Be Thankful

Earlier this morning, surrounded by the standard Thanksgiving gourd-and-corn-husk decor in the White House Rose Garden and in keeping with a fabled tradition started by President Truman sixty years ago, George W. Bush give his Presidential word to May the turkey that he would not be dished up with a side of yams and cornbread on Thanksgiving Day. May’s feathered crony Flower was also promised clemency.

The President joked that the names May and Flower were certainly better than the names Vice-President Cheney suggested, which were ‘Lunch’ and ‘Dinner’.

Chortles and chuckles arose from the audience. Gobble Gobble Gobble emanated from May the turkey. It was such a grand day for all.

Remember to be thankful. Only a turkey is not thankful.

To The Sudan

Zac and Shelley are going to the Sudan next month. They were at church Sunday night telling about their journey. Not so much their journey to the Sudan as much as their journey to decide to go to the Sudan. There were three things that Zac said that I want to pass on to you.

First, as a missionary, you must expect him to say this: "Every Christian has a role to play in the Great Commission." Yes, we do know this to be truth. Yet we also need to be reminded and re-challenged with this nugget. Please consider yourself reminded. I have.

Second. He and Shelley were both school teachers. Zac mentioned that he was praying several years ago and he was telling the Lord all about the plans he had for his life (like you and I do sometimes). The Lord spoke to him (not audibly, but clearly) and asked Zac, "What about the plans that I have for your life?" Wow, good question for all of us. What about the plans that God has for your life? Has He asked something of you that you have yet to do?

Third, as school teachers for six years they were preparing to run a school in the Sudan. Understand that they were not consciously preparing to run this school (they did not as yet know they were going to the Sudan), yet the skills and experiences they were picking up in the school systems where they worked were giving them great advantages for what the Lord knew they would be doing in 2008 and beyond.

This third point is powerful. What are you and I doing right now that we may or may not enjoy or like? Yet can we grasp that this experience (that we sometimes fight against) is possibly preparing us for some work that the Lord has for us to do in 3 or 5 or 7 years.

Don't quit now. See you in the Sudan.

Window Wednesday

On Wednesday I ask that you pray for one nation in the 10/40 Window. Today we lift up the people of Eritrea. I am not making any political statements or judgments, I am simply asking for prayer for some people in need. Join us if you can.

Eritrea, East Africa

Population: 4,906,585

Political Leader: President Isaias Afworki
Religions: Islam 48%, Christianity 47.4%, Other 4.6%
Persecution Ranking: No. 13
Number of Terrorist Groups: 4
Acts of Terrorism: 5; Casualties: 16
Percent of Corruption: 71%
% of People in Poverty: 50%

Location:
Eritrea is a country situated in northern East Africa. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south and Djibouti in the southeast. The east and northeast of the country have an extensive coastline on the Red Sea, directly across from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands are part of Eritrea. The country is virtually bisected by one of the world's longest mountain ranges, the Great Rift Valley, with fertile lands to the west and the descent to desert in the East.

Terrorism:
The United States said in August 2007 that it was considering putting Eritrea on its list of state sponsors of terrorism for allegedly funneling weapons to insurgents fighting the Ethiopian-backed government in Somalia. A U.N. monitoring group said in July 2007 that large quantities of arms, including surface-to-air missiles, were flowing from Eritrea to Somalia. Eritrea has denied sending the weapons. Diplomats say Eritrea and Ethiopia have been waging a proxy war in Somalia since last year, when Eritrea backed a hard-line Islamist movement against the country's government.

Religion:
The religious population of Eritrea is comprised of 48% Muslims and just over 47% of the population are Christians. Following a 2002 government decree that religious groups must register, the government closed all religious facilities not belonging to the country’s four principal religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church of Eritrea, Islam and the Roman Catholic Church.

