Articles

We are so thankful for your consistent support of CRI! Together we have brought hope to countless lives around the world. But, there is much work to be done. Crisis is increasing and needs are urgent however there is mercy in the midst of the storm!

We have a vision to train and mobilize 10,000 Crisis Responders. We are currently planning more training events and have already started filming the online CRí Academy.

As our reach is expanding our need for critical infrastructure, full-time staff and warehousing has increased. We just signed a three year lease in North Carolina on a new building and we know we are ready as never before.

We want you to know your support is needed to carry on the vision of reaching the harvest in crisis and rebuilding cities and nations on the Kingdom of God. Your gift today directly impacts those impacted by disaster and crisis. Today, as you give know you are our partners in the work of the harvest. Together, let’s do great things and spread his Light and Love to the ends of the earth.

LET HIS LIGHT SHINE!

Sean Malone, Director & Founder

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One of the largest humanitarian crises of all time is happening right now. What will our response be? 

By Sean Malone, Director & Founder of CRI

The world is watching one of the most complex refugee situations unfold as nearly 10 million people have been displaced in Syria. The Syrian civil war has been going on since the “2011 Arab Spring” when a rebel army tried to overthrow Bashar Al Assad genocidal regime.

Hopelessness set in as the U.S. remained unengaged even after Assad gassed thousands of innocent Syrians. The tangled web of politics and the vacuum of leadership of the U.S. gave rise to a new extremist group we now know as ISIS.

Here is a quick breakdown on where 3.8 Million Syrian refugees have fled into neighboring countries. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have not taken any in.

CRI originally deployed in 2013 to assist Syrian refugees that fled to Kurdistan of Iraq. We can only say God knew what was coming as ISIS trampled through the region displacing another 3.3 million Iraqis with 1.3 million of them seeking assistance in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. CRI to this day remains at the center of this crisis with teams in Kurdistan and Greece.

A Predicted Crisis

George Bush predicted we would see the rise of another radical group if the U.S. pulled out of Iraq too soon. Sadly, this is exactly what happened as we essentially armed them as ISIS stole US weapons taken from the Iraqi National Guard.

The issue could have been curbed by simply arming our allies the Kurds who are the only trusted fighting force that has been resisting ISIS since the beginning. Instead the U.S. partnered with Syrian Rebels, Shia based Iran and Baghdad instead. The plot has thickened now with Russia engaging and the situation seems to get more complicated by the day.

The resources and opportunities in the neighboring countries of Syria and Iraq have been exasperated and now refugees hopeless of U.S. intervention have looked beyond the Middle East for help. The issue is now boiling over with a massive influx into Greece, Germany and beyond.

Political and Ideological Quagmire

 

What has been termed the European Refugee Crisis is truly an Islamic one in nature. The true underlying issue is that there is very little hope found in Islam as it is a theocratic and political religion void of true compassion and love. This can be verified by the Quran and looking at history itself.

There are no simple answers to any of this as the issue is deeply complex. As I have been saying for years now, the issue of radical Islam is not going away. It cannot. ISIS and other extremist who follow the Quran literally are bent on bringing death and destruction to the US and to Israel. ISIS stated goals are to bring the Church to a great end-time battle.

Needless to say it is a political and an ideological quagmire. There are many points that could be argued as to whose fault this is and what the solutions are. I pray that our government makes good decisions and protects our borders. From a political standpoint I believe the people and problems should be settled over there. I would go as far to say that the fighting age men flooding Europe right now should be sent back to defend their own country before we send our troops.  However at the end of the day my responsibility as a follower of Jesus is to try and understand what He is doing in the midst of all of this.

Go and Make Disciples

 

Jesus’ last command to His followers that we would go and make disciples in all nations. We also understand that the great and final harvest will be in the midst of great and terrible shakings all over the earth. I believe that God’s heart is burning for Muslims and these Islamic nations. I believe if the church withdraws like the U.S. has then we will create an even greater spiritual vacuum and we will see the further radicalization of nations.  

