BEFORE MENT BEFORE HE DISCOVERED HE DISCOVERED HE DISCOVERED THE MEANING THE MEANING THE MEANING

OF LIFE.OF LIFE.OF LIFE.

JOSHUA JOSHUA JOSHUA FOUGHT THE FOUGHT THE FOUGHT THE PHILISTINES PHILISTINES PHILISTINES

BEFORE ISRAEL BEFORE ISRAEL BEFORE ISRAEL COULD TAKE COULD TAKE COULD TAKE

THE PROMISED THE PROMISED THE PROMISED LAND.LAND.LAND.

JOHN THE JOHN THE JOHN THE BAPTIST LIVED BAPTIST LIVED BAPTIST LIVED ALONE IN THE ALONE IN THE ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS WILDERNESS WILDERNESS

BEFORE BEFORE BEFORE BEGINNING HIS BEGINNING HIS BEGINNING HIS

MINISTRY.MINISTRY.MINISTRY.

JESUS HAD JESUS HAD JESUS HAD TO DIE ON THE TO DIE ON THE TO DIE ON THE CROSS BEFORE CROSS BEFORE CROSS BEFORE HE COULD BE HE COULD BE HE COULD BE

GLORIFIED AND GLORIFIED AND GLORIFIED AND SAVE HUMANITY.SAVE HUMANITY.SAVE HUMANITY.

DAVID WAS DAVID WAS DAVID WAS HUNTED BY HUNTED BY HUNTED BY

SAUL BEFORE SAUL BEFORE SAUL BEFORE HE WAS HE WAS HE WAS

ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED AS KING.AS KING.AS KING.

ESTHER HAD ESTHER HAD ESTHER HAD TO RISK HER TO RISK HER TO RISK HER LIFE TO SAVE LIFE TO SAVE LIFE TO SAVE HER PEOPLE.HER PEOPLE.HER PEOPLE.

YOURYOURYOURRELENTLESSRELENTLESSRELENTLESSSTORY HERESTORY HERESTORY HERE

messengerTruth. News. Outreach.John & Lisa Bevere


calendarnovember

december

january

january, cont.

12/4 (John)Los Angeles, CALA Dream Center

1/5-6 (John & Lisa)Seoul, KoreaAwake! 2012 ConferenceTribe of Levi Ministries

1/8 (John)Houston, TXGrace Community Church

11/29 (John)Honolulu, HIWord of Life Christian Center

11/17-20 (John)Surabaya, IndonesiaBethany Graha Church

11/26-27 (John & Lisa)Carlsbad, CAChristian City Church

11/30 (John)Denver, COThe Potter’s House of Denver

12/9 (John)Augusta, GANew Life Christian Center

1/12 (John)Bradenton, FLChristian Retreat Family Church

1/12-16 (Lisa)Girls Get-A-Way CruisePremier Christian Cruises

1/11 (John)Bradenton, FLBayside Community

12/10-11 (John)Huntsville, ALThe Rock Family Worship

1/14-15 (John)Lake Worth, FLTrinity Church International

1/15 (John)Jupiter, FLGeneration Church

1/20-22 (John)Waipahu, HIHope Chapel West O’ahu

1/25 (John)Hilo, HISure Foundation Hilo

1/24 (John)Puna, HISure Foundation Puna

1/26 (John)Kailua Kona, HIHI Solid Rock Ministries

1/19-20 (Lisa)Mt. Pleasant, SCAnnual Women’s ConferenceSeacoast Christian Center



Dear Friends,

More than ever before, each of us must choose daily to live a life of relentless faith! This is a season to encour-

age one another, pray passionately, and purposefully lay hold of God’s promises. Life becomes an adventure

when we remember that, in Christ, we are empowered to overcome any storm He leads us into!

In Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. 2 Corinthians 2:14 (The Message)

Many of you joined us in Colorado Springs last June for the Relentless curriculum tapings. If you were there,

then you already know the weight and urgency of this series. I believe the message of Relentless is challeng-

ing, empowering, timely, and prophetic. It is with great excitement that we announce the availability of this

message, and we pray this word takes root in your life, relationships, and church.

Messenger International has resolved to be relentless as we continue to teach, reach, and rescue. On the

following pages we share but a window into what is happening because of your faithful prayers and gener-

ous support. Leaders are receiving resources in their own languages, and young women are realizing a future

� lled with hope and promise.

With love,

John & Lisa

With love,

John & Lisa

www.MessengerInternational.org/Newsletter | 1.800.648.1477 3


Unlike physical growth, spiritual maturity is not a result of the passing of time. Paul once called adult Christians in Corinth spiritual infants. Neither is spiritual development, like mental growth, a function of learning. Though they spent their lives studying the law, Jesus told the Pharisees, “You do not have [the Father’s] message in your hearts” (John 5:39 NLT).

Hebrews reveals the process of spiritual maturity in Jesus’ life: “He learned obedience by the things which He su� ered” (Hebrews 5:8 NKJV). We grow spiritually through obedience to God in the midst of su� ering.

JOSEPH’S RELENTLESS STORY

Probably the greatest biblical example of this is Joseph, a man who relentlessly believed God’s word. Joseph was the favorite of Jacob’s twelve sons. Because he was a bit of a bragger and a tattletale, his older brothers did not like him. When God gave Joseph two dreams showing that he would one day rise to leadership and be served by his family, his brothers hated him even more. They staged his death and sold him to become a slave in Egypt.

Though Joseph thrived as the head servant in the house of a powerful Egyptian o� cer, after ten years, he was again wrongfully treated. His master’s wife approached him daily, asking him to commit adultery with her. When he refused, she accused him of rape.

He was removed from his position and thrown into Pharaoh’s dungeon. For two years, he was given just enough bread and water to survive the hardships of the prison.

The thoughts of doubt that must have crossed Joseph’s mind could have easily turned into o� ense toward God. Is this how a loving, faithful God cares for those who obey Him? He gave me a dream of leadership, but when I shared it, what did it get me? A life of slavery. Then I obeyed God’s command to � ee sexual immorality, and I was thrown into prison. It seems the more I obey, the worse my life gets. Serving God is just a mean joke.

In the face of God’s apparent unfaithfulness, the only freedom Joseph still had was the freedom to choose his response to his circumstances. Would he become bitter, jaded, and cynical? Would he despise the word of God? Would he give up all hope of the promise’s ful� llment? Would he steadfastly resist, or would he succumb to inaccurate emotions, thoughts, and feelings?

It probably never crossed Joseph’s mind that God was using this process to prepare him to rule. God knew when He called Joseph that his brothers would betray him. He knew Potiphar’s wife would cause him to be thrown into the dungeon. And He knew Joseph would face his greatest test when he was called upon to interpret the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s former servants. Because he proclaimed the faithfulness of God to these men, even after twelve years of hardship, he was able to meet his destiny.

[YOUR RELENTLESS STORY HERE]BY JOHN BEVERE

AS CHILDREN OF GOD, WE ALL

WANT TO PLEASE OUR FATHER BY

GROWING UP IN FAITH. BUT HOW

CAN WE DO THIS?



Twenty-one years after Joseph received God’s promises, he was the second-most powerful man in all of Egypt. His brothers bowed before him just as he had foreseen. Though he started out as a bragger and a tattletale, his obedience to truth out� tted him with the character to rule.

Like Joseph, all great men and women in the Kingdom of God have a relentless story:• ESTHER HAD TO RISK HER LIFE TO

SAVE HER PEOPLE.

• JOSHUA FOUGHT THE PHILISTINES

BEFORE ISRAEL COULD TAKE THE

PROMISED LAND.

• DAVID WAS HUNTED BY SAUL BEFORE

HE WAS ESTABLISHED AS KING.

• SOLOMON EXPERIENCED PROFOUND

DISILLUSIONMENT BEFORE HE

DISCOVERED THE MEANING OF LIFE.

• JOHN THE BAPTIST LIVED ALONE IN

THE WILDERNESS BEFORE BEGINNING

HIS MINISTRY.