Challenges for Christians:
Eritrea is ranked No. 13 among nations that are the worst persecutors of Christians based on Open Doors 2007 “World Watch List.” On August 19, 2007, 10 members of the Full Gospel Church were arrested as they worshipped in a house in Asmara. Some 2,000 Eritrean Protestants are presently suffering for their faith under appalling conditions in prison. Recently, a group of 10 single Christian women who had been in prison for some 18 months were separated from other prisoners and taken to the Weaa Military Training Centre. The women were then ordered to recant their faith and were tortured when they refused. On September 5, 2007, Nigsti Haile, 33, was tortured to death. She is the fourth Christian to die in custody due to torture. The systematic persecution of Protestants began in mid-2002. Some Eritrean Catholic and Orthodox churches also have since come under attack for resisting the government's attempts to control them. On August 16, 2007, the government ordered that all schools, clinics, orphanages and women's vocational training centers of Eritrea's Catholic Church be turned over to the government's Ministry of Social Welfare and Labor. The government routinely dismissed U.S. government concerns, citing the absence of conflict between Christians and Muslims within the country and its concerns about disruptive practices of some religious groups that it feared would disrupt the country's “social harmony.” In November 2006, the U.S. Secretary of State again designated Eritrea as a "Country of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.

Prayer Points:
Pray Eritrea to stop supporting hardline Islamist numerous terrorist groups.
Eritrea is one of the world's most violently repressive states and religious liberty continues to deteriorate. Pray that God will bring change to Eritrea.
Pray that even amidst their suffering, Eritrea’s Christian prisoners may experience the presence and love of Christ and be strengthened and enabled by the Spirit of God to both endure suffering and radiate grace. Pray that God would bless and comfort the Church in Eritrea.
Pray for Christian solidarity, empathy and brotherly love to take root in the Eritrean Church across denominational lines so that spiritual unity may be a fruit of this persecution.
Pray that God will awaken more European leaders to the great need for religious liberty advocacy in Eritrea.
Pray that there will a genuine end to the hostility between Eritrea and Ethiopia and humility and trust between the two countries’ leaders.
Government restrictions have stopped Christian organizations from bringing help and aid into Eritrea and made it hard for any Christians to go and live or work there. Pray that these restrictions would be lifted.
A third of the population are Tigre, who are almost entirely Muslim. Pray for the few Tigre who are Christians that they can be a powerful witness in their lives.

Sources: 24-7 Prayer, Operation World, Wikipedia, Country Reports on Terrorism 2006, International Religious Freedom Report 2007, Open Doors, Reuters, World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty.

Window Wednesday

Today we focus our thoughts on the area of the West Bank located in the Middle East in the 10/40 Window and request your prayers for the people of this region. As always, nothing political, just a request to lift up to God some prayers for some folks in need. Thanks for your help.

West Bank, Middle East

Population: 2,535,927
Political Leader: President Mahmoud Abbas
Religions: Islam 75%, Judaism 17%, Other 8%
Persecution Ranking: Not Ranked
Number of Known Terrorist Groups: 35 (Includes both Gaza Strip & West Bank)
Acts of Terrorism: 2,032; Casualties: 560 (Includes both Gaza Strip & West Bank)
Percent of People in Poverty: 45.7%

Location:
The West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria, is a landlocked territory on the west bank of the Jordan River in the Middle East. Since 1967, most of the West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation. Most of the residents are Palestinians, although large numbers of Israeli settlements have also been built in the region.

Terrorism:
Israeli security sources expressed concern that Al Qaeda and other external Sunni extremists were attempting to infiltrate the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On March 21, 2006, an Israeli military court in the West Bank charged two Palestinians with conspiracy to cause death, active membership in Al Qaeda, illegal assembly, and other charges. According to the charges, the two men created an Al Qaeda cell in the West Bank city of Nablus, were recruiting to form other Al Qaeda cells in the West Bank, were preparing to carry out large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel, and were receiving funds and instructions from Al Qaeda in Jordan. One of the two men had also been a member of Hamas and Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.