Generations of ministries and missionaries have tried to bring the gospel and God’s love to unreached people groups in Syria and Iraq and now suddenly they are dispersed and reachable in many different nations. This is a time of unprecedented harvest and as the church we must engage in anyway we can.

Did you know there are more refugees worldwide than any other time in history right now? As trouble increases on the earth we know there is a time coming where the primary demographic of the harvest field will be refugees.

Shaking Nations

 

Just before the ISIS Crisis broke out I had a dream where the Lord asked me if I was willing to go to the places he was shaking with the spirit of adoption….and if I was I would see a great harvest of souls.

Very similarly a CRI team member had a dream where she was in the midst of the conflict in Syria and Iraq and that just her presence alone caused the worst of the worst terrorist’s hearts to soften because westerners were there willing to serve in the midst of such craziness. Just a short time later the ISIS crisis broke out and she went and served with amazing fruit to show for it.

I also understand that not everyone is specifically called to go serve in the Middle East however I was taken back by so many who claim they are building “places of refuge” but quickly took a hardline stance with the notion of refugees coming to the states.

I would say we need to at least take inventory for a moment and ask who are we really building refuge places for? Are these “refuge places” really for the harvest or are they just a means to preserve our Western lifestyles and security for ourselves? Again I am all for defending our borders, proper immigration and defending our families but I am warning you that God may have a different plan. After all wouldn’t that be profound that our refuge places actually took in refugees?

God’s plans always look different than ours and I believe we need to seek His perspective in all of this. One thing is clear that in the life of the apostles that they were not preoccupied with their personal safety but rather the advance of the gospel in all circumstances.

Philippians 1: 12-14 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Will you see challenges or opportunity in the days ahead?

After nearly two years of bringing relief and the gospel to countless refugees in this conflict I would say this, The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few!

What We Are Doing Now

Currently a CRI team is on the ground, ministering the love of God and reaching out to refugees seeking safe shelter on the Northern end of the island of Lesbos, Greece.

CRI is partnering with Euro Relief and Thirst No More in this deployment to help care for the refugees. Our partnership is making the Gospel accessible to thousands who may have not ever heard it before both in word and in deed. Thank you to our partners for making this outreach possible.

You can help right now by covering us in prayer and making a donation online now so we can get much needed items like socks, tarps, medicine and tents. We are also actively looking for CRI Responders or CRI Chaplains to deploy.

Additionally, our team is making plans to assist in the rebuilding of Sinjar the home of the Yazidi people who were the most affected by the ISIS Crisis.

Currently we are forming long term teams and we are looking for individuals who want to make a one or two year commitment to the rebuilding of these people and their city. If this is in your heart then be looking for new dates on our six week intensive in Cyprus. We have pushed the event back to unforeseen circumstances and it will provide the opportunity for more people to attend.

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By Sean Malone, Director of Crisis Response International

There is a growing apprehension today on the earth and sadly even in the church. The apprehension is rooted primarily in our incessant attachment to this “world” and the things thereof. Many of our pulpits have worked overtime to teach us that a life following God would benefit us financially and guarantee us no harm. But my question is, where does this leave the persecuted church or the churches in 2/3rds of the world who live in poverty? Yes, God protects His children but not under the pretense of preserving our lifestyles, but rather bringing glory to His name and advancing His Kingdom. Looking at scripture, suffering is a core theme in the life of the apostles and a badge of honor, yet sadly in the West we wholeheartedly disdain it.

In these end-times you can feel the fear levels rising exponentially. Jesus prophesied it years ago when he said, “People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” Luke 21:26.

There is no doubt we have many challenges to embrace here in the West but Jesus did not focus on the practical elements of how to escape these things. He warned us that the issues of the heart were more important than beans, guns and water.

