When Jesus summarizes his work on earth, he doesn’t start reliving all the great sermons he preached and all the people who came to listen to him.  He doesn’t talk about the amazing miracles he performed---giving sight to the blind, enabling the lame to walk, and feeding thousands of people with minimal food.  He doesn’t even mention bringing the dead back to life.  Instead he talks repeatedly about the small group of men God gave him out of the world.  They were the work God had given to him.  They were, quite literally, his life.

David Platt, Radical

A Slice of Fresh Bread

The sassafras leaves are turning red and not a moment too soon.  Here in East Texas the summers are long and hot; at time I think the inferno will never end and then I see the change of color in the sassafras.  Being the first leaves to turn each year they give me hope that cooler days are soon to follow.

The changing colors of the sassafras leaves provide hope of better days to come.  Ironically, the colorful symbol of hope begins with the initiation of the death process for the leaf.

Hope is a foundational concept in Christianity.  Paul writes frequently of faith, hope and love.  Ironically the basis of our hope for better days to come is based upon death as well.  The writer of the Book of Hebrews recognizes the importance of hope when he says, Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

The strength of our hope is based upon the reliability of the source of our hope.  That is why the verse ends with the phrase, for he who promised is faithful.  Our hope is built on our relationship with God though His Son Jesus.  As certainly as the cool breeze of autumn will follow the hot blast of summer we live with the certain hope that every tear will be wiped away and that the shame, pain and frustrations of this world will dissolve into the joy of eternity. 

Don’t let the long hot days of summer drag you down.  Look for the sassafras leaves and know that the hope for a better future will someday be reality. 

Prayer Requests

1.      Please pray for the board and staff of Camp Kikoten near Mexico City.  They are facing a major challenge to their property rights.  Legal proceedings are underway that could require them to give up all or a portion of the camp property, or resolve the issue forever in their favor.  Please pray for God's protection of this significant camping ministry in Mexico. 

2.      CCI-UK has hired a new office manager who beings this week.  Please thank the Lord for this much needed help for the rest of the staff and pray that she will be effective in her service to CCI-UK.

3.      This week a group from the United States is working at a Christian camp in Jamaica. Please pray for safety and impact for the volunteers and for support and encouragement for the camp and its staff.

4.      CCI-Latin America is holding a camp training session on September 4 in Costa Rica.  Please pray for the travel, logistics, training and encouragement of this gathering.

5.       African Christian Camping is holding a training event near Nairobi, Kenya September 6-11.  The board of ACC will meet during this time with Dan DeGroat, President of the Global Outreach Group and the Regional Representative for CCI in the Former Soviet Union as well as Ross Bay from New Zealand, the CCI Regional Representative for Africa.Please pray for God’s guidance during this important meeting and training event.