August 21, 2012: The rainy season has begun in the Sudans. The result is less fighting, though small-scale actions continue in Sudan’s Blue Nile and South Kordofan states and in the Darfur region, and tribal violence continues to plague South Sudan. The various factions in both Sudans are always talking about peace, or at least talking about talking about peace, but the impact of the new oil production and transport agreement, reached on August 3, on the various armed conflicts has yet to be determined. Sudan and South Sudan remain locked in a frozen war.

“Is Iran Inviting Israel to Attack? With its extreme rhetoric in recent days, Iran seems to be daring Israel to attack, either because Iran's leaders do not believe Israel is in fact prepared to attack and are calling its bluff or because they think an Israeli attack would fail to do significant damage to its nuclear facilities. Iran’s new threats come at a sensitive time when senior Israeli officials may be on the brink of deciding whether to attack. They will certainly influence Israel's decision, as will a forthcoming UN report that is expected to show that Iran's nuclear program is accelerating.”

From : LIGNET (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Please keep the Iran-Israeli stand-off in your prayers. This is especially dangerous and could lead to a wider regional or even world war of great destruction. Let’s watch over this situation with vigilance.

“Is Iran Inviting Israel to Attack? With its extreme rhetoric in recent days, Iran seems to be daring Israel to attack, either because Iran's leaders do not believe Israel is in fact prepared to attack and are calling its bluff or because they think an Israeli attack would fail to do significant damage to its nuclear facilities. Iran’s new threats come at a sensitive time when senior Israeli officials may be on the brink of deciding whether to attack. They will certainly influence Israel's decision, as will a forthcoming UN report that is expected to show that Iran's nuclear program is accelerating.”

From : LIGNET (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Please keep the Iran-Israeli stand-off in your prayers. This is especially dangerous and could lead to a wider regional or even world war of great destruction. Let’s watch over this situation with vigilance.

Most of the time when the words "border patrol" are spoken, one thinks of those who hunt coyotes, check passports, search for drugs, and keep the borders safe. But there is another part of the border patrol that, while they participate in those same things, they have a different role: search, trauma and rescue.

The BORSTAR unit is a highly specialized team that's trained in a lot of different disciplines related to search and rescue," said Supervisor Gerardo Carrasco. "It definitely adds a different side to being a border patrol agent, doing this job," said Agent Julie Gallagher.

It's not just about criminals crossing the border; there are also many women and children crossing to look for a better life. The problem is, they simply do not understand how brutal the desert can be. "In an environment where there is very little water and you don't have help get to you within a few hours, you're not going to last very long out there," Carrasco said. BORSTAR agents said summer is their busiest time for rescues because of the extreme weather conditions but that they work the fine line between rescuing and arresting suspected illegal immigrants all year long. "We work law enforcement just as hard as we work our rescues," Gallagher said.

It can be an emotionally difficult job, never knowing what condition they will find a victim in. Carrasco said, "You have to keep your emotions under control and prepare for the worse". Once someone has been rescued and cared for, they are sent back to Mexico. One rescued victim said, "I will come again, but next time, I'll do it legally."

Pray:

•    For the safety of the BORSTAR unit as they come to the aid of injured and dehydrated border crossers. Pray that the BORSTAR unit will have wisdom in dealing with the complex issues of illegal migrants.
•    For the BORSTAR unit's protection from the mental stress and emotional trauma they face on a daily basis.
•    For those considering crossing the border illegally - that they understand all the dangers involved and choose to respect the laws of the land.

PRAISES!
•    The Mexican press reported last Friday that a cousin of Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman, one of the world's most wanted drug lords, was arrested in Madrid along with a politician aligned with the party of President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto.
•    The Mexican Marines have arrested Jorge Luis Martínez Rodríguez alias El Taz, the presumed leader for the Zetas in Campeche. He was responsible for the trafficking of stolen fuel and drugs.
•    The Mexican Army has arrested Lamberto Gurrola Hernandez, alias "El Gato", the alleged leader of the Sinaloa Cartel in southern part of the state of Chihuahua. He confessed to being responsible for performing the "execution" of more than 100 people in the central-southern part of the state.
•    The Mexican military announced the arrest of Sergio Armando Barrera Salcedo, alias "El Checo" and six accomplices, in possession of 1.1 kilos of cocaine, half a kilo of marijuana, seven guns and two pistols. He is linked to the Sinaloa cartel, and at the time of arrest was coordinating the receipt of ½ ton of cocaine by sea.

