Exloring Life Eternal

"The Time is coming & has now come, when those who worship
God will worship Him neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. For
those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit & in Truth."
- Isa Al-Masih wa Al-Kalimatullah

I have heard at least one Muslim [non-arab] who saw information on PTAP said, "Hmmm ... yes, we must pray for the Arabian Peninsula. There is so much trouble there."

A way that some people intensify their prayers, is by fasting. Could it not be a form of fasting for Muslims to abstain from making the "hajj" in order that they might practice a more genuine form of fasting?
(see Yesaya 58).

If anyone (Muslim or otherwise) needs further motivation to abstain from going on pilgrimage to Makkah, here they are:

1. Obviously there are significant numbers of people who have died from going on pilgrimage to Makkah.

2. The Makkah pilgrimage has a history of spreading contagions & viral infections:

Pilgrims Disperse Strain of W135 Meningococcus Worldwide
http://infectious-diseases.jwatch.org/cgi/content/citation/2001/126/6


3. Boycotting the pilgrimage to Makkah is not unprecedented.
http://www.geocities.com/martinkramerorg/Hajj.htm.

Number of Iranian Pilgrims, 1979 to 1994
1979: 75,000
1980: 10,000
1981: 75,000
1982: 85,000
1983: 100,000
1984: 150,000
1985: 150,000
1986: 150,000
1987: 160,000
1988: 0
1989: 0
1990: 0
1991: 115,000
1992: 120,000
1993: 115,000
1994: 60,000

The zeros are due to Iran boycotting the Hajj in response to a dramatic lowering of their pilgrim's quotas, etc., by S.A.


4. For those who are not content with Christ yet, & yet still desire to live in peace with Christian neighbors, this proposition is one way to make such peaceful friendships *a reality*. To do this, Muslims need to get their house in order. Islam is at a cross-roads. Does it want to take part in a world defined by such basics as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or does it want to deny those rights?
See:
<http://www.un.org/overview/rights.html>,

Saudi Arabia is a repressive state & should not be supported in its activity. The U.S. report on the condition of civil liberties (or rather lack thereof) may be found at:
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35507.htm.


5. There are people in Saudi Arabia who are both Muslim and want to follow the Lord Jesus and Christians who desire to practice their faith who are being prevented from doing so. We are therefore encouraging simple freedom & the courtesy of meeting in one's own home to pray & worship in the Lord's Name.


6. Various clerics around the world have spoken against the cartoons of the now deceased Arabian poet. Few honest souls find real joy in trampling on graves. However, can you honestly say that you love life while supporting a government that sees no wrong in destroying the lives of those who would love life & seek Eternal Life?


7. Those of us making this proposal are NOT experts on Islam. Rather, we are regular humans who desire all peoples everywhere to know & live in the Grace of God. To our knowledge, no Muslim has found an increase in joy from circling the several rocks & buildings in Arabia. While these do build a certain group cohesiveness & Islamic identity, it is usually at the cost of relating with kindness towards neighbors in their home countries. Indeed, hajj has often divided long-standing friendships as the hajji (those who have made a tour of Islamic sites) separated themselves more radically from their non-muslim neighbors.

January 9, 2006

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let's go to the Lord's house!' ... Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." - from Psalm 122

PRAISE:
One of the tentmakers with cancer that has been mentioned in PTAP requests since September 2005 received a report from his medical team that he is cancer free! PTL! He had tests in Lebanon recently to verify his condition. This is a blessing that has benefit for all of the workers across the Arabian Peninsula.

PETITION:
Pray for a Christian venture here that urgently needs a teacher in order to proceed any further. Please pray for the right person to be recruited and to be able to move here before March 2006.

Pray for the expatriate church in our capital city. Pray for its vision to be the light of Christ to the international community here. Pray for God's anointing on the leadership. Pray also for the provision of strong leaders in the more remote regions of the country. Pray that God would use the church to reach many people for Christ in the coming year.

Pray for 4 new Muslim believers in our fast growing city. It appears that their security has been compromised by unwise conversation in the Western community. Pray that these young believers would be able to stand firm in their new faith and that God would give them the words to say if they are interviewed by the authorities.

Pray for the almost 2 million Muslims currently on Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca Saudi Arabia. This culminates in a festive celebration across the Muslim world on 10 – 12 January. Pray that many of the Muslims that are truly seeking for God would meet Christians able to share the Gospel with them. Pray that they will have dreams and visions of Jesus in the coming weeks.

TESTIMONY:
While visiting with an expatriate Arab Christian brother, he told me several stories about his Christian friends from his home country. Several of these men are from Muslim backgrounds and now claim Jesus as their Savior and Lord. These men travel to Mecca to join the 2 million Muslims from their home country and dozens of other Islamic countries on the Hajj. These men go through the various stages of the Hajj, just as they did several times when they were Muslims–only now they do it to share the love of Jesus with Muslim pilgrims that are seeking for the truth. They go around the Ka’aba 7 times just like all the other Muslims, they throw stones at the 3 pillars representing Satan, climb Mount Arafat to pray from noon to dusk and all the other tasks required of those on pilgrimage. They have had many opportunities to talk with men, young and old, about the rituals they are performing all the while interjecting the truths of the Gospel. Several people have come to faith during these ‘visits’. Praise the Lord! Pray for their protection and wisdom.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray through the heart of the Muslim world so that church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.

====
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org

Or write:
ptap@srginc.org

Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA

"Blessed are all in whose hearts are the highways of Zion!" - Psalm 84

PRAISE:
Praise God for the favorable response given to a Sporting supply company owned by tentmaking Christians. They have planned strategically to open an office ahead of the Asian Games where hundreds of Muslim athletes from the Arabian Peninsula will be participating.

Petition:

Please pray for a local husband and wife that have shown some interest in the Gospel. Pray for a continued openness to Jesus and toward the tentmakers God has brought into their lives.

Pray for a local Muslim woman who has been open to talking about Jesus. She often enjoys having Christians pray for her. Pray that she will remain open to the truth and clearly see her need to be reconciled to God through Jesus.

Pray for local believers as the Hajj seasons draws closer. Some of them will be reaching out to help their Muslim friends and family members question the ritualistic tasks incorporated into the Hajj. Pray that these believers will be wise in their witness. Pray that God would provide
a way for them to join with pilgrims on the Hajj to reach them for Christ.

Pray for some new Muslim background believers - for God's joy to be with them and for an increased understanding of the truth of God's word. Pray for two women who have a burden for their teen & adult children - that they would hear, understand and be drawn to Christ. Pray that they
would be able to have times of fellowship and encouragement.

Pray for the key tentmaker who has a CT scan to determine the success of his cancer treatment early this week. They praise the Lord for His kindness and mercy over the past several weeks of intense medical treatment.

TESTIMONY:
Suahaila is a middle aged Sudanese Muslim woman working in a government university in one of the more progressive Arabian Peninsula countries. She has been interested in Christian – Muslim dialog for the past few years. Last year she asked one of the professors for an Arabic/English New Testament. Several months later she asked another female staff at the university about church services in the city. During this past Ramadan, she was openly reading the New Testament during her prayer breaks – much to the concern of the many other Muslim staff. Recently she went on a safari with some people from the university and their friends – one of which is a Muslim Background Believer. She and Suhaila had some very interesting conversations around the campfire and in the crowded car on the way back to the big city. During their time together, Suhaila revealed that she was lonely, hurting and looking for people who will love her. She has expressed keen interest in getting together with her new friends. Praise the Lord for divine appointments like these. Pray that these people will come to faith.


<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray through the heart of the Muslim world so that church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.

====
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org

Or write:
ptap@srginc.org

Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA