1. Preparations needed for the Kumbh Mela

Summary : The Kumbh Mela festival is the most important of the
Indian Hindu pilgrimages and is the largest religious gathering in the
world. In 2001, and expected 45 million pilgrims will converge on
Allahabad, India to seek blessing, protection, and absolution from sin.

Full Story: The most important of Hindu festivals, the Kumbh Mela, is
held every three years in cyclical rotation between the four "holy"
cities of Ujain, Nasik, Hardiwar and Allahabad. The largest of these is
the Maha Kumbh Mela, held in Allahabad every 12 years, and is scheduled
to begin again this coming January. Allahabad is expecting and estimated
45 million Hindu pilgrims to converge upon its banks in just a few
months' time. Pilgrims will travel hundreds of kilometers to participate
in ritual bathing in the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers. These devotees hope
to be blessed by the gods they worship. To receive forgiveness from
sins, and if possible, to gain immortality through being freed from the
cycle of reincarnation.

Pilgrimage sites have a special significance to Hindus, and are believed
to be the 'fords' or shallow points where the spiritual world makes
contact with earth. When pilgrims dip in the river, they are
reestablishing their covenant with the deities they worship and
extending the rule if these spiritual forces into their lives families,
cultures and nations.

Outreach efforts for the 1998 Kumbh Mela in Hardiwar yielded some
positive evidence of God moving among the masses. Less than half of the
expected 15 million actually made the pilgrimage. 40 million pieces of
gospel literature were distributed by 650 workers among 30 cities
surrounding Hardiwar. As a result of these efforts a sadhu (Hindu holy
man) gave his life to Christ and 20,000 pilgrims signed up for Bible
correspondence courses. Numerous other successes were reported.

Ramping up to the Kumbh Mela, the spiritual enemy of the Indian people
is working overtime to thwart the work of the church in India. At a
recent gathering, the driving influence of Hindu nationalism, the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) movement, held it's 75th anniversary
in Agra, India. The RSS is likely the most aggressive earthly opponents
to the church in India. The passion generated at rallies and among RSS
devotees has turned increasingly more violent toward Christians in
Northern India. According to a Washington Times article, RSS leader
Kuppahalli Sitharamaiya Sudarshan says of foreign church that they
"...and missionaries have wreaked havoc with India's unity and
integrity*they have a conspiracy to destabilize the whole nation."
Although the RSS is the provocateur of aggressive behavior towards the
Christian church, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the
government force behind legislative efforts to clamp down on church
growth and evangelism. Persecution against Christians is growing in
India and particularly in the North and Central regions.

Many good works have been instituted in India as a result of the efforts
of Christians. Orphanages, hospitals, feeding programs, ministry to
prostitutes and the lower castes have increased the quality of life for
thousands of Indians. The push to drive out Christian missionaries and
convert Indian nationals to Hinduism is a significant spiritual battle.
For Christian workers preparing to minister to pilgrims at the Kumbh
Mela, the following months are critical. Mobilizing prayer during the
festival is important, but so is establishing a foundation of prayer.
The success of our efforts surrounding the Kumbh Mela may very well come
as a result of His people praying today and over the next several
months.

Desired Results: Lets agree together that the Holy Spirit will prepare
the hearts of those pilgrims who are seeking for eternal truth.

Please pray for those Christian workers preparing to minister at the
festival that they will have boldness, wisdom, spiritual discernment,
and protection.

What a testimony of the power of God to move mightily at the world's
largest religious gathering. Let us seek God and ask Him to break down
those spiritual obstacles that blind the eyes of those who would be
saved.


2. Syrian President strategic to Mid-East Peace

Summary : When Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad took his oath as
the presidential successor to his father's legacy, he inherited old
alliances, radical Islamic militants, and a plethora of other regional
issues. The clashes between Israeli's and Palestinians have added a new
level of pressure on this young national leader.

Full Story: Imagine if you will the following scenario. You are the
president of a country in one of the most volatile regions of the world;
your predecessor and father was known as the "The Lion of Damascus" who
wielded significant influence in the Islamic world; governing a
landlocked nation you continually face critical issues like water rights
with your northern neighbors (Turkey), an aggressive, hawkish dictator
on your eastern border (Iraq), the war-torn nation on your western
border (Lebanon) is targeted for invasion by a militant religious group
(Hezbollah) that established its operations with your national
boundaries, a new government leader whose father was also a regional
influence is on your southern border (Jordan); you have pressure from
the international community to control the various radical factions
within your country; you are expected to continue as a strong Islamic
leader among Arab-Muslims; you are attempting to build a strong national
economy but you are rejected by many Western countries because of the
volatility of your foreign policy and internal affairs; and to top
things off your neighbors on your Southwest border (Israel) are hated by
a majority of the Arab-Muslim world, you have a national history of
conflict with that nation and your fellow Islamic national leaders are
looking to you to make a move. If you can capture a fraction of this
image, you are looking into the life of Syrian President Bashar
Al-Assad.
When the clashes between Israel and Palestinians ignited last month,
President Al-Assad made a trip to Egypt to discuss the situation. One
wonders how much discussion was focused on the last time these two
nations met around the date of Yom Kippur to discuss Israel. Memories of
the 1967 Six Days War may still run deep. It goes without saying that
the level of anxiety must have been quite high for the young president.
So far, both Al-Assad and Jordanian King Abdullah have conducted
themselves with calm and patience. While the key players in the drama
may be Israeli President Ehud Barak and Palestinian National Authority
President Yasser Arafat, the importance of Syria and Jordan should not
be ignored.
Middle-east heavies like Sadaam Hussein continue to pressure the young
government to initiate or participate in military action against Israel.
Although the region is used to the frequent sword rattling tactics of
Saddam Hussein, the rhetoric does nothing to defuse the tensions. With
the world focus being on Israel let us not neglect to pray for Israel's
neighbors. These are trying times for the government of Syria. We need
to have faith that God can intervene in such a way that Syria will
maintain a neutral military position toward Israel. Although it may only
fully come when Christ returns, we want to see the Middle-east have an
opportunity to experience the peace of God and receive occasion to hear
the Good News in a climate that is not charged with hate.

Desired Results: Please pray for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad that
he will maintain a position of peace and reason in the midst of the
current crisis in Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. An agreement between the Israeli
government and the Palestinian National Autonomy is critical to
Middle-east stability. This crisis impacts and influences the whole
region.

Ask God's wisdom on how to pray for the Syrian economy and how President
Al-Assad should deal with the radical Islamists organized in Syria.