Is There a Fox Guarding the Henhouse?

As Mexican cartels attempt to expand their drug and human smuggling operations, they are becoming "increasingly" involved in the "systemic corruption" of the US Department of Homeland Security's personnel. Their expansion includes the trafficking of aliens from terrorism-linked countries into the U.S., the DHS acting inspector general told lawmakers earlier this month.

"As the United States enhances border security with successful technologies and increased staffing to disrupt smuggling routes and networks, drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have become not only more violent and dangerous, but more clever as well. The DTOs have turned to recruiting and corrupting DHS employees," Charles Edwards, the acting DHS inspector general, said.

Edwards said border corruption may take the form of cash bribes, sexual favors, and other gratuities in return for U.S. employees allowing contraband or illegal aliens through primary inspection lanes - "or even protecting and escorting border crossings." Edwards also said U.S. employees may be bribed to leak or sell sensitive law enforcement information to smugglers and provide them with necessary documents such as immigration papers.

"A corrupt DHS employee may accept a bribe for allowing what appear to be simply undocumented aliens into the U.S. while unwittingly helping terrorists enter the country," Edwards said. "Likewise, what seems to be drug contraband could be weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical or biological weapons or bomb-making materials."

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner David Aguilar, who testified alongside Edwards, said that 141 CBP employees "have been arrested or indicted for acts of corruption" since October 2004.

CBP has an estimated 47,000-strong workforce, including about 21,000 Border Patrol agents. It should be noted that the 141 CBP employees who have been arrested or indicted for corruption represents less than one percent of the entire force. Yet when it comes to guarding the nation, everyone counts.

PRAY:
•    For all Department of Homeland Security employees to have the strength, courage and conviction to uphold the US laws and constitution and to continue to serve this nation with integrity and honesty. Pray that they will not yield to the enticements or threats of the DTOs.
•    For any and all corruption to be exposed at every level of DHS. Pray that appropriate actions will be taken to bring justice to those who have fallen and prudent safeguards, if needed, to be put in place.
•    For God to encourage the 99% of the DHS employees working hard to protect America and that He will give them a fresh vitality to do their job with excellence.
•    We continue to pray that the cartels will fail and fall in their efforts to corrupt and that God's peace will fill our borderlands and our nation.

He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.  1 Corinthians 4:5b (NIV)

Mora, Edwin. "CNSNews.com." Mexican Cartels 'Increasingly' Corrupting DHS Employees to Smuggle Aliens From Countries 'Likely to Export Terrorism' N.p., 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 23 Aug. 2012. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/mexican-cartels-increasingly-corrupting-dhs-employees-smuggle-aliens-countries-likely

PRAISES!
•    A Russian citizen, identified as a terrorist by the United States, was arrested in Tijuana, and had accomplices linked to the Sinaloa cartel, said the Secretary of Public Security of Baja California, Daniel de la Rosa Anaya. Georgiy Chipunov is accused of threatening to blow up judicial court facilities in San Diego, California, and assassinate judges and other US officials. Following his arrest, he was extradited to the United States where he is considered highly dangerous.
•    Gulf drug cartel boss, Lauro Tijerina Murrieta, and three other suspected members of the criminal organization were captured Monday, August 20, by marines in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, the Navy Secretariat said Tuesday.
•    Police in the northwestern Mexican state of Baja California seized more than $1 million that the Sinaloa cartel had made from drug sales in Los Angeles, security officials said. It was part of the large sum of millions of dollars being shipped to the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel.

September 12-14, 2012, Fremont, California (www.11hourcall.org)

The Chinese carry a unique end-time mandate that has been hidden in the heart of God since the beginning of time: just as “Wise Men from the East” witnessed Jesus’ first coming to earth, the Lord desires to use the Chinese as His instrument to help awaken and prepare the Bride of Christ worldwide for the Lord’s return.