In response to continuing threat information, Israeli security forces have launched frequent arrest and detention raids throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, conducted targeted killings of suspected Palestinian terrorists, imposed strict and widespread closures and curfews in Palestinian areas, conducted aerial attacks on buildings affiliated with designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations in the Gaza Strip, and continued the construction of an extensive security fence in the West Bank. Israeli security forces arrested and held without trial or charges Hamas and other Palestinian lawmakers and Palestinian Authority ministers from the West Bank.

On numerous occasions in 2006, Israeli security forces raided the West Bank offices of Hamas' Dawaa organization, charging that the offices were providing financial support to families of suicide bombers and imprisoned terrorists under the guise of charity. Israeli security forces also raided foreign exchange bureaus in the West Bank, confiscating millions of counterfeit shekels that Israeli security sources suspected originated in Iran, were transferred by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hizballah offices in Syria and Lebanon, and were earmarked for terrorist acts.

Religion:
75% Muslims and 17% Jewish. A small percentage are Christian.

Prayer Points:
Pray that God would defeat the work of terrorist groups Hamas, Al Qaeda, Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hizballah in the West Bank.
Pray that the Lord will contend with those who contend with non-combatants Hizballah in the West Bank, and that the Lord will fight against those who fight against the innocent. (Exodus 14:21-31)
Ask the Lord to overrule decisions which may divide Israel. Pray that decisions may be taken out of man’s hands. (Proverbs 19:21)
Ask the Lord to give the “West Bank” (Judea and Samaria) settlers wisdom and strength to present their case to the nation, and give the rest of the nation a heart for the settlers.

Sources: 24-7 Prayer, Operation World, Country Reports on Terrorism 2006, International Religious Freedom Report 2007, Open Doors, WorldNetDaily.com, Wall Street Journal, Intercessors for Israel.

Keep It Fresh - Sorry It's Long

If you have hit a snag in your life of prayer, try shaking things up during your personal time with the Lord a bit by altering your style. Here are just a couple very easy changes that might help you get a fresh perspective on your much needed prayer time.

Pray out loud. If your personality is to be quiet and you have a propensity to pray silently, forcing yourself to pray out loud will add a fresh dynamic to your prayer. Don't let the sound of your own voice in prayer intimidate you. There is nothing to fear. You have not been given a spirit of fear. Rather, you have a spirit of power and of love and a sound mind. Nothing less!

Or, you may need to be quiet. "Be still and know that I am God." Let Him tell you that He is God. If you are inclined to talk to God more than you listen, be silent and allow God to speak back to you! [You know the old reminder – two ears and one mouth . . .] Sometimes silence is scary. Don’t be afraid to sit and listen.

Memorize the Scripture. Turn the Word over in your mind. Mull it over. This means to be deliberate about bringing it back into your mind during the day. The more the Word gets into your mind, the more it will be in your heart.

Take memorization of the Bible a step further and meditate on the Word. Moses told Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night. Get a portion of scripture and personalize it. Put your name [or someone else’s name] in there. Allow yourself to spend time thinking about each phrase and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the Word.

Use a simple guide or a pattern like A-C-T-S in your prayer time – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Adore the Lord - Worship Him. Confession - Confess your sins, weaknesses, fears, short-comings, etc. Thanksgiving - in everything give thanks for this is God's will for you. Supplication - ask the Lord for those things that you might need. This is merely an often used idea. Make up your own acrostic and keep it fresh.

Youth Convention

My older two kids just returned home from Momentum Youth Convention. They went with 47 others from our church here in town. They also met up with several friends from where we pastored up in the suburbs.

I definitely like these kind of events as they allow the kids a venue to be with thousands of other Jesus loving teenagers. This helps to affirm their faith and encourage them as they walk the walk. My daughter was talking a mile a minute about the different friends she saw. Several kids from camp, a girl from PK retreat, another girl from convention last year, her counselor from camp, etc. She even ran into a boy from her algebra class.

