MOVING FORWARD - pastor mike landry

We're back from a day long excursion to Petra. Wow, what a sight. Recently a poll was taken concerning an up-to-date "7 Greatest Wonders of the World" and Petra was voted 2nd. 1st place was the Great Wall of China. I can see why. It's gigantic, beautiful, and amazing.

We had to walk about 2 miles to get to it through a long canyon but it was certainly worth it. One things for sure, everyone will sleep good tonight. (For those of you still wondering what this place looks like, it's the place Indiana Jones went to find the holy grail in his third movie, "The Last Crusade".)

Petra is a city that was known for its security and its remote and hidden location. From a biblical perspective it is known for primarily three things:

1. A place where the Jews will flee persecution in the last days.
2. A city on route to the Promised Land when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.
3. It is right next to Mt. Hor, where Aaron (Moses brother) died.

A few personal observations I had were:

1. It's amazing how the Bedouin people live with next to nothing in this region and yet act as though they have everything. They don't even know they are poor. Contrast that with how we live with everything and so often think and behave like we have nothing. Maybe we could learn something here. Why do we let things so determine whether we are happy or contented?

2. The city was lost for so many years after the great earthquake in 363 AD. It was only rediscovered in 1812. How in the world does a city of 25 square miles vanish? In the same way people do when we get so preoccupied with our own little worlds. I need to make sure I pay attention to the people God puts in my life and not let the "earthquakes" or "life changes" of my life distract me from what is most important. Jesus said the second greatest command was, "to love my neighbor as myself." He was saying that personal relationships must be priority.

One last note:
One man in our group, Gerry, had to miss today's travels due to a stomach problem. I saw him when we returned at dinner and he reported that he is feeling much better and will be ready to get back on track tomorrow. Keep on praying for Gerry and the rest of the crew. It's making a difference.

One other note:
For those of you who are camel riders. I'm impressed. After today, I'm amazed that anyone can ride one and keep their balance, much less just get up on one. A number of our folks tried riding a camel today...everyone stayed on but many close calls.