Over the past few years, God has begun gathering together Chinese believers of like heart and spirit in Asia in a journey to see the fulfillment of His kingdom coming and His will being done on earth as it is in heaven among the Chinese (Matthew 6:10). And by His sovereign design, God has also placed a seed of the Chinese into the soil of many nations, including North America. By right of bloodline, these Chinese believers carry the same mandate to sound the cry at the midnight hour heralding the Bridegroom’s return for the North American Church.

Today, the eyes of the Lord are roaming to and fro seeking a remnant who are willing to wait upon Him for His steps to unlock the destined purposes for the Chinese in North America. If your heart resonates with this end-time call and you are an established or emerging leader among the Chinese believers or you have a desire to stand with the Chinese in this hour, we invite you to join with other believers from throughout North America for the Mobilize Gathering in Fremont, California, September 12-14, 2012.

Calling for a 40-day fasting:

Pastor Imiel released this word on July 19 regarding this gathering:

The Lord says regarding North America Chinese gathering I want to emphasize that such a gathering will be a turning point in the North American Chinese. Such a turning point will transform the whole body of such churches. That’s why the enemy is resisting fiercely not to see such a gathering happening to the point that such resistance will increase more and more. But I need corporate fasting, otherwise if there is no room for corporate fasting, it should be postponed. But I will awaken many leaders in North America to rise up and seek my face. But such a gathering, as I told you, should be preceded with corporate fasting because there will be a breakthrough in North American Chinese churches says the Lord. Amen.

This is a key for transforming the North American Chinese. Pastor David felt “we cannot afford to postpone this gathering—I believe September is the time the Lord desires for this to happen, and we need to rise up and press through the resistance.”

As the Renewal Fellowship pastors sought the Lord regarding this, we decided to call a:
1.    40-day fast from August 4-September 12 to contend for the destiny of the North American Chinese.
2.    Joint Prayer meeting August 20th, 7:30 p.m., at Amazing Grace Christian Fellowship, 7416 Victoria Dr.

Please join this fast in whatever way the Lord leads. This invitation-only gathering will take place at the Forerunner Christian church (39620 Sundale Drive, Fremont, California 94538) beginning Wednesday, September 12, at 7:00 p.m. and continuing with morning, afternoon and evening meetings through late in the evening Friday, September 14.

For more information or to register, please visit our website www.11hourcall.org.

Blessings,
Pastoral Team

We were in St. Peter’s Square in Rome by Vatican City on the morning of 6th January (Epiphany), in the afternoon, we were in Rieti (one hour’s motorway drive north of Rome) in the geographical centre of Italy where we blew the trumpets.

Some time later, when I saw the pictures of Concordia, the Holy Spirit spoke to me: “That is, or rather, will be the condition of the nations of Europe. The proud giant (colossus) is faltering and wavering, and will collapse and cease to exist, if it doesn’t repent and turn around from its present course. And that is also a picture of the Church and churches in your countries. She is in the greatest danger of sinking. She is in an emergency situation! She needs saving and help in order to be raised up and restored.” That’s why I blow the trumpets! Listen to the alarm bells. Wake up and return to Jesus!

Since that time there has been several severe earthquakes, in Italy as well. One could read in a newspaper report that one in three churches in the affected region has been either damaged or destroyed. This is another impressive picture concerning the condition of the churches in our countries.

Let us take another look at the statement about the picture above; "that the proud giant (Europe) is faltering and wavering, and will collapse and cease to exist, if it doesn’t repent and turn around from its present course." What does “cease to exist“ in this context mean?

When we consider the headlines and pictures, which we are continuously being subjected to in the media, from many different countries in Europe, we must realistically acknowledge that our continent is wavering and faltering and is quite tarnished and financially stricken. I don’t think it is necessary to list here individual problems. They are sufficiently well-known. The whole structure of society is changing in every area of life (politically, economically, socially and religiously). It really isn’t painting too black a picture, when we could imagine the possibility that Europe, in the form in which know it today, could no longer continue; in other words, it could “cease to exist."