There was great worship, solid seminars, and challenging preaching. I am looking forward to hearing their testimonies in church tomorrow PM. I am thankful.

If they'll give me a picture or two, I will post them here.

Keeping Christmas by Henry Van Dyke

Tonight we change our clocks - fall back. Christmas is seven weeks and two days away. That's not too early to begin to think about how you will keep Christmas. You will remember that Mr. Scrooge did not keep Christmas. The following is a quite old (1924?) writing by Henry Van Dyke about "keeping" Christmas.

Keeping Christmas

Are you willing...

to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you;

to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world;

to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance, and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground;

to see that men and women are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy;

to own up to the fact that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life;

to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness.

Are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing...

to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children;

to remember the weakness and loneliness of people growing old;

to stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough;

to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts;

to try to understand what those who live in the same home with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you;

to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you;

to make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open—

Are you willing to do these things, even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing...

to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world—

stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death—

and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?

Then you can keep Christmas.

And if you can keep it for a day, why not always?

But you can never keep it alone.

Just One Will Do

In the twenty-second chapter of Ezekiel, there is a serious accusation leveled against Israel for their sins. The religious leaders were guilty. The people were guilty. The prophets were using their position for personal gain.

God looked for an intercessor. If God could have found an intercessor, the situation would have been turned around. Things could have changed. God didn’t just glance out the window for a quick look. He sought for an intercessor. Nobody could be found.

The history of God’s people in the scriptures and up to the present day, including your history and mine, is the account of many individuals who have made a difference in the Kingdom. We are too slow to take hold of what one prayer can do for the cause of Christ. We live in a time when it seems polls and statistics and approval ratings are very important. Everyone wants to be in the majority. People don’t want to be seen as being against popular opinion.

God is not looking for celebrities, or stars. He is looking for just one man or one woman who is committed to Him. God wants the individual that will give himself or herself to the kind of intercessory prayer that will turn back the influences that are destroying our society. It is time to stand up.

Brothers, Pray For Me

It seems that the ministry of intercession is becoming a lost ministry in the church today. Maybe we are busy. Maybe we do not have time to spend in prayer. We should not and cannot allow admittedly busy schedules to keep us from this important act of kingdom work.

Intercession takes time but it is also rewarding. When we see God answer our prayers for others, we are encouraged all the more to pray and to go before the throne on behalf of another.

God calls and God equips intercessors. Daniel’s life shows us an example of intercessory prayer. Daniel’s example is extraordinary because he lived and prayed in a time that was not safe to be an intercessory pray-er.

He was surrounded by a heathen and pagan people, yet he never let up in his prayer. Intercessory prayer can be a struggle that requires deep commitment and persistence. I pray that we will all see the value of this ministry and allow the example of Daniel to impact us. Pray.

Window Wednesday

Today we focus our thoughts on the nation of Kazakhstan located in Central Asia in the 10/40 Window and request your prayers for the people of this nation. Again, nothing political, just an effort to lift up to God some prayers for some folks in need.

Population: 15,284,929 - Kazakhs, a Turkic-speaking people who are the region's original inhabitants, make up more than half of the population; Russians constitute nearly one-third, as do small minorities of Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Germans, and others.

Political Leader: President Nursultan Nazarbayev

Location: Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is drawn out over a enormous area of northern and central Eurasia. As the ninth largest state in the world, it is bordered by Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China. The country also borders on a significant part of Caspian Sea. Even though it is huge in size, much of the land is made up of semi-desert terrain.

Terrorism: Kazakhstan continued to face a growing problem with the Islamic extremist group Hizb’ut Tahrir, which remained outlawed as an “extremist” organization through the Law on Extremism and continued to be the only group so designated under this law.

Religion: Muslims comprise 60.5% of Kazakhstan’s population, while Christians make up 24.7%.