Jesus actually gave us insight into how to endure and escape these days, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21: 34-36

Jesus is telling us to guard our hearts from the anxiety of what is to come or else that day will close on us like a trap. Do you realize that all of our cunning preparedness for the days ahead could mean absolutely NOTHING if we are doing it out of apprehension, fear and mere self-preservation? If it wasn’t so He would have been much more clear about the End-Time Church storing up and preparing for the “big hold out”. But He didn’t. He is the Suffering Lamb that showed us another way. We need to have eyes to see His Kingdom and His ways. That’s why our Great Shepherd warned us to watch our hearts more than our stuff.

 

The predicted coming crisis this fall is revealing the heart and shaking those things that can be shaken.

By Sean Malone, Director of Crisis Response International

Dear Friends,

There has been a lot of talk and speculation about what is coming upon the world this fall. From N.Y. times bestsellers like the Harbinger and the mystery of the Shemitah (Shemitah years are God’s seven year cycles mentioned in Scripture and linked to economic activity) to contemporary prophets and Blood Moon preachers. While we can’t draw hard and fast doctrines from any of these things, they are signs that make one wonder. I personally have heard quite a bit about what is supposed to happen in America this September but very little about what we are to do. Is it just me or does it feel like someone just sucked the air out of the room? It’s like a collective gasp around the body of Christ right now as many of us are frozen, stuck and unsure of what to do. Some are even locked up in fear while the enemy just laughs. But I believe God is raising up people who understand the times and know what to do.

From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. 2 Chronicles 12:32 NLT.

Just as God raised up the sons of Issachar who could interpret the times and know what to do, we need to be equipped with knowledge and wisdom on how to take action for the good of the Church and for the sake of the Gospel.

Faith Not Fear

No matter what happens this fall, none of it will take God by surprise. The answer to navigating the potentially troubled waters of this fall is rooted in faith and not fear. If your plan is to hunker down, hoard and just hold on, friends I am sorry you are missing the point. It would help us all to dig into the book of Hebrews to see a bigger picture. In Hebrews chapter 11 we see the many things the heroes of faith endured. By faith Noah, by faith Abraham, by faith Moses, they ran their race well and endured hardship “by faith” and became heroes of the faith. In chapter 12 we are reminded that God disciplines us as his sons and that we are to endure hardship as discipline from the Lord. Discipline is a sign of our sonship. He goes on to tell us that there is a time period that God will shake everything that can be shaken so that we can receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

God’s Shakings Are Redemptive in Nature

One thing we need to understand if we are talking about a God orchestrated shaking is that it is redemptive in nature and designed to perfect love for Him and for others. It’s ultimately the first and second commandment coming into first and second place. Anything not under the Lordship of Christ needs to be and will be shaken anyway if it is hindering love for Him and others.

Think about that for a second.

What distractions are in your life that keep you from loving Him and others wholeheartedly? Right now is your heart tender and free from the cares of this life? Is He truly your magnificent obsession? Are you living fully for Him and through Him? Secondly, right now do you love others as yourself and carry a burden for the lost among the nations? This should serve as a tuning fork for our hearts because it is what is on His heart.

How Will We Respond?

If this is true, our response to the potential shakings of this fall should look different. Our preparedness for an economic, political or even geological shaking should be more than a desperate attempt to hold onto our western lifestyles. Preparing for the days ahead is so much deeper than hoarding stuff. I have news for you, if that is your response than God may even shake that too. Do you really think He is looking for more western independence? It makes me wonder how many people are paralyzed in fear right now of what’s coming and have retreated from what God has called them to do. Our western gospel of comfort that is devoid of the notion that we may suffer has fashioned a golden image of who God is. With the threat that their god may be shaken, people are locked down in fear. Shakings are the litmus test to show who we really serve. Ask yourself this question, how much of my lifestyle did I fabricate and how much of it is built on God’s unshakable Kingdom?

Restoring the Second Commandment

The other aspect we need to understand is that in the shakings, God is restoring the second commandment as well as the first commandment. Love for others. What happens in the midst of a disaster or crisis? People come together and help each other. As we prepare for this fall, we need to be preparing to help others.