It would not be the first “kingdom“ to degenerate into chaos and insignificance (other so called world empires have suffered the same fate). And we are once more on course for the same target, because GOD resists the proud. However, He doesn’t allow humanity to run pell-mell into disaster. He warns us, offers a way out (repentance) and will help us and save us. And to this end He needs His church! It would be absolutely fatal in this situation when His church (or at least a large part of it) would likewise be threatened with foundering. I can hear some people say: “But she cannot possibly perish, God has Himself so promised!“: others say, “And there are some really good churches!“ Both these statements are true. Praise be to GOD! When we look from a worldwide perspective, then the Church can never cease to exist. And that which we have just seen and heard at the WPA meeting in Indonesia confirmed this in a most impressive way. On the other hand, we also heard examples from some regions or countries where previously flourishing Christian communities and churches existed, which today no longer exist.

Israel, where the Church was birthed and spread out into what today is Turkey. There people worshipped and signs and wonders occurred and they came to believe in Jesus Christ by their thousands. Several centuries later absolutely nothing remained; neither in Sardis, nor in Ephesus, nor in Laodicea.

Therefore, even when today we have a number of churches, we must realise that many of them have become insignificant and of no relevance to influence the present modern generation and society. We Christians have adjusted and adapted and are no longer distinguishable from our unbelieving neighbours, and so we are showing a completely false picture of our God through our poor, beggarly and weak witness. When we are His body and He looks over this body, then He not only sees the good, individual members! He painfully acknowledges EVERYTHING as it is – including that which is asleep, injured, fights against itself or even is already dead. (For your encouragement: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick“ -Mk.2:17 NIV – Jesus still means that today!)

The world is saddened and stunned, that, after the earthquakes, so many Italian churches have cracks or have been totally destroyed. We, as messengers and representatives of the Almighty God, know, that in the final instance it has nothing to do with buildings – we should concentrate our efforts that we personally and those people in our own circle of influence come to know and love Jesus Christ as Saviour and Redeemer!

He is knocking on the door of our hearts and churches asking for permission to have fellowship with us (Rev. 3:20). Are we prepared to let Him in, not just as a guest, to whom we allocate one room, but as the owner who wants to take up residence within us? Therefore, this trumpet blowing can serve as a call for a turnaround – for those who hear and are prepared to accept the necessary consequences. There is no alternative, no other emergency bailout, no plan B, either for the world or the Church…

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will bring glory to Me! (John16:13-14a NIV)

A string of incidents over the past month has served as a reminder that despite the intense, decade-long focus on the jihadist threat, domestic terrorism is still an issue in the United States. On Aug. 5, Wade Page opened fire on the congregation of a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six and wounding three others. Though Page killed himself and did not leave any evidence explicitly listing his motives for the attack, his long association with the white supremacist movement was clearly a factor in his target choice.

On Aug. 15, Floyd Corkins shot and wounded a security guard in the lobby of the Family Research Council's office in Washington after the guard blocked him from entering the office. Corkins reportedly was carrying a bag containing a box of ammunition and a number of Chick-fil-A sandwiches. He apparently targeted the Family Research Council because of its public support for Chick-fil-A in the wake of the controversy over statements made by the fast food chain's founder regarding gay marriage. According to media reports, Corkins said, "I don't like your politics," before opening fire.

And on Aug. 16, an off-duty sheriff's deputy was shot and wounded while working as a security guard at an oil refinery in St. John the Baptist Parish, La. When two other deputies responded to a nearby trailer park where a vehicle reportedly associated with the shooting was spotted, the trailers' occupants ambushed and killed the deputies. An additional officer was wounded, along with two of the suspects involved in the shooting, Brian Smith and Kyle Joekel. Seven people have been arrested in connection with the incident, including Smith's father and brother. News reports indicate that the group was associated with the sovereign citizen movement, and members of it were under investigation for weapons offenses and previous threats to law enforcement officers in other states.

All three of these incidents stem from distinct ideological streams: the white supremacist skinhead movement, the radical left and the Posse Comitatus/sovereign citizen movement. While unrelated as far as timing and motive, when taken together they show that extremist ideologies subscribed to by certain individuals on the fringes of U.S. society continue to radicalize some to the point that they are willing to take violent action in accordance with those ideologies. Domestic terrorism is thus alive and well.

