The One Very Thing

Psalm 66:16
"Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul."

There are many things, many niceties & goodies my children have that I didn't have growing up. I don't begrudge them for it. In fact, I'm the main contributor who indulges them because I love them. True love cannot be expressed in the giving of material things, I know. But, as a father, I can't help but buy them things that I know will delight them, make them smile and happy.

However, there is one thing my children have right now that I didn't have when I was their age, which I do take them to task on. Indeed, my heart envies the one very thing that each of them have that I wish I had had as a little boy growing up in the Southside of San Antonio, a poor working class neighborhood where you had to grow a set of eyes on the back of your head just to watch your back. In the barrio kids grow up fast. My childhood was no exception. But, I digress.

The one thing I envy that my children have in their possession, the very thing that I would've liked to be an owner of was a relationship with Jesus Christ. Growing up Roman Catholic meant going to mass on Sundays, confessing your sins to a priest on Saturday, eating fish on Fridays and feeling empty every day. It's like I sensed something was missing. That something, turned out, was Someone by the name of Jesus Christ.

How sadly ironic that in a house of worship I didn't even know the Master of the house! The good news is that Christ waited patiently for me and I came to know Him as Lord and Saviour in March 2004.

Since being born again, Jesus has shown Himself to be true to His Holy Word. Jesus has been my Provider, Sustainer, Healer, Intercessor, Protector and Comforter, to name a few. My family and I have gone through alot and yet He has been with us, giving us peace, every step of the way. Truly, a relationship with Jesus Christ was the one very thing I was missing in my life. Now that I have it, I don't intend to give it up or walk away from it, come what may.

Dear Reader, I don't know where you are in life. If you're poor, rich, male, female, adult or teen. You may be an American. Or, you could be from one of the many nations that read this blog daily. In any event, I want to personally thank you for taking the time to read these posts.

It's my hope and prayer that when you read these posts that you have your Bible (preferably the King James Version) in your hand. And that when you consider the words on your computer screen, it's my sincere desire to see each and every one of you to personally know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Furthermore, if you already have a relationship with Jesus, it's my motivation that you draw even closer, nearer to the Lord through His Word.

Let's face it, there are 2 types of people in the world, irrespective of nationality, creed or culture: Those who need Jesus and those who need more of Jesus.

In a world of greed & poverty; information overload & confusion; technological advancements and abject misery; moral relativism & spiritual darkness, there is One who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). And, a personal relationship with Him is the one very thing this world needs and it's what you need.

Can you honestly say that Jesus Christ is your Lord & Saviour?

It's not too late, you know. It's never too late. I Want A Relationship With Jesus.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
fill me with Thy love and power;
let Thy blessing fall on me.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
all to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

Even the World Itself Could Not Contain the Books Of Christ's Works

John 21:25
"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written."


Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in an obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty, and then for three years he was an itinerant teacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never traveled, except in his infancy, more than two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompanies greatness. He had no credentials but himself.

While he was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies. He went through a mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, his seamless robe. When he was dead, he was taken down from the cross and laid in a borrowed grave through the courtesy of a friend.

Twenty wide centuries have come and gone, and today he is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of all human progress. I am well within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever were built, all the Parliaments & Congresses that ever sat, and all the kings & presidents that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has this one solitary personality.

- Unknown

The man referenced in the above passage is the God-man, Jesus Christ. He made exalted claims for Himself:

1. He said that "he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9).

2. He claimed equality with God (John 5:17-18).

3. He claimed to be the promised Messiah, "the Son of the Blessed" (Mk. 14:61-64).

4. He claimed that the shedding of His blood would bring remission of sins (Matt. 26:28; 20:28).

The worst charges that could be brought against Him were that He loved sinners, and ate with them (Matt. 9:10-13). But this charge He readily admitted, for His purpose in coming to earth was to "seek and to save that which was lost" (Lk. 19:10).

It was said of Him that "Never man so spake" (John 7:46). Many were astonished at His teachings (Mk. 7:37; Lk. 2:47). His works were equally as astonishing (Lk. 5:26).

There is no one in history like Jesus. As a Preacher, as a Doer of things, as a Philosopher, as a Healer, no man ever, had the sweep and the vision of Jesus. Jesus looked to the soul while other men dwelled on material things. His teachings taught during His earthly sojourn 2000 years ago was true then, has been true in every century since and will be true forever.

The human experience of 2000 years shows that Jesus never made a mistake and never sinned. Jesus never uttered a doctrine that was true at that time and then became obsolete.

