PICTURES of THE QUAKE

PICTURES of THE QUAKE
-Andrew Strom.

In my first few nights here in Christchurch there were several big
aftershocks of Richter 4.5 or more. Anything less and we tend
not to notice - but those ones can wake you out of a sound sleep.
Remarkably though, you would never know that Christchurch had
been through a worse quake than Haiti. There is damage (as you
will see in the photos) - particularly to many older church buildings
and so-on. But much of the city is recovering with only minor
disruption. Many people are quite traumatized, however. They
will not get over this in a hurry.

Unlike Katrina there is seemingly not much left for teams of
volunteers to do. Much of the "grunt" work is already done. Instead
we feel led to reach out in more SPIRITUAL ways this time - to
a deeply affected population - with open-air worship events and
so-on. Please pray with us for a true "Street Revival", my friends.

The fact that so many old - and even newer - church buildings and
cathedrals have been so damaged and forcibly abandoned, has
really been speaking to me. I believe God is showing that the time
has come where we really must begin to call the true church OUT
of her enclosing walls and into the Open where a lost and dying
world awaits. We were never supposed to allow the Bride of Christ
to be "imprisoned" away from the very world she is called to reach.
This whole thing has emboldened me to preach again things I have
long laid aside - that Christ is calling His true church out of her
"cathedrals" - out where she is meant to be. It is high time we
abandoned our gilded cages - and all the "junk" that goes with
them - and got back to the ways of the early church.

"Street Revival" and the leaving behind of our man-made 'traditions'
are becoming an emphasis for me once again. We need to let the
"SHAKING of CHRISTCHURCH" speak loudly to us all. What is
God trying to say?

You can see some pictures of the quake aftermath taken by Noah
and Kate Cremisino at our website below. Please take the time
to comment if you can. Here is the link-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/