Prayer Points:
Pray that Kazakhstan will continue to aggressively combat terrorism and extremism locally.
Pray that members of terrorist organizations Hizb’ut Tahrir, the East Turkistan Liberation Organization and Aum Shinrikyo will be caught and properly dealt with for their continued violence against innocent people. (Mark 4:22)
Pray that the influence of Al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Taliban and other terrorist organizations will not spread to Kazakhstan. (2 Timothy 2:24–26)
Thank God that only several years ago there were hardly any Christians in Kazakhstan, but now there are more than 6,000 in over 40 congregations. Pray that the Church will continue to grow among young people.
In 2000, more than 20,000 Christians from across Central Asia gathered in Kazakhstan for a prayer event held in a stadium. Pray for continued blessing and unity for all those who were there.

Sources: 24-7 Prayer, Operation World, Country Reports on Terrorism 2006, International Religious Freedom Report 2007, Open Doors.

Get Outta Town

There are several very interesting points about the story of the blind man in Mark chapter eight. You know the story; it’s the one wherein Jesus spit on the blind man’s eyes. Probably not covered by too many HMO’s.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this story for me is that it seems our blind friend was in a place, the village of Bethsaida, where he did not belong.

When I was a young boy, the boundaries were set – Wood Street to the north; the grade school to the east, the empty lot to the south, and the park to the west. They were generous boundaries, but still boundaries. There were some places I did not belong and was not allowed to go.

Read this story starting in verse twenty-two. First, Jesus took him by the hand and led him outside the village. Do your own study on Bethsaida and you’ll see several possible reasons that Jesus did this.

Secondly, after Jesus healed the man (there is a lot in the healing itself that we’ll save for another day), He sent him home, telling him to not return to the village.

God has boundaries; there are places that His children do not belong.

Where are you? Not just physically, but spiritually. Where is your heart? What are you doing? Where is your focus? What are your hopes, desires, and expectations? If you are not totally centered on Jesus Christ, you must make a choice.

Leave the place where you are and go home to the place where you belong. Allow Him to take you by the hand and lead you away from where you are. Let Him touch you and restore your life to you. Then do not return to that former life. And everything will all be very clear to you.

Do You Have the Time?

I believe Albert Einstein said it like this, “God doesn’t play dice.”

What the Creator of the Universe does is exercise a providential oversight in our lives which infinitely surpasses our awareness and ability to understand.

God is never off in His timing. His timing is superlative. I believe that from time to time God allows us experiences that we would rather not share to permit us to see, as they say “the Big Picture.” He wants to remind us that His timing is always perfect, in every aspect of our lives.

As humans, we instinctively doubt the timing of God, and this failure to trust is the basis to much of our worry. If we were to take a close look at our experience, we truly would see how perfect His timing actually is. Thanks to the benefit of hindsight (which is often 20/20) we are able to see that His timing has always been right on the bulls-eye in the daily events of our lives.

To repeat Pastor Jerry from several posts earlier, “God always has the right man in the right place at the right time.”

Window Wednesday

Tonight I will begin Window Wednesday, whereby I will focus on one nation in the 10/40 Window (see below) and solicit your prayers for the people of said nation. Nothing political, just an attention to prayer for some folks in need. I’ll start with Chad as my friend Thomassin lives in Chad. Thomassin is a strong believer. Chad has many camels.

Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. Due to its distance from the sea and its largely desert climate, the country is sometimes referred to as the “Dead Heart of Africa.” Chad is divided into three major geographical regions: a desert zone in the north, an arid Sahelian belt in the centre and a more fertile Sudanese savanna zone in the south.

Terrorism in Chad has been used by rebel groups a means of opposing the successive dictatorships since Chadian independence in 1960. Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno has said that his ongoing battle against rebels and Janjaweed militiamen based in Sudan is a war against Islamic extremists. In August 2004, United States troops were in Chad training some of the country’s elite forces in how to fight Al Qaeda or any of its allies in the region.

