As we began a commitment to reading the Bible this year, I also encouraged you to visit www.operationworld.org/ every day as you prayed for the lost peoples of the world.  I read the first chapter of Joshua and discovered that he was Moses' minister!  Josh 1:1  Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister,...  Reading this reminded me of how our pastors need someone to minister to them.  Too often, however, we seem to aggravate them :*-)

Speaking of aggravation, for those of you experiencing disobedient and rebellious children, see what God experienced from Isaiah 1:2, "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me."  What encouragement!

I also read a wonderful passage at the end of Genesis 1 that I've read numerous times but saw in a new light this time!

Genesis 1:29  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (food).
30  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat (food): and it was so. (emphasis mine)

It seems to me that God intended for all of His creation to eat only fruits and vegetables.  I believe man became a carnivore (meat eater) after the fall.  Future passages of Scripture that "okay" beef, for example, must have been God's adjustment to our sinful lifestyle; however, His perfect plan for our health remains the same.  You realize that I am speculating from my own experience as I lost over 13 pounds in the month of December eating a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables.

Many of you, no doubt, made "resolutions" to lose weight, read the Bible, etc.  Chances are, these are the same resolutions/recommitments you've made before, and they didn't work.  Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God Journal said something to the effect that God is not interested in our resolutions/recommitments; instead, He is interested in our love for Him.

Remember how after Peter's denial He asked Peter the same question three times?  It wasn't "Why did you deny Me?"  It was the same question I believe He wants to ask you and me: "Do you love Me?"

If we love Him, then we will obey Him.

Shirin, Jasmine, and I thank you for obeying Him by praying for us.  Allow me to share last week's needs...

Last week...

1. You continued praying for "Omar" to surrender his life to Jesus... although this didn't happen this week, he has been dropping by more often.
2. You prayed that new personnel coming to the area would continue to feel His leading and prompting...
3. Finally, you asked God to be glorified as we visited with another group of worshipers... the visit wasn't what I thought it would be, but I saw God glorified through the Lord's Supper, Jasmine's first exposure.  "Why can't I have the bread?" she asked.  "It's for people who've decided to follow Jesus," I tried to tell her.  "But I'm following Him!" she explained.  "I'll tell you when you get home," was all I had.  Any insights?

This week...

1. Pray... Saturday's "My Utmost For His Highest" http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost/01/04/read like this from John 13:37 Peter said to Him, ’Lord, why can I not follow You now?’

   There are times when you can’t understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings a time of waiting, and appears to be unresponsive, don’t fill it with busyness, just wait. The time of waiting may come to teach you the meaning of sanctification—to be set apart from sin and made holy—or it may come after the process of sanctification has begun to teach you what service means. Never run before God gives you His direction. If you have the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt—wait.

2. Ask God to help me see this truth in light of the Global Prayer Center of Jerusalem's progress.  The "Operation World" prayer guide for January 4 included the following excerpt, "Missionary vision. An Acts 1:8 strategy is needed for every church and denomination. Amazing results have been achieved by a dedicated few. How speedily the world would be evangelized if all believers and every congregation obeyed the commands of Jesus in Acts 1, and believed His promises for enablement through the Holy Spirit! Pray for the awakening and growth of missionary concern. Pray for effective and practical missionary involvement in praying, giving and going and for the following:

   a) The speediest possible completion of the goals given in the Great Commission by the Lord Jesus to His Church.

   b) All churches to make obedience to the Great Commission their primary ministry objective. Only through this will the resources be available to bring the task to conclusion, or closure, in our generation.

   c) All leadership training institutions and programmes to ensure that missions be a fundamental and essential core component of every course. It is failure to do this that has caused the centuries of neglect and marginalization of world evangelization in churches and agencies.

   d) Mission agency prayer, planning and deployment to emphasize reaching unreached areas, peoples and cities. The Adopt-a-People Clearinghouse and the AD2000 and Beyond Movement have compiled a list of over 6,000 unreached and adoptable peoples submitted by agencies as targeted for entry. Many are those included in our World A totals, others are World B and C peoples. (See Appendix 2 for addresses of these organizations and agencies who can provide further information.)

   e) The adoption of unreached peoples by churches, Christian groups, prayer circles and individuals. The task can be completed only as Christians take responsibility in earnest intercession until believers are won and churches planted in each people.

3. Join us in giving thanks for an incredible website http://worldprayerteam.org/wpc/index.jsp

May God find us listening more attentively to His voice this week as I am,

Yours because His,

< scoterry31684@bigfoot.com ><

http://www.practicegodspresence.com/gospel/

CALENDAR UPDATES

1, May Jesus be glorified this year.

* Thank you for making this the first prayer for us this year.

2, focus on main thing for this month

3, Muslims to meet Jesus while at the mosque

* As I heard the call to prayer I thought of your ceaseless intercession and thanked God for you!

4, Jewish settlers to know Jesus

* Please continue praying for this to happen and for workers to assist.

5, a new church to meet for worship

* I didn't hear this to happen today, but it maybe early!

6, safe arrival of packages/mail

* Your prayers make a big difference!

7, Thank God for utilities!

* When the electricity goes off here, I no longer think it will be for all day!