I want to share an amazing organization with you. 

I was blessed to recieve a video and braclet for Christmas from the “Invisible Children.

You can check this out on www.invisiblechildren.com

They call themselves “storytellers.”  They about the war affected children in east Africa.  And yet they are so much more.  They build schools, teach, mentor and much more. 

You can be a part by becoming aware of the situation in Uganda, praying and, if the Lord moves you to donate then you could do that too.  I am still learning about it and it is heartbreaking and yet exciting what is happening for this precious children of God.

I pray that God will bless all of your New Year.  I pray that hearts who don’t know Him will soften and come into His presents to accept Christ as their one and only Savior.  I lift up the governments of the world and pray that the Holy Spirit will desend upon them and guide them.  I pray that we who walk with the Lord will be bold and strong for Him and His will here on earth.  May we put our relationship with Christ first and walk with Him daily.  I pray that all of humanity will bend their knee in thanksgiving and praise for what God has done in their lives.  I also pray for protection for all who are being and will be persecuted by the evil one.  May we stand strong and remember that the battle belongs to the Lord.  Amen.

Please add to this prayer for all of us. 

I was thinking about the new year coming and all of a sudden I was reminded of the book of John.  I was inspired to start the new year by reading the first chapter in which he wants us to know that Christ was with God in the beginging, and it was through Him that all things were created and that He was God.  Then out of the goodness of His heart he came to save all of us who were lost so we could spend eternity with Him. . .if we believed.

John 1:1-18  In the beginning was the Word(Jesus), and Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (the baptist).  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.

And the Word (Jesus) was made flesh, and dwelt among us. (and we beheld his glory, and the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John bare witness of him, and cried saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

As I kept reading the sayings of Jesus, I could go on and on with things that he said.  I would just encouage you to spend some time in the gospels and read the words of Jesus.  For I believe that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

O Thou Most High,  Creator of the ends of the earth, Governor of the universe, Jodge of all men, Head of the church, Savior of sinners;

thy greatness is unsearchable, thy goodness infinite, thy compassions unfailing, thy providence boundless, thy mercies ever new.

We bless thee for the words of salvation.  How important, suitable, encouraging are the doctrines, promises, and invitations of the gosple of peace!

We are lost: but in it thou hast presented to us a fell, free and eternal salvation; weak: but here we learn that help is found in one that is mighty  poor: but in him we discover unsearchable riches  blind: but we find he has treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

We thank thee for thy unspeakable gift.

Thy Son is our only refuge, foundation, hope, confidence;

We depend upon his death, rest in his righteouosness, desire to bear his image;

May his glory fill our minds, his love reign in our affections, his cross inflame us with ardour.

Let us as Christians fill our various situations in life, escape the snares to which they expose us, discharge the duties that arise from our circumstances, enjoy with moderation their advantages, improve with diligence their usefulness,

And may every place and company we are in be benefited by us.

With all the attention around the world of christian persecution in places like China, India, North Vietnam and so on, I was taken back to read this article in Voice of the Martyrs of christian persecution in Isreal.  Yet, I was not surprised. 

The United States State Department estimates that there are 10,000 Messianic Jews (a Jew that believes Jesus is the Messiah and who follows the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments) in Isreal and Palestinian territories.  These Messianic Jews have reported incidents of intimidation and harassment from ultra-Orthodox Jewish organizations including Yad L’Achim. (an organization whose stated goal is “fighting Christian missionaries.”)

Persecution in Isreal and the West Bank:

May 15, 2008:  Residents of Or Yehuda publicly burned hundreds of New Testaments in front of a synagogue while students danced around the burning books.

May 1, 2008: Two Chief Rabbis cancelled their Internation al Jewish Bible Quiz after they learned a 15 year old finalist was a Messianic Jew.

March 20, 2008:  Ami Ortiz, a dual American-Isreali citizen and son of a messianic Jewish pastor, was seriously injured when a bomb exploded in his home in the West Band settlement of Ariel.

November 8,2007:  A group of Austrian bishops were barred from the Western Wall, because they refused to remove crosses they wore.  the chief Rabbi said the crosses were ‘insulting and provocative.”

October 23, 2007:  Arsonists firebombed a church in West Jersusalem shared by Baptists and Messianic Jews.

Let us keep this brothers and sisters in Christ in our prayers.