APRIL, 2009

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
1) The Second Annual Ozark Mountain Country Marketplace Prayer Summit will be on
the National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 7, at the Plaza View Restaurant, 9th floor of
the Grand Plaza Hotel in Branson. The time is from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. The
purpose is to spend extended time in prayer in the presence of God with other
community leaders who have a desire to grow closer to God and to each other. You are
welcome to participate for the entire time or part of the time. Please RSVP by Friday,
May 1, by calling (417) 336-7076 or sending an e-mail to cross@silverdollarcity.com.
Lunch will be provided free of charge.
2) The annual Branson Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast will be on the National Day of Prayer
(open to people from the entire region) at 7 a.m. at Tri-Lakes Center. The speaker will
be Gil Strickland, founder of Marketplace Ministries that provides chaplains for
companies. The meeting will end no later than 8:30. Tickets are $25, and a table of
eight is $175. Call 334-6308 for reservations. Tickets at the door will be $27.50
Golden Corral is catering the meal.
3) On the same National Day of Prayer there will be an annual prayer gathering on the
lawn of City Hall in Galena. It will be at 10 a.m, with speakers and music.
4) The Kimberling City Ministerial Alliance is hosting a prayer event on the National
Day of Prayer as well. The tentative time is 8:30 a.m. at the Kimberling City Library.
For more information, call (417) 739 1891.
4) Short time frame notice: On Wednesday, April 22, Pastor Howard Boyd is hosting a
very important event from 9 a.m. to noon on top of the Grand Plaza Hotel. It will be a
roundtable discussion of regional (Stone and Taney Counties) spiritual leaders and
spiritual influencers (no particular title or ministry necessary!) to 1) celebrate what God
has been doing in the region and discover creative ideas about how we can maximize
what He has entrusted to us, so He can trust us with more; 2) create some form of
network, system and communication process that highlights and celebrates the work of
Christ in the Ozark Mountain region. I see this as another answer to UP Team prayer
and a way to continuously identify praise God for what He is doing and also identify
prayer needs for the region. There will be light refreshments. Please RSVP as soon as
possible to ktinch@bhag.us, or call (417) 335-2424.
5) Another short time frame notice: This year’s Literacy Event at the Branson Schools
will be on April 22, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. A MO National Guard helicopter will land
on the Cedar Ridge track and drop off books donated by the Branson/Hollister Rotary
Club. There will be more than 700 preschoolers, kindergartners and first graders in
attendance to receive books, juice and snacks. 100 people are needed to read. It will be
just two hours of your time, and a lot of fun to boot.
6) Attention UP Team members and supporters: On the National Day of Prayer the UP
Team will celebrate its 7th anniversary. The Team has grown steadily from that time.
But one thing we have never done is a “re-up,” a reaching out to folks to request a
recommitment. So, be expecting in the mail, towards the beginning of May most likely,
a letter from me and a form for you to complete. There will be a stamped envelope
enclosed, or you can respond by e-mail. It is very important for every recipient to
respond! There will be ample options for you to respond to: If you are a member and
want to continue or discontinue; if you are a member and want verification of your day
and hour or want to change it; if you are not a member but a supporter and want to
continue praying for the UP Team and receiving the Newsletter – or want to now take a
day and hour; if you are receiving the Newsletter by mail but have an e-mail address
that we can use; if you have any suggestions for improvement or any criticisms. As we
move toward 24/7 prayer, it is obviously important to know for sure who the
commitment people continue to be, so that we have a solid base to continue to build on.
Also, if you have names of potential members we can contact, that would be super also.

