Pakistan Update…

 Friends of GRN, here is the latest update on our friend Mr. Sharon from Pakistan. Please keep praying for this troubled country.  

“Dear Tom, Elli, Megan, John, and Jeremiah,Greetings from Pakistan!We all as a family are thankful for your prayers without ceasing that brought us safely home on Monday December 31^st from Lahore. We praise the Lord for our sons who showed their obedience and faithfulness by being a great source of encouragement and support to both of us in these last few days. 

On December 31^st, 2007 we gave thanks to the Lord for being our refuge, fortress and a source of protection in the year 2007 and for the gift of life as we entered in the year 2008.  We Praise the Lord for your love, friendship and heart for this part of the world. Please lift my wife in your prayers, as she is going through post-traumatic stress.   

Please pray for the Peace and safety in Pakistan while the country goes for Election on February 17^th, 2008.

May the Lord Bless you and your family and use you as a tool of evangelism to bring many to His Kingdom.

We love you folks and will keep you updated.

In His Love,

The Sharon Family”

As Having Nothing,

Yet Possessing All Things… 

“But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (Apostle Paul – 2 Corinthians 6:4-10)

In this passage, The Apostle Paul shares with the Corinthian Church some of the personal costs he has paid for the sake of Christ and the ministry Jesus has called him to.

The last line of verse ten used to really intrigue me. I say “used to” because I believe God has given me a small glimpse into the possibilities of such a statement. This is the statement of a separated man. A holy man. A man who has counted the cost. A man not owned by the temporary world. A man who knows what true riches are.

In 2 Cor. 5:14, Paul reveals the bare bones of his motivation; “For the love of Christ compels (or controls) us.” Notice he doesn’t say “The love FOR Christ” but “The love OF Christ?” I believe Paul was speaking about a heart transplant. It was as though Christ found a place to love the Corinthians (which were a pretty interesting bunch to say the least) through Paul. Jesus understood sacrifice and suffering better than anyone. As He hung on the cross, He had no possessions yet was rich. He saw through the eyes of love and eternity, not earthly belongings. He was poor, yet made many rich. He made me rich.

There is no greater poverty than poverty of heart…poverty of love.  Paul said in 1 Cor. 13; “If I have not love, I am nothing.” We as people not only need to give love, but we need to receive it. Without this exchange our lives are meaningless.

It has been said that some of the wealthiest people in the world are also some of the emptiest human beings there are. People of great means, throughout history, have taken their own lives. Thou they had “everything”; they possessed nothing of lasting value. They didn’t possess love.

So… the point of this little lesson is this; we will never fully understand what it means to be rich until we too have a heart transplant…until Christ comes to love through us.

As long as we have love, we “possess all things” that really matter.

You make me rich,

Tom Zurowski

The Normal Christian

*lifeonline

Happy New Year!!

Join Tom Zurowski in his home as he shares thoughts from the heart as we head into this New Year full of opportunity in God.

We hope and pray that this year we all will fulfill the destiny and dreams that God has for each one of us. 

This broadcast is 5 minutes and 11 seconds long.

 

Pakistan Update…

Hi friends. This is an update and prayer request from Mr. Sharon in Pakistan as of this morning. 

“Alpha Christian Book Room’s Glass doors and two book racks were damaged during the violence in the city of Islamabad. Please continue to pray for Pakistan, Alpha Ministries Pastors and Alpha Book Room in Islamabad. We love you folks and are thankful for your prayers at this time.”

Thank you,Mr. Sharon

Pakistan… 

Dear friends of GRN,

I would like to solicit your prayers on behalf of my friend Mr. Sharon in Pakistan (We featured Mr. Sharon on *lifeonline a few weeks ago. Scroll down to view interview on this page). As many of you already know, Pakistan is in an uproar today over the assassination of Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and twenty others.

I personally spoke with Mr. Sharon today and he said the situation is chaotic. The bomb blast that killed these people occurred only one mile from his home. He assured me that he and his family were fine and are staying in a hotel outside of town until things calm down. Praise God!

Please lift your voice in prayer for Mr. Sharon, his family, and the people of Pakistan.

Thank you,

Tom Zurowski

 

Sunday Service December 23 @HCF, New York  This week I had the joy of reading the story of Conrad The Cobbler and His Special Guest to a fine group of world changers. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to minister to the children @ HCF (Harvest Christian Fellowship – New York). I would like to thank all of the adults who listened in as the the kids and I learned about the value of God’s masterpieces (people). I pray that the seeds planted in these children will one day reap a harvest unto our Lord. I pray that each of them will grow to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength and that they would love people the way God does. God bless you and have a great week.

Merry Christmas!

I love you all very much,

Tom Zurowski

The Normal Christian

*lifeonline

This week Tom Zurowski and John Follman share Christmas Greetings with each of you. We hope you enjoy the season with all of those you love.

Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

You Matter…

- The entire GRN Family

This broadcast is 4 minutes and 7 seconds long. 

 

Thank you…

   

Elli and I would like to say thank you to all of GRN’s partners for standing with us this year. Your friendship and generosity have helped us to follow God’s call on our lives. Some of you have supported our work for years. Words will never say how humbled we are by your kindness and confidence. Please continue to pray for us as we plan for 2008. 

You really matter to us, 

Tom and Elli Zurowski

Megan Zurowski @GRN

I am very excited to officially be a part of the GRN Team. I’m so glad that I have the time to play a greater part in this ministry.

At this time, I am training under my dad’s assistant, Carole Mitchell, to be able to take over her position as GRN makes it’s transition down to Kentucky.

I have also been working on a children’s newsletter that will be inserted in GRN’s newsletter throughout this coming year. I am very excited about helping to encourage kids to live “The Normal Christian Life.”

I would appreciate everyone’s prayers as I continue to learn, and as I walk the path that the Lord has set before me.

Thank you,

Megan Zurowski

Ministry Hair…? 

This week John Follman had the “joy” of “ministering” to John Zurowski by cutting his hair. He didn’t know that hair cutting was part of working with GRN, but he is finding out that working with the Zurowskis provides all kinds of “opportunities” for growth and “personal expansion.” You may want to pray for John Follman J  

Oh, by the way, John Zurowski lived through this experience.