• AND JESUS HIMSELF HAD TO DIE ON

THE CROSS BEFORE HE COULD BE

GLORIFIED AND SAVE HUMANITY.

LIVE YOUR RELENTLESS STORY

God is never the author of your hardship, but His will is for you to endure, knowing that your su� ering will result in victory. Your obedience in the trials you face will shape you for the destiny that lies ahead.

Beloved, God has called you. He loves you so much that He is not willing to leave you as you are. God is not shocked or disarmed by the su� erings you, like Joseph, face. On the contrary, He uses su� ering as your path to victory. When you face hardships, rejoice in knowing that your faith is being shaped. When you feel alone, defeated, and unable to continue, remember God’s promise to you: “The God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have su� ered a while, [will] perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10 NKJV).

Now is the time to endure in faith. Don’t grow hard and calloused towards God. Don’t be discouraged with yourself. Instead, allow the su� ering in your life to produce spiritual growth: faith pleasing to God. The Earth waits in eager anticipation for the unveiling of your relentless story! (Romans 8:19)

THE SAME IS TRUE FOR YOU. ON

THE PATH TO RULERSHIP, YOU WILL

FACE HARDSHIP AND TRIBULATION.



Indonesia is one of the most

populated countries on Earth. It is

also home to the world’s largest

Muslim population, and there is a

great need for truth in this nation. In

September, thousands of Indonesian

pastors gathered in one of the

region’s largest church buildings. We sent them 10,000

copies The Bait of Satan in their language.

In less than ten minutes, over 100 workers had

distributed all 10,000 books. The leaders stood to their

feet. They were waving the books and glorifying God

for the truth sown into their nation. We celebrated this

triumph, but we were also left with the realization that

10,000 copies were not enough.

Because so many pastors were left without a book,

we decided to return to Indonesia in November with

additional resources. During Pastor Appreciation

Month in October, every purchase made through

Messenger International provided 4 translated copies

of The Bait of Satan. When we returned to the pastors,

we were able to meet their need with abundance.

Your purchases provided 7,420 copies of The Bait of Satan to pastors in Indonesia.

Thank you for partnering with us to strengthen the

global church!

HIGHLIGHTED OUTREACH:Indonesia



When four-year-old SreyPhea’s alcoholic father took

her and vanished into a remote Cambodian province,

In His Steps International (IHSI) feared that she was lost

forever. IHSI heard con� icting stories of her being sold,

abandoned, or given away to distant relatives, always

leading to frustrating dead ends in their attempts to

� nd her.

Nearly two years later, a chance conversation led to

contact with someone who knew SreyPhea’s location.

Not only was she at the mercy of abusive relatives, but

she was su� ering from a serious injury and rapidly losing

vision in one eye. Two of the IHSI sta� traveled far into

the northern regions of Cambodia on a rescue mission,

having already been granted custody of SreyPhea by

local authorities.

Nearly two years later, a chance conversation led to

contact with someone who knew SreyPhea’s location.

Not only was she at the mercy of abusive relatives, but

she was su� ering from a serious injury and rapidly losing

vision in one eye. Two of the IHSI sta� traveled far into

the northern regions of Cambodia on a rescue mission,

having already been granted custody of SreyPhea by

SreyPhea is now six years old and adjusting well as the

youngest resident of Father’s House. She is an energetic

girl who loves to be part of everything that goes on

around her. An eye operation restored her vision, allowing

her to engage with others more easily, and her con� dence

has soared. She loves coloring, looking at picture books,

singing, and dancing. She’s even been known to casually

join the church worship team Sunday mornings!

We are so happy to � nally have SreyPhea safely at Father’s

House where she can be nurtured and cared for. Please

pray for continued healing from her past as God leads her

into a bright and hopeful future.

Thank you for partnering with us to bring safety and hope

to this precious girl!

Top left: Built in 2010, the Father’s House is a safe house for at-risk children in Saang, Cambodia; bottom left: In His Steps International is one of Pearl Alliance’s onsite organizations located in Cambodia.

Srey Phea’sSTORY


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1.800.648.14771.719.487.3000www. MessengerInternational.org

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messenger international newsletter nov 2011

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