REFLECTION
The little prophetic Book of Jonah has many messages for us today. Here is a brief
summary and then a focus on one element for this Reflection. Jonah was called by God
to go to the country of Assyria, specifically to the great city of Ninevah, and preach to
them that they must repent or be destroyed by God. Jonah is stricken with mortal fear;
the Ninevites are a violent and vicious pagan people, and the last thing he wants to do is
walk among them with a message of doom and gloom. So, Jonah flees for his life by
boarding a ship. A great storm arises and the ship is in danger of sinking. Jonah admits
to the crew that he is the reason for the storm because he has disobeyed God. He tells
them to throw him overboard and the storm would stop. They did, and it did. Well,
obviously Jonah he was forfeiting his life because of his disobedience; but God was not
finished with Jonah. We know that a great fish (never called a whale, but likely)
swallowed Jonah – not to make a meal of him, but to actually preserve his life in his
great stomach. By the way, Jesus refers to Jonah twice in His ministry, so it is highly
likely that this is an actual historical account rather than a parable. Well, after three
days (reference to the Resurrection?) the fish spits Jonah out (probably indigestion!).
Jonah is obviously immensely relieved that he is alive and on terra firma. But then he
looks around and realizes that the fish has spit him out exactly on the shores of Assyria,
near Ninevah! So, at long last, Jonah gives in to God’s will, probably thinking that his
death will be much worse than being swallowed by a fish, and walks to the great city It
is so large that it takes three days just to walk from one end to one end. Jonah swallows
hard, and he begins preaching. He walks, speaking in a loud voice, proclaiming that he
is God’s prophet and that unless the people repent from their sins, their doom is ensured,
and shortly.
Well, lo and behold, the people begin listening to Jonah! They start repenting. More,
the king hears about it, and instead of having Jonah imprisoned or executed, he believes,
too, and he proclaims a fast for repentance. The people repent, and the city is saved!
Clearly, it was not Jonah’s eloquence that brought this about. No, it was Jonah’s
obedience that allowed the Holy Spirit to speak through him and for grace to flow into
the hearts of this pagan people. Great story! But what does it mean for us? Folks, there
is a very, very important message of hope here. This is what this great Scripture means
to me: As we look around, just our nation much less the world, we find a growing
paganism. God is increasingly mocked, Christians are increasingly considered fools and
out of touch with reality, the mention of God is being more and more challenged in the
marketplace, in schools, on radio and TV, and even in the pulpit. Hard core atheism is
on the rise, closely followed by agnosticism, secular humanism, moral relativism, gross
materialism and situational ethics. Even though the majority of Americans call
themselves Christians, it appears in many ways to becoming a watered down
Christianity. Americans elected a President because of economic fears, when the
greatest concern should be the sanctity of life. The push for abortion rights, embryonic
stem cell research, the acceptance of homosexual relations and same sex marriage
intensifies daily.
In many ways we are fast becoming in practice a pagan nation; and it is even worse in
Europe. I have said it before and I will say it again: If the United States of America,
my nation that I love dearly, does not change its ways, does not repent, does not have
another spiritual great awakening, a spiritual transformation, it is literally doomed.
There is no Biblical statement that the USA must endure. It can, and it should, because
of its support of human rights, its founding values, its belief in fundamental moral
values, its ardent support of Israel and missionary and relief work around the world.
But all great nations and empires die within before they are conquered from without. Is
that doom and gloom? Well, surprisingly, no! Because I return now to the Book of
Jonah. One little, fearful prophet, grudgingly obeying God, became the instrument for
the transformation of a leading city of a pagan nation. Well, we are Christians, and we
are united with Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest. Because of that, our prayers, when
guided by the Holy Spirit, become His prayer, and that prayer is all-powerful! We, little
though we be, by the working of the Holy Spirit in and through us, can actually be
mighty instruments, powerful conduits, for the flow of God’s transforming grace
throughout our nation – first here and then our nation --. These are not just nice words,
this is reality. But we must first believe, and then we must obey. The UP Team is but
one of many prayer groups here and around the nation. But we are important in God’s
plan. This is why commitment to our time of prayer, why recruitment of others, why
reaching a blanket of 24/7 prayer several people deep is so critical at this time in history.
Our faithfulness is literally a key in God’s perfect will being accomplished here and in
our entire nation – and with a ripple effect around the world. Do not sell yourselves
short; that is what Satan wants.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

A 54-year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table
she had a near-death experience. Seeing God, she asked, “Is my time up?” God said, “No, you have
another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live.” Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the
hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck. She even had someone
come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth. Since she had so much more time to love,
she figured she might as well make the most of it. After her last procedure, she was released from the
hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance. Arriving in
front of God, she demanded, “I thought you said I had another 43 years? Why didn’t you pull me from
out of the path of the ambulance?” God replied, “I didn’t recognize you.”

MORE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Some Ozarks humor straight out of Booger Holler: “Uncle Matthew’s city nephew, Sam, is a’visitin’
this week. They wuz out in the pasture yestiddy ‘n Uncle Matthew wuz a’helpin’ a cow that wuz
a’havin’ a calf. Little Sammy’s eyes kept gittin bigger n’ bigger ‘n finely he turns to his uncle ‘n sez,
‘Reckon how fast thet little cow wuz goin’ when it ran into thet big cow?!!””…”Preecher Wright done
made a bad mistake when he wuz a’eatin’ lunch at the Dodd’s house. Miz Dodd asked him if’n he’d
like sum corn ‘n he passed hiz glass instead of hiz plate!”…”Cousin Red sez that ever time he gits up
quick, he sees red ‘n green spots. ‘Hav you seed a doctor”’ I asks ‘n he sez, ‘Nope – jest them red ‘n
green spots.’”…”Cousin Nicky done visited the big city t’other day, ‘n when he cums back he sez, ‘I
done figgered out the difference between city folks ‘n country folks. Folks in the city moves the eatin’
table outside the house, ‘n moves the outhouse inside.’”…”The Jones’ oldest daughter wuz named
after her pa ‘n ma and she ain’t too happy about it. Her pa’s name is Ferdinand ‘n her maw’s name is
Liza; so they named her Ferdiliza.”…”A salesman got aholt uf cousin Ebb t’other day ‘n tole him,
‘Now thet you got kids in school, you oughta buy ‘em a encyclopedia.’ ‘Nuthin doin’, sez Cousin Ebb,
‘let ‘em walk to school lak I did.’”