Today there is a prophecy about global crisis and the response is: determine to prepare for survival and self-preservation. In the 1st century there was a prophecy about a global crisis (Acts 11:27-30) and the response was: giving and aiding those impacted; each according to their ability determined to send relief to the brethren elsewhere.

We love to point fingers at the corporate depravity of our nation and say she deserves punishment while our hearts are just as bankrupt. Let’s take this time to examine our own lives and actions before we point the finger at anyone around us and make sure we are caring for the poor, needy and hurting, heeding the warnings of Scripture for the actions of Sodom.

“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.” Ezekiel 16: 49-50

Folks it is an upside down Kingdom. You give it away to keep it and this is a sign your heart is free. Again, if God is dealing corporately with us in America than our preparedness should be more of the heart than a fear based grasp to hold onto our western lifestyles. Now there is nothing wrong with preparing your home, neighborhood, church and business for crisis and disaster. Here at CRI we hold seminars on how to train people to do so. However as the church we need to take inventory of our hearts motivation to make sure we are not hunkering and bunkering in fear but rather getting ready to help others and be the glorious church in that hour. If something is out from under the Lordship of Christ right now in your life than you want that dealt with now and not later.

Hebrews 11:7 says. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. It’s says that Noah by faith…in holy fear prepared for his family.

Are you responding in faith or fear? Let’s choose faith. Join us as we call our nation to a fast now through September 23. We are praying and believing for an outpouring of God’s Spirit on the hearts and minds of those in our nation. Let’s humble ourselves before the Lord and believe that together we’ll see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

P.S. If we are going to be looking at the biblical calendar as a way that God deals with His people then remember the Shemitah just ended on September 13th and the year of Jubilee starts on September 23rd. I encourage you to be believing for great things!

Over 1.8 million people are homeless and desperate in Iraq right now. Your gift can change lives and bring hope to the hopeless.

CRI has the opportunity to purchase and ship modular homes to those in desperate need in Iraq.

For any gift of $25 or more, CRI will use funds to purchase and ship emergency shelter homes right to Iraq. We have teams on the ground right now to provide safe shelter immediately.

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We recently took a trip to Juarez, Mexico where the cartels have killed over 30,000 people in the last 4 years. It’s horrible and the light of God needs to be brought in..it’s now considered the most dangerous place on earth. While we there we heard an incredible story about a man who has a cart and stands on one of the streets selling food. One day, he was working at his cart when a man came and demanded food with his jacket open to show his gun.

The gunman was ranting on and on saying that if the food didn’t taste good he would kill him. The ‘food man’ then slipped the ‘gunman’ a Chick tract (a witnessing tool in cartoon form) to read while he prepared the food. The little tract that he randomly handed him happened to be named ‘The Gunman’. Once he finished reading it, he said, “I have a question for you, and if I don’t like the answer, you are dead.” Moving his jacket back to show his gun again he continued, “I have killed 14 people. Do you think that God can forgive me?”

The ‘food man’ replied, “The Father that you didn’t have is right here with you today and the Father loves you very much”.  He then hugged the “gunman” who started crying. The love of the Father overwhelmed him and he received Jesus as his personal Savior and gave his life to him. He cried for 20 minutes. He took his gun and threw it away. He told the man, “I am head chief of a sector of 15 sicarios (meaning  killers or gunmen), and I am going to bring them all to you so you can talk to them as you talked to me.”

We have been petitioned by the church in Juarez to get them more tracts and Spanish bibles for a mass evangelism effort. We went to our donor base and saw very little fruit. Our core team pitched in everything we could and we were still $600 short of our goal to buy the first 10,000 tracts. I felt a bit humiliated for going out on a limb once again. I asked the Lord where possibly the $600 would come from. Later that day someone from our training team called me up and said she had found something that belonged to CRI. She had found in a jacket pocket $600 that belonged to CRI from a year ago. The money had been misplaced but God put it in reserve! We are going to buy the first 10,000 tracks!!!