Friends

You shall find me, when you shall search me with all your heart – Jeremiah 29:13

I had lunch with a brother in Christ today. It was real nice, because we spoke of God and faith and Emmaus and wonderful times we have been experiencing.  He told me how he went to Church recently and experienced a wonderful Saturday Service.  As he shared this with me I was inspired by his story and made me want to go to Church everyday.  It’s just wonderful to be with people who love the Lord and want to spend time with him and focus on things in life that really matter like Jesus, Faith and Fellowship.

I also wanted to share about a buddy of mine that’s headed to Iraq today.  His name is Tony and I wanted to ask for your prayers for him.  It will only be a short trip of 4 months for him, but it does concern me as he will be stationed in Baghdad.  And even though it’s in a secure zone, it’s still dangerous.  I know for myself, as I pondered the thought of leaving for a 4 month trip to Iraq, that I really don’t think I would do it.  So, just asking for prayers for him and that he has a quick return back from there as well and stays safe.  We had a nice dinner with him and friends at Pei-Wei and enjoyed wonderful fellowship. I hated to see him leave, but hope that this will be a blessing for him.

Father, thank for wonderful people that you have put into my life to bless me.  May I return in some sort of way those same blessings back to them and others as well.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Christian Iraqi’s

After watching this video, it saddens me to hear and see about the displacement of many Iraqi Christians.  They have left Iraq for fear of their lives as they have received death threats.  Many have been murdered in Iraq itself.  Persecution of Christians is still rampant throughout the world, especially in Iraq today. 

Christianity has it’s roots strong in the middle east, including Iraq where the tower of Babel was built from in the Book of Genesis as well as believed to be the location of The Garden of Eden.  Yet today, there is no place for home in this country for believers.  The Christian people have fled to Lebanon, my father’s country of origin.  Lebanon has a diverse and welcomed culture of diversity.  Christians and Muslims live side by side, city by city.  Thus, the reason for these folks to flee as refugees to Lebanon.  Let’s pray they find a home and make a living there.  I do know that jobs are not rampant and the economy is not in great shape as my family tells me.  But life and freedom is better than death and living in fear.  To see and hear this saddens me. 

In 2008, we still have death because of religion.  The worse part is, if it were the other way around, the Muslim world would up-rise and call for Jihad against any travesty of death or persecution to Muslim’s.  Something is wrong with this picture! 

Then again, Jesus told us we would be persecuted even to the point of death for our faith, yet we still strive for the higher goal and calling that is find in:

 THE ONE AND ONLY, OUR PRECIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL, LOVING, HOLY, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, JESUS THE CHRIST, THE MESSIAH, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, THE BEGINNING AND THE END, WHO DIED ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS.

christians in iraq

I read a really sad and true depiction of what Christian’s are experiencing and going through in Iraq.  Please keep in your prayers our brothers and sisters that are being persecuted for their faith there.  Here is the article from the NY Times.  Thank God over and over for our freedom that we have here at home in the USA.  We should thank God everyday for the freedoms we have and be grateful for it.  Let’s be in action and stand in the gap for the body of Christ around the world as well.

 

blessings,

Sam

The Gratitude Sign

No matter how you feel about Iraq/Afghanistan, etc…we need to say “Thank You” to our soldiers that are serving abroad for the freedoms we enjoy here in the states.  Watch this video and share it!

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php