Old Streams

First, we need to remember that terrorism is a tactic practiced by actors from a wide array of ethnic and religious backgrounds who follow various ideologies stretching from anarchism to neo-Nazism. Terrorism does not equal jihadism. Long before jihadism reared its head in the United States, anarchist Leon Czolgosz assassinated President William McKinley, white supremacist James Earl Ray assassinated Martin Luther King Jr., and Posse Comitatus member Gordon Kahl killed three law enforcement officers in a multistate spree of violence.

Indeed, as we look at all of the recent attention being paid to lone assailants and small cells, it must be remembered that anti-government and white supremacist leaders in the United States embraced the leaderless resistance model of operations long before jihadist groups began to promote it…

The recent spate of incidents is also not all that unusual. Other examples stand out in recent years of different streams of domestic radicalism leading to a confluence of attacks by different types of actors. For example, on April 19, 1995, a large truck bomb built by anti-government extremists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols detonated outside the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. Five days later, on April 25, timber lobbyist Gilbert Murray became the third fatality and final victim of Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski's long Neo-Luddite bombing campaign.

Another such convergence occurred in the summer of 1999. After conducting arsons at three Sacramento-area synagogues, brothers Matthew and Tyler Williams killed a gay couple in their home in Happy Valley, Calif., on July 1. On July 2, World Church of the Creator adherent Benjamin Smith began a multistate shooting spree that killed two and wounded nine and that only ended when he killed himself July 4. On Aug. 10, former Aryan Nations member Buford Furrow mounted an armed assault against a Jewish day care center in Los Angeles, during which he wounded five people before killing a Filipino-American mailman on the street.

Domestic terrorism in the United States is a cyclical phenomenon. There are discernable peaks in that cycle, like those we've discussed -- and like the one the country is currently experiencing. The intense political polarization that has occurred in recent years in the United States, the widespread distrust of the government on both the extreme right and the extreme left, and the current election-year rhetoric will further inflame political passions. This means that the current cycle of domestic terrorism plots and violence is likely to continue for at least the next several months.

Implications

While domestic terrorism is currently at the peak of the cycle in the United States, it is important to remember that most domestic terrorism cases tend to be simple attacks conducted by a lone actor or small cell. There are far more instances of simple bombings, such as those conducted by Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph or animal rights bomber Daniel Andreas San Diego, than the sort of large truck bomb attack committed by McVeigh and Nichols, which was an anomaly. Even more common than bombing attacks are the armed assaults that we've seen recently, and they are generally implemented against soft targets -- something we've talked about in relation to other terrorist threats.

And that means that the implications for domestic terrorist threats are essentially the same as they are for the jihadist or Iranian threat. First, it is critical for people to remember that terrorist attacks do not appear out of a vacuum. Individuals planning an attack -- no matter what their motivation or ideology -- follow a discernable cycle, and that cycle involves behavior that can be identified and detected before the attack is conducted. Indeed, it appears that the Smith family and their associates involved in the Louisiana shooting were known by authorities in several jurisdictions and were considered armed and dangerous.

It is also important for individuals to understand that it is physically impossible for governments to protect all potential targets from every sort of attack. This means that many places are vulnerable to an attack, should an assailant choose to strike and should the assailant's preoperational activities go undetected. Therefore, citizens need to assume responsibility for their own security. This involves citizens not only reporting suspicious activity to the authorities, but also practicing good situational awareness and having updated and appropriate contingency plans in place for their families and businesses.

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/domestic-terrorism-persistent-threat-united-states?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20120823&utm_term=sweekly&utm_content=title&elq=1a0dac08682f46d1b3c188c71c94d3a8

Al-Qaida Advertises for Suicide Bombers; China Steals 2.7M US Jobs; Cartels Bribe DHS Workers

1. Cartels’ Bribing of DHS Workers Raises Terrorist Threat

Mexican cartels are increasingly engaged in the “systematic corruption” of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) workers to expand their smuggling operations — including the trafficking of aliens from terrorism-linked countries. “Drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have become not only more violent and dangerous, but more clever as well. The DTOs have turned to recruiting and corrupting DHS employees,” Charles Edwards, the acting DHS inspector general, told a hearing of a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee.