Plato was a great thinker and learned in his age, but his teachings will not stand the test of time. The doctrine of Confucius gave a great nation moral and mental dry rot. The teachings of Buddha resulted in mental and moral chaos. Mohammed offered a system of ethics which harsh, severe, rigid, and, in the end, capricious & cruel as the god he worshipped. Thomas Aquinas, Francis of Assissi, Thomas A. Kempis  and other profound philosophers have become obsolete, obscure and irrelevant.

Napoleon had the world at his feet for four years, and when he died the world was going on its way as if he had never lived. Alexander the Great lived a very short life whose end was prophesied in the Holy Bible. Other men taught us to develop systems of government because we have trouble with self-government. Only Christ through His Holy Spirit can truly govern men's unbridled passions, lusts and wickedness.

Not all the investigation of chemists, not all the discoveries of explorers, not all the experience of rulers, not all the historical facts that go to make up the sum of human knowledge can match the priceless words uttered by Jesus Christ.

Jesus spoke the truth; He lived the truth; He is the truth (John 1:1; 14:6). And His Truth is eternal.

History has no record of any other man leading a perfect life or doing everything in logical order. Jesus is the only person whose every action and whose every utterance strike a true note in the heart and mind of every man. He never said a foolish thing & never did a foolish act.

No poet - Shakespeare, Dante, Swift, Machado, Cervantes, Chaucer, Wordsworth, Dickinson - loved humanity with the love that Jesus bore toward all men.

Ladies & Gentlemen, Christ is matchless because He is the Son of  the Living God. Everything He does for you & me is done out of perfect love. Won't you draw near to Him? Don't you hear Him beckoning to your heart today? Please don't hesitate. He's calling. He's calling you today!

O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

I pray that your name will end up in the book of life (Rev. 20:11-15). The only way is through the Son of God. Jesus Christ is calling you: Come Home!

For Whom Do You Grieve?

Proverbs 24:11-12
"If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?"


I encountered an interesting article on grief and loss on the internet the other day. The discussion centered around the source of people's grief. And the question came up: For Whom Do You Grieve? There were poignant and touching comments made. I'm including some of them here, hoping that it will cause you to ask yourself that very question.

Rebecca J.
He lays in Plot 190 A-1 in the Garden of Eternal Life Cemetary, the man in prearrangements explained and provided me with a map. His headstone is black granite with the words, “Beloved Husband and Father” etched into it in all caps and in a classic font. A life summed up in only four words. It is a single headstone, not the double kind with the wife’s name engraved on the right side, just waiting for her to die. I was glad I didn’t also have to see my mother’s name, the reminder that one day she too would die. After sixteen years, soft grass had grown over his plot, but today, was hidden by snow. My tears made it difficult for me to read, but there I stood. Plot 190 A-1. It had been sixteen years since I stood in that spot, in my only dress, staring at the audience of my father’s friends and business acquaintances. Short of breath, I dropped to my knees and let the snow seep through my jeans. I laid down on the wet earth, resting my cheek on top of the snow, imagining my father’s rotting bones six feet below. He was in a maple casket, his bones decaying inside his best suit. I wondered what his body looked like, if the skin on his face had turned to leather, or if his bones protruded from his rotten flesh. I wondered what stench filled the casket. The smell of death, I imagined, the formal-dehyde slowing fading away. His body has been locked inside that casket for sixteen years. Sixteen long years of being fatherless. Sixteen years, six feet below the soft grass and cold snow. I sat up and punched the hard, winter ground. He was supposed to teach me how to make asparagus soup the morning he died.

Reader, even in the everyday-ness of life, death visits a loved one. Can you imagine that your one last conversation with the one you love could be about the minutae and routineness of life? If you knew that it would be the last time both of you would speak to one another, how would your conversation change? The Bible says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Heb. 9:27). But, there is One who is risen. There is only One who can save. Christ alone is the Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27).

Grady Mc.

The father no one even told me about until I was 40 years old which was several years after he died. Although I always ‘knew’ something wasn’t right because I didn’t look at all like my brother, sister or the man who was supposed to be my father, they held onto their well rehearsed stories until it was too late for me to look a the person whom I probably most resemble in the world. So I grieve the man I never knew and the loss of the family who kept the secret for all those years. I imagine how different our relationships would have been & how different I might be if I would have been let in on my own life.

Relationships are the most valuable possession people have. Your very first relationship with your family will impact you - positively & negatively - in your future interactions with others, from friends, spouses, co-workers and the world at large. If you look at how Isaac and Rebekah raised their twin boys, Jacob and Esau, it was unhealthy because each parent had their favorite (Gen. 25:20-34). Probably Grady's parents meant well, but now he is left with more questions than answers. I won't even pretend to know what it's like to have unresolved grief like Grady's. But, this I do know: Christ is our Comforter and peace (John 14:26-27) and will never forsake us or abandon us (Heb. 13:5).