Religion: Chad is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups. French and Arabic are the official languages. Islam is the most widely practiced religion. Christians make up 27.8% of Chad’s population.

Challenges for Christians: Many Chadian Muslims have been recruited as mercenaries to attack and kill Christians in Nigeria. The country is almost equally divided between Muslim northerners, who are politically more powerful, and increasingly more marginalized Christian/ethnic religion southerners.

Pray for the government of Chad to continue to combat terrorism.
Pray that the country won’t become a breeding ground for terrorism.
Pray for God to thwart any work of Al Qaeda and Janjaweed militiamen in Chad.

With 200 people groups and 120 languages, Chad is one of the most unreached countries in Africa and presents a challenge to the Gospel. Pray for laborers to be sent to this harvest field (Matthew 9:37-38).

Chad is one of 10 poorest countries in the world. It lies in the heart of the African continent and suffers from low rainfall and severe droughts. Pray for Christian humanitarian groups to come and minister in Chad.

People from a Muslim background are starting to respond to the Gospel. Pray for Jesus to reveal Himself to more and more Muslims.

Pray for continued peace and freedom in all ethnic and religious communities. Islam is growing in influence and numbers in Chad. More and more Muslim nations are sending missionaries to Chad and more mosques are being built.

Pray that Christians might be equipped to witness to this community. Pray that the churches in Chad would grow and mature in their faith and discipleship. Many congregations mix Christianity up with other ideas and beliefs and can be legalistic. Pray that the Holy Spirit would be working to bring true freedom in their lives.

There are more unreached peoples in Chad than anywhere else in Africa. Pray for ongoing support and protection for missionaries already working here. Pray also that God would call many to dedicate years to learning the languages and building the Kingdom in Chad.

Sources: Window International Network, 24-7 Prayer, Operation World, Wikipedia, Country Reports on Terrorism 2006, International Religious Freedom Report 2007, Open Doors, BBC

The Biggest Loser

Be a part of the NBC phenomenon. Drop weight and change your life. I know a lady whose sister, Sharon, lost over 200 pounds. That’s what I weigh. Total. Our society is completely caught up in this – it really is a – phenomenon. So much effort is put into getting and staying in shape. Hey, round is a shape. Seriously, huge amounts of time and money are thrown into the fitness industry in an attempt to keep the physical man alive a little longer. What about the spiritual man? What would the church look like if we put the energy into our spirit man that we put into our physical man? We're talking some buff disciples.

From Hebrews chapter twelve: 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Not too much in life is easy. We often have a rough road to travel. This is not complaining, it’s just the truth. I see two words in the above scripture that are important. First word: Endure. Suffer and continue and carry on. When was the last time you sweat it out spiritually?

Second word: Later. Afterward. In a while. Not right now. Not instantly. The harvest comes later. The reward comes later, after we have endured. Sometimes the reward comes much later.

Once again the challenge is keep it up. Don’t quit now. Today is a good day to not give up.

This Is Gonna’ Hurt (More Than) A Little

It is not likely any of us will pass through this life without getting hurt. After all most of us did come into this world screaming. Pain and disappointment are unavoidable as we travel on this ball of dirt. It is how we handle the inevitable setbacks that builds our character and prepares us for eternity. This is not about mind over matter, but our mindset and outlook will help to determine the level of our resistance to trouble.

In spite of of the hardships we face or the mistakes we make, the end of our lives can either be full of praise and thanksgiving to God for all we had – or full of moaning and complaining and griping about what might have been. In the final breakdown, what we have experienced in life can be as rich as the dreams we have seen fulfilled or as agonizing as the regrets we lament.

The painful disappointments in life have a way of never leaving us. I heard someone recently say that disappointments “enter our hearts like fire and then harden into our nature like lava.” Difficulties can leave us hesitant to take new risks and cause us to be suspicious of new friends. If we have been wounded, we are often less likely to be transparent in the next relationship. We are understandably fearful about being hurt again. Gradually, unless we learn to handle sorrow and sadness appropriately, we become resentful and skeptical, even cynical. We lose our joy.