“A corrupt DHS employee may accept a bribe for allowing what appear to be simply undocumented aliens into the U.S. while unwittingly helping terrorists enter the country. Likewise, what seems to be drug contraband could be weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical or biological weapons or bomb-making materials. “According to government reports, DTOs are becoming involved increasingly in systematic corruption of DHS employees to further alien and drug smuggling, including the smuggling of aliens from designated special interest countries likely to export terrorism.”

Special interest countries are nations thought to pose a terrorist threat and include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia, CNS News pointed out in a report on Edwards’ testimony.

Edwards said border corruption may take the form of cash bribes, sexual favors, and other gratuities in return for U.S. employees allowing contraband or illegal aliens through inspection lanes — “or even protecting and escorting border crossings.”

He also said DHS employees may be bribed to leak or sell sensitive law enforcement information to smugglers, and provide them with documents such as immigration papers.
The cartels target employees who may be “going through financial difficulties, gambling, debts, [or] sexual infidelity,” he added.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner David Aguilar, who testified alongside Edwards, said that 141 CBP employees “have been arrested or indicted for acts of corruption” since October 2004.

Edwards warned in his written testimony that “while those who turn away from their sworn duties are few, even one corrupt agent or officer who allows harmful goods or people to enter the country puts the nation at risk.”

Organized gangs in Mexico are also increasingly involved in the theft of petroleum from the nation’s state-run oil company, Pemex, CNS News reported.

Pemex said on Aug. 10 that the national pipeline systems “are practically taken over by organized crime gangs associated with heavily armed groups.” Criminals use devices called “clandestine taps” to steal the oil from the pipelines. According to Pemex, more than 1.84 million barrels of oil were stolen from the pipeline system in the first six months of this year, meaning that on average, at least 17,500 gallons of oil were stolen per hour!

2. Al-Qaida Advertises for Suicide Bombers

The terrorist organization al-Qaida is running a “job ad” on an Internet forum seeking applicants for short-term employment — as suicide bombers. The ad on the Shumukh al-Islam forum, which is accessible only to al-Qaida members, appears under the heading “Area of activity: The planet Earth.”

Applicants must be Muslim, mentally mature, dedicated, able to listen, and utterly committed to completing their mission, according to the ad.

While real names are not required, candidates are asked to send details of their nickname or handle, their age, marital status, languages spoken, and a list of passports in their possession, the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

The ad also specifies the targets of the suicide attacks that applicants will be expected to carry out, including “People who fight Islam and Muslims” and enemy “financial, military and media targets.”

And it states: “Only one person will be in charge. He will gather all of the intelligence, he will prepare the operation — and he will complete the attack.” However, “a military panel” will oversee the bomber’s training and select the target.

The job description promises only a “very slight chance of being caught.” The Yedioth article claimed the ad has elicited several positive responses. The Times of Israel observed that the ad indicates al-Qaida is “apparently low on bombers.”

From: Newsmax.com (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Date: Sun, Aug 26, 2012 at 8:21 AM

Please pray that citizens and also public officials in the US and elsewhere will be watchful about potential domestic and international acts of terrorism and will be able to counteract them effectively.

http://www.tendaysofprayer.org/

Matthew 9:15 - And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Click here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkC2LpPmfHM&feature=youtube) to watch our video on the origins and purpose of the “10 Days”.

What’s the Purpose of 10 Days:

Revealing Unity:

Revealing and advancing the unity of the Body of Christ 10 Days is intended to bring together Christians from many different traditions, denominations, and ethnicities of a region to seek God together. While a larger body of believers can’t meet as a city or region daily or weekly, an annual season of joining together is attainable. Since the unity of the church is in Christ, the 10 Days is “uniting the Church with Jesus at the center”. Praying for and with one another leads to loving one another more. Ultimately, unity is nothing more or less than love or one another!