Jen S.

I grieve for children who have been abused, ignored, unloved. I grieve for those who are waiting for a family to call their own, to love them like no one has. A family to make them feel safe, and allow them to smile and have dreams. They are waiting, waiting for someone to say “You are good enough for me to invest in. You are good enough for me to love. You are not broken, you are not unlovable.”
I also grieve for those who are stuck where they are. They have no voices loud enough to get help. They might not know that they need help, because this is reality, this is what happens in families. I grieve for those who are waiting to be rescued. And I’ve learned that it is not enough to grieve. My silent grief, inside my comfortable house will not do the rescuing. I must move, I must act, I must be a part of the rescuing.

Our true Rescuer is Jesus Christ because what profits a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul (Mark 8:36)? There's a hymn that entitled, "Rescue the Perishing". Consider these lines -

Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o'er the erring one,
Lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.

Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.

Dear Reader, are you rescuing the persishing with the Gospel of peace? If not, why not? I pray that you will be moved by the entries to reach out to a lost and dying world. People are hurting. They need to know that Jesus Christ cares for each soul out there. Jesus died on the Cross and is the embodiment of John 3:16.

If you aren't saved then, Friend, I need you to make a decision right now that you can't overlook or postpone. Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for your sins. Without Him, you are condemned to go to hell. Please consider the weighty matter before you. Choose wisely, choose Christ.

Click here: Jesus, Rescue Me Now!

The Most Important & Influential Book of All Time

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

The Holy Bible has been banned, burned, loved and hated. It’s been outlawed & outcast. It's been smuggled in countries in whole or page by page. It's been denounced, doubted, denied and destroyed. In spite of all of these things, the Holy Bible hasn't been silenced. It continues today to be read by more people today than any other book. The Holy Bible is the most important book of all time.

I Peter 1:24-25 declares, "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

Did you all out there get that? The word of God endures forever. Forever. All eternity. Without end.

In other words, even though:

A car's engine will burn out and lock up, God's word endures forever.

A computer's hard drive crashes and all data is lost, God's word endures forever.

A legal contract may be breached, but God's word endures forever.

International treaties are broken, but God's word endures forever.

The U.S. Constitution may be attacked and altered beyond recognition, but God's word endures forever.

Man's philosophies and self-help aphorisms may come and go, but God's word endures forever.

Your father's and mother's words fail you, but God's word endures forever.

The President's lofty words may fall under the weight of hyprocrisy and demagoguery,  but God's word endures forever.

The leaders of religion misinterpret, misquote, misunderstand or malign God's word, God's word endures forever.

When all else fails (and sooner or later, they all will), God's word endures forever.

God's word endures forever because God, the Eternal One, spoke it. His Truth, you see, can't help but be true. God's word doesn't come true. It's already true. What was true yesterday, was true also at the beginning of time and is true today and is true forever.

Because Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life..." (John 14:6a) and because He is risen (Matt. 28:6) then Jesus Christ is the only Son of God and the words that He spoke are true. Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

Here's a truth I want you to remember for the rest of your life: God loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son so that if you believe in Christ, you will not perish and go to hell, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God is waiting for you to make that decision to trust in His Son Jesus Christ.

Reader, what are you waiting for? Aren't you tired of men's empty philosophies and promises? Aren't you exhausted of looking for the next great idea only to be disappointed and disillusioned? Aren't you weary of religion & rituals that are devoid of meaning?

The only way to know God and have a meaningful and true relationship with Him is through His Son Jesus Christ. The Lord said in John 14:6b, ",,. [N]o man cometh unto the Father but by Me."

If you're ready to know the embodiment of truth, Jesus Christ, click here and see for yourself what peace, love and truth really is: I Want to Know Real Peace, Love and Truth Today!

 

The Excellence of God's Name

Psalm 8:1
"O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens."


If you never felt pain,
Then how would you know that God is a Healer?

If you never went through difficulties,
Then how would you know God is a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial,
Then how would you know God is the All Sufficient One?

If you never felt sadness,
Then how would you know God is the Comforter?

If you never made a mistake,
Then how would you know that God is forgiving?

If you knew all,
Then how would you know that God will answer your questions?

If you never were in trouble,
Then how would you know that God is the Rescuer?

If you never were broken,
Then how would know that God can make you whole?

If you never had a problem,
Then how would you know that God can solve them?

If God gave you all things,
Then how would you appreciate them?

If God never corrected you,
Then how would you know that He loves you?

If you had all power,
Then how would you learn to depend on God?