We were made to praise God. Try to keep an attitude and a life-style of praise. Paul said to “Rejoice evermore.” He also said, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you.” There’s no promise of an easy road here. Let the joy of the Lord strengthen you and you will find the journey to be more bearable. Keep walking and looking up.

Ship of the Desert

Camels are able to travel immeasurable distances in the desert. They can drink from waterholes far too bitter or brackish for humans or other animals. They can and will eat almost anything. People have been known to survive on what is in a camel’s stomach. Camels provide milk. The animal’s dry dung can easily be burned as fuel. "Hey Ned, what's that on the barby?"

A camel has a extremely leathery mouth and tongue and very strong tooth enamel, enabling it to eat thorny desert plants. These beasts can drink 100 liters of water within 10 minutes and store it in its hump for future use. They can live without taking in water for several days.

Their hide allows excess body temperature to emanate out and protect them from cold night air. Camels also sweat to dissipate heat but the sweat is not seen. They will tolerate up to 25% weight loss (which is double the dehydration level in most mammals) without the thickening of the blood that would cause death in other mammals.

They have multiple tear glands and double rows of long, curled eyelashes to protect their eyes from blowing sand. They can close their noses during sandstorms. Their wide, padded toes are insulated to protect against the extreme heat of the sand. The tough yet flexible web of the toes prevents them from sinking into the sand.

The camel is an amazing animal. Awesome work by our God.

Location, Location, Location

In this Psalm of ascents, we are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. The City of David is such a critical location. It is in the Scriptural heart of what many prayer warriors call the 10/40 Window - that geographic area from north Africa east to Japan that is 10 degrees north to 40 degrees north of the Equator.

I say Scriptural heart of the Window because so much of what is happening in Jerusalem impacts the rest of the Window and the entire world.

There is a great need for prayer for Jerusalem. Pray for peace, for security, and for the true and living God of the Bible to be glorified in the City and out to every nation in the 10/40 Window.

Psalm 122

1 I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

2 Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4 That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. 5 There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels."

8 For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." 9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.

Pray Every Day - It Is Important

Jesus taught us the critical significance of regular daily prayer. He said, “Always pray, never lose heart” – Luke 18:1. He also said to talk with the Father day and night – Luke 18:7. When He taught His disciples to pray as recorded in Luke 11:3, He told them to ask God for their daily needs.

Jesus set an example of daily prayer by praying during virtually every kind of circumstance we might face:

He prayed at His baptism.

He prayed all night long before He chose His disciples.

He prayed when He broke bread and gave it to others.

He prayed during sad times such as while at the tomb of His friend Lazarus.

Jesus prayed while in deep agony.

He prayed as He neared His death by crucifixion.

He prayed while on the cross.

By His example, we see that Jesus undoubtedly made it a priority to pray. Luke 5:16 reads "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed". He sometimes sent the crowds off to their homes and “went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray” – Matthew 14:23. We also read in Mark 1:35 that Jesus got up and got out of the house "very early in the morning" and "went off to a solitary place where He prayed".

The meaning cannot and must not be lost. Prayer is important. Prayer was important to Jesus. We should have the same mind-set.

Do You Pray?

We should always pray and not get tired (faint) because prayer does make a difference in our world and in our own lives. God answers prayer. He works in our lives to bring answers to the needs and problems we experience. I can’t tell you exactly how He “works” but I do know that circumstances and situations change when people pray. God hears, listens, and responds. Difficult situations are reversed when people pray. Obstacles are removed when people pray. Diseases are healed, strength is received, guidance is given, hearts are softened, needs are met. I know that when I pray for others it helps them. But I also know that when I pray, I am changed.

Keep on praying. If you have nothing else to pray for, pray for me.