Seeking Maturity:

Awakening, strengthening, and purifying the Body of Christ

1. 10 Days is a time of focusing our attention on God and “unplugging” from the world, even from good things like food, work, or recreation

2. It’s like a spiritual overhaul, an extended time of letting God check “what’s under the hood”. Often, this can result in incredible personal transformation

3. God wants the Church to be a “pure and spotless bride!” 10 Days is an opportunity for God to move us into that identity as never before

4. Often, God uses these seasons catalytically to launch us into new acts of service

Desiring Christ’s Return:

“Eagerly waiting” (Romans 8:25) for the return of Christ

• While longing for Christ’s return is a basic concept in Scripture, it’s something that has not been a focus for many of us

• Jesus is not coming back to “marry” a Church that’s indifferent to his return. He’s coming back for a Bride that’s “eagerly waiting” for Him

• The return of Christ can be controversial and we’re not promoting a specific theological perspective on this issue. The simple fact is this: Christ will come again and his followers are to “long for and hasten” his coming (2 Peter 3:12)

Major Themes:

Consecrated Time:

Many of us have experienced the power of a Christian camp, a prayer retreat, or another set-apart time to seek God. The 10 Days is designed to usher many Christians within a given geographical area into this type of experience together. The result is an acceleration of God’s activity as many people and groups have transforming encounters with God within the span of 10 Days. These gatherings, where God’s presence is manifest and many lives are touched, have the potential to spark the transformation of entire communities.

Mourning:

”Mourning” is a major focus for the 10 Days. This word, which sounds so unattractive, really means this: learning at a heart level what we’re missing and what we’ve lost so that we can receive it.

Truth be told, our hearts and minds are often far from aligned with God’s will and purposes. Not only that: most of the time we’re not even aware of our glaring need. To mourn is to recognize our own poverty apart from God’s grace, to turn away from our own futile ways, and to posture ourselves to receive more and more from our generous Father. It’s mourning in hope, longing for the promises of God, aligning our hearts with God’s priorities so that we might see them come, on earth as it is in heaven.

There are three kinds of mourning that we emphasize (Learn more about mourning):

Personal: God starts with us as individuals, revealing to us how much He loves us and what Christ has won for us. This enables us to throw off false mindsets and begin to have “the mind of Christ” where we see things as God sees them, not with eyes of the flesh. The Holy Spirit is the leader of this process and it’s His presence that enables it. The Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12) are key to understanding this type of mourning.

Intercessory: Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9 is a clear example of Intercessory mourning, where Daniel petitions God to return the Israelites to Jerusalem as He had already promised to do. This type of mourning is on behalf of others and because of God’s promises. We pray God’s prayers and promises, “Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done” recognizing that around the world there is incredible darkness and suffering affecting real people unless He comes. This time is an opportunity to receive God’s compassion for other people.

Longing for Christ’s Return: The Bible concludes with a cry for Christ’s return, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” 10 Days is an opportunity to let our hearts feel the weight of His absence so that we can long for His coming.

Fasting: Participating ministries will extend an invitation to 10 days of fasting (Sept 4-14 2013). We recommend that believers consider a Daniel Fast (vegan fast) or a liquid fast for the 10 Days.

Ongoing Worship and Prayer is the heart of the 10 days. Believers are invited to devote this time to corporate worship, prayer, and waiting on God together. These expressions of humility and dependence invite a response from God who “humbles the proud, but exults the humble.”

Evening Gatherings are the most visible part of the 10 days. Each night, a different group of congregations and ministries will host a gathering of worship, prayer, and communion in a different location. If you attend night-to-night, you’ll get to see the fundamental unity and incredible diversity of Christ’s body in your region, and probably make some new friends in the process.

Many Cities: The vision for this time is for many cities/regions to come together at the same time each year. Find out what cities are doing the 10 Days.

Fall Feasts: 10 Days occurs during the Days of Awe on the Biblical calendar, beginning with the Day of Trumpets and ending with the Day of Atonement. These feasts are an important part of our common Biblical tradition. Many believe that the fall feasts (Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles) symbolically point to the return of Christ.

Acts of Reconciliation: 10 Days is an ideal time for the Body of Christ to do something together for their community. This may include various acts of reconciliation: corporate action intended to reach out to or bless a particular part of the community that may be estranged. Possibilities include evangelism, a financial gift, sharing a meal together, reaching out to an estranged group, care for the poor, or an apology to groups or individuals that have been offended.