If your life was perfect,
Then what would you need God for?

How can you & I have a relationship with God? Through His Son Jesus Christ who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

After all, consider what Jesus' name means -

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matt. 1:21)

Jesus Christ will save you from your sins! Here's how: Save Me Jesus!

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Spends 35th Birthday Behind Bars [UPDATE]

Here's another UPDATE on Pastor Youcef. Please keep him in your prayers. The article can be read at Pastor Youcef Spends Birthday Behind Bars.


Today, is Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s birthday, and our sources in Iran confirm that he is still alive. Thirty-five years ago, on the 23rd of the Farvardin month of the Persian Calendar, Youcef was born in Iran.

This is the third birthday that Pastor Youcef has been forced to celebrate behind bars, condemned to death in Iran for apostasy – becoming a Christian in a regime governed by Shariah (Islamic) law.

Tomorrow, marks exactly two and a half years of imprisonment – 913 days illegally held in prison for his faith.

Both the Iranian Constitution and the International Declaration of Human Rights, of which Iran is a signatory, not only forbid executing someone for their faith but expressly protect religious freedom. Despite these assurances of religious freedom, Iran continues to imprison Pastor Youcef indefinitely for charges related solely to the exercise of his faith.

Today, Christians and supporters of Pastor Youcef all around the world are holding a fasting and prayer vigil for the persecuted pastor to bring attention to his plight. Just last week, hundreds of Christians and supporters of religious liberty attended a vigil and march for Pastor Youcef’s release in Hamburg, Germany.

These are just a few examples of the increasing international pressure being placed on Iran to release Pastor Youcef. Nations like the United Kingdom, Brazil, and many others are directly demanding that Iran immediately and unconditionally release Pastor Youcef.

The ACLJ’s Tweet for Youcef campaign is now reaching nearly 1.5 million Twitter accounts around the world each day with updates about Pastor Youcef. His story has reached over 91 percent of the United Nations member states, including Iran. The Tweet for Youcef Brazil campaign in Portuguese also continues to see tremendous growth.

Even with this increasing international pressure on Iran for Pastor Youcef’s release, it is critically important to remember that Pastor Youcef is still in an Iranian prison under a death sentence that could be carried out at any time. The only reason that he is still alive today is because of the international outcry against this abhorrent situation. It is not enough that Iran remove his death sentence, rather we must demand his ultimate and unconditional freedom.

Please continue to pray for Pastor Youcef. As a Birthday present for Pastor Youcef and symbol of solidarity for those persecuted for their faith, please let the world know that you support Pastor Youcef by signing up to Tweet for Youcef today.

Happy Birthday Pastor Youcef.

The 2 Visitors

Romans 7:18-19

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do."

Two visitors came to see me, both at the same time,
Both were trying to win control of my body, heart, and mind

One was dressed quite plainly, one dressed fit to kill,
I couldn’t see the battle they were waging for my will.

One promised to give fame, friends and riches beyond compare,
Anything I wanted, it seemed, and while I was standing there,

He showed me how life could be, for a little while at least,
I couldn’t see beneath the clothes, to recognize the beast.

The other told of hard times, of sacrifice and pain,
Ridicule and persecution, nothing much to gain,

But there was something deep in this visitor’s eyes
That made me feel to choose Him would somehow be wise.

I guess you'll know the outcome by the way my life reflects,
The one I picked, the path I chose, the one that He directs.

So, did I choose so poorly, I wonder as I sing.
But one day I shall see Him, as He truly is:

The awesome King of kings!

compliments of Beth Fisher

When I think of the 2 visitors, I know that they are not one-time callers. They are not only cold-callers, that is, showing up without warning. No, these two can sometimes be spotted long before they reach your front door. In either event, they are opportunistic. These two are determined to influence my thinking, my attitude, my choices and my priorties every day. Not one day passes that they don't come a-knocking.

Here's the thing: As a Christian, the turmoil isn't external; it's internal, between the old man and the new man. In Romans 7:22-25, Paul's line of reasoning points to the crux of the internal struggle -

"For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Indeed, it's humbling to man - the so-called master of his own destiny - to be under the influence of evil passions. And yet, it is what it is. Just look at today's headlines in Any City, USA. You shall find man in all his glorious wickedness in full display. Scan the international news pages and you'll come upon the same bad news. If there is one headline that could sum up all of man's efforts and endeavors in this world, it would be this: Man Sinned Again!

Sin is degrading on man, a stain. It brings him down into the dust. What kind of man thinks he's the master of his destiny and yet be not in control of his sinful propensities and indulgences? A self-delusional one, that's what kind. God said, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one...For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Rom. 3:10-12, 23)

To the Christian