PRAYER MOBILIZATION
Please pray for: Dianna Warrick, new UP member, has MS…Mayor’s Prayer
Breakfast, Marketplace Prayer Summit, Galena prayer event, Kimberling City Prayer
event, and all prayer gatherings around the nation on The National Day of Prayer…the
April 22 gathering of spiritual leaders/influencers…the book drop at Cedar Ridge on
April 22…a successful re-enlisting of UP Team members and a rapid growth to 24/7…
Notre Dame, that it rescind its invitation to President Obama to be the commencement
speaker and receive an honorary degree – as a protest for his stand on abortion and
embryonic stem cell research…the Ozarks Legacy Catalyst Groups and a future prayer
partnership between them and the UP Team, and the overall Ozarks Legacy effort for
the region…Church Army…The Caring People…Torchbearers…the Share It Forward
financial needs of Herschend Family Entertainment employees…a successful season in
the region…the visiting international performers at SDC…all unemployed, all who have
lost or in danger of losing their homes…an economic recovery for our nation and our
world, but after a renewal of respect for the sanctity of life…all wars around the globe,
all refugees, all persecuted Christians, all the hungry and diseased people, especially
children…Love, INC and relational ministry…all families, all drug addicts and
alcoholics…all in Hospice care…Becky Ball (UP) as she begins a new life in Tulsa…all
intentions, spoken and unspoken.

STORY
“I dreamt that I went to heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-
by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of
the first section and said, ‘This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said
in prayer are received.’ I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so
many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from
people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the
second section. The angel then said to me, ‘This is the Packaging and Delivery Section.
Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the
living persons who asked for them. I noticed again how busy it was there. There were
many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested
and were being packaged for delivery to earth. Finally, at the farthest end of the long
corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one
angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. ‘This is the Acknowledgment Section,’ my
angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed. ‘How is it that there is no
work going on here?’ I asked. ‘So sad,’ the angel sighed. ‘After people receive the
blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments.’ ‘How does one
acknowledge God’s blessings?’ I asked. ‘Simple,’ the angel answered. ‘Just say,
‘Thank you, Lord.’ ‘What blessings should they acknowledge?’ I asked. ‘If you have
food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you
are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and
spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. And if you
got this on a computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity. If
you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the
many who will not even survive this day. If you have never experienced the fear in
battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation,
you are ahead of 700 million people in the world. If you can attend a church without the
fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are envied by, and more blessed than, 3
billion people in the world. If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very
rare. If you can hold up your head and smile, you are not the norm, you are unique
compared to all those in doubt and despair.”
A FOLLOW-UP EASTER STORY
If you believe in the meaning of Easter, you are among only about 30% of the
population of the world. If you really experience and proclaim the meaning of Easter as
much more profound than Easter bunnies, colored eggs, chocolate candy and Easter
bonnets and other finery, you are actually among a small majority or even possibly a
minority of Christians. But let’s take a look at those Easter celebration items and
spiritualize them: The Easter bunny: Rabbits are probably best known for their
amazing ability to reproduce rapidly. So Easter is a time to fervently pray that the
meaning and the power of the Resurrection will take root in people’s hearts around the
globe and that the billions who do not know Jesus as the Redeemer of all may do so.
Colored eggs: The egg is a symbol of life, especially new life. So Easter is a time to
fervently pray that the sanctifying grace of God transform human spirits and bring them
from spiritual death to spiritual life, which is the purpose of the Resurrection. And the
color on the eggs symbolizes the beauty and the glory of a spiritually transformed
human spirit, a born again human being. Chocolate candy: Almost everyone loves
chocolate as a special treat to eat. It symbolizes the Jesus who gave us His Body and
His Blood to consume as an incredible way to stay in communion with Him – whether
we see it is a memorial or as a literal reality. Easter bonnets and other Easter dress-up
clothes: When we become Christians, we are washed in the Blood of the Lamb and are
clothed in the white robe of salvation. Our finery symbolizes the awesome reality as we
are living temples of the Holy Spirit. Brothers and sisters, every single day of our lives
we should profoundly thank God for the Incarnation, the Passion and Death of Jesus,
and above all His Resurrection from the dead. This is how much God loves us. Easter
is the celebration of Redemption, of God once again opening heaven to us, and of
inviting us to once again share in His own intimate Family life, now and for all eternity.
Every day is Easter!!

CONCLUSION
I want to once again personally thank you for your incredible faithfulness in prayer.
God’s grace is indeed moving in our region, in Arkansas, in all of Missouri and this is
so critical for a spiritual transformation for our nation. Please keep the vision and keep
the faith. One day we will fully see what God has been able to accomplish through our
commitment to prayer.
Peace to you and yours. I welcome your thoughts, ideas and input.
Bob Burton bburt98@aol.com; (417) 331-1028