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HOW DID SARAJEVO GET ITS NAME? Sarajevo got its name from a Slavicized abbreviation of the Turkish words saray (palace/house) and ovasi (field), referring to the vast fields west of the administrative buildings constructed for district administration. 1. Pray that God builds His palace (church, dwelling) in the Sarajevo Valley; 2. Pray that He transforms this city into a fertile field for the Good News DEMOGRAPHIC DATA: According to the latest population census from 2013, the total population of the City of Sarajevo is 275,524, while the population of Sarajevo Canton is estimated at 413,593. […]

Then on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, for it was there that they blessed the Lord. For that reason they named that place “The Valley of Beracah (blessing)” until today. 2 Chronicles 20:26 I always remember that first year at our camp with joy and awe. Just a few days before the camp, we felt like King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:12: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” I often feel that way in my life. It was as if I had come […]

After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”  So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. 1 Kings 18:1-2 How awful this journey was! The Lord hid the prophet Elijah for three years. At that time, the idolatrous King Ahab set everything in motion to find this man of God whom he hated so much. He wanted to execute him. But Elijah was at peace in God’s hands. And now the Lord sends […]

He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:21 Life obviously doesn’t work without having something to brag about. The athlete brags about his strength. An old sick woman brags about her many illnesses and her weaknesses. The rich man brags about his wealth, and the poor man lets everyone he meets know how hard it is for him. Everyone must have something to brag about. As far as I know, this is the only saying that […]

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” 1 Corinthians 13:13 The disciples of Jesus Christ raised three flags: faith, hope and love. These three flags fly above the church community showing the world how much their Lord has enriched them. However, the apostle Paul reveals a wonderful picture in our text: one day this world will come to an end. One day God’s promise will come true: “Behold, I am making a new heaven and a new earth.” The old world is disappearing in the great storms […]

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 The enemy wants each one of us to only look to where we have failed and been unsuccessful, instead of looking how much we have progressed and grown spiritually. The devil wants us to focus on our past, instead of focusing on our […]

Disappointment comes in many different styles, shapes and sizes. It could be a relationship, a career choice, job promotion, Church, ministry, friends, home etc. etc. Some disappointments are because of our own choices, others because of other people’s choices, which we have no control over. The definition of disappointment is: sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfilment of one’s expectations. Or, feeling sad, unhappy, or displeased because something was not as good as expected or because something you hoped for or expected did not happen. Many get stuck and don’t get out of the tunnel […]

In Genesis 13 we read about Abraham and Lot. Their Treasures have multiplied so much that the region where they lived could not support them and their shepherds quarreled because of it. Because of this situation, Abraham offers Lot a solution to separate from him and choose which way he wants to go and live. 1. What did Lot see when he raised his eyes?  Genesis 13:10-13 we read all that Lot sees when he lifts his eyes. A Hebrew word vividly describes part of this Jordan Valley as an oval, the land of Egypt. […]

Genesis 17:17 and 18:12, we read that Abraham and Sarah had the same reaction when God announced to them the news that they would finally have a son – they both laughed at that news, and God answered in Genesis 18:14 “Is anything impossible for God?” Their laughter and response to that impossible news is nothing unusual. They reacted as any of us would in that situation. ‘Will it happen? Let it happen to me! Well, don’t be ridiculous. God, you really have a great sense of humor.’ Abraham’s answer was: “Can a child be […]

This year is a year of Prayer for Bosnia and Herzegovina. As we pray we must remember to open the door to the answer to our prayer! This phrase came to me when I was reading the story of Peter in Act 12. This is a time of persecution for the early church. After Stephen had been martyred the believers from Jerusalem had been scattered, some to Phoenicia, some to Cyprus, and others to Antioch. Those who have remained behind are being persecuted. King Herod Agrippa has had the apostle James killed with a sword. […]