A New Year's Blessing

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2008 in Review: The Big Picture

Aaron linked out to The Big Picture blog a few weeks ago and I have been enthralled by it ever since. They just released a three part series that captures some of the most incredible images from 2008. These photos put a human side on the stories that we hear about in the news. Here is Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

In light of the Current Financial Crisis...

Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,

when the splendor of his house increases;

for he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his splendor will not descend with him.

Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—
and men praise you when you prosper-

he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life .

A man who has riches without understanding
is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49:16-20

The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

But the wicked will perish:
The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;

those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.

Psalm 37: 15-22

The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's;
upon them he has set the world.

He will guard the feet of his saints,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.
"It is not by strength that one prevails;

1 Samuel 2:7-9

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?

"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Luke 16:10-13

World Watch

Keeping an eye on what is happening in the world is always difficult in the USA and especially during the election season. It seems like American news sources fold in on themselves during this time and we can quickly become blind to what is going on in the rest of the world.

So, how do you stay connected and up to date with what is happening around the world? Please tell us in the comment section.

NK Women Being Trafficked

Please pray for the people of North Korea. This article comes from a prominent South Korean paper.

Pray for Kenya

We have some friends who are working as medical missionaries in Kapsowar, Kenya. I just received the following e-mail from them today requesting prayer for the whole nation. Please pray for Dr. S and his wife and family. That they will be protected and be a light of Christ in this tumultuous situation.

I wanted to update you on what has been going on here in Kenya since the elections. On Sunday (Dec 30th), it was announced that President Kibaki had won the presidential election. Within minutes of this announcement, he was sworn in at the State House to begin a second term. Almost immediately, riots broke out everywhere as people felt that the election was rigged in Kibaki's favor. In the past twenty four hours, throughout Kenya the Kikuyu who are living in other ethic regions are being hunted down and chased out of their communities or even killed. Roadblocks are set up by the local people all around Kapsowar, and passengers are required to show their national ID cards. If they are found to be Kikuyu, they are being taken out of the vehicles and killed.

A mob has formed here in Kapsowar and are demanding that the police captain (who is a Kikuyu) be handed over to them so that they can kill him. The police refused, and gunfire began to erupt all around Kapsowar town. The fighting spilled over into the hospital, as police
sought refuge from the mob within our compound. One man in the mob was shot by the police and he is currently undergoing surgery at our hospital. The police managed to disburse the crowd with gunfire, but we are afraid that an even larger mob that is angry about the shooting will soon start reforming. A military police unit was brought in to offer further support.

Right now things are very tense, and no one is sure what the outcome of all this is going to be. The community leaders are trying to talk with the mob to calm them down, but some are refusing to listen. Currently, we feel that the safest place is to remain within our homes. Please pray for our local situation as well as the larger problems that face Kenya. Our prayer is that a peaceful resolution can be found, and that the nation can begin healing from this horrible tragedy that is ongoing. Pray that God would change the hearts of the people and that the peacemakers will prevail.

God Grew Tired of Us

This weekend I watched the documentary God Grew Tired of Us. It is the amazing story of the "lost boys" in Sudan who fled their country because of civil war and systematic killings and follows the story of a handful that made it to the USA. It was very well done and shows not only their struggle to live in a foreign culture (the USA), but is inspiring to see them live their lives with a passionate and untiring desire to serve others. This is definitely a must see.

History of Religion Map

How do you see the World?

This is an interesting collection of globes that takes a look at the world through various lenses. The one that you see above shows refugee movement.

Healthy newborns harvested for stem cells?

This is a disturbing article by BBC which claims that some babies in the Ukraine may have been harvested for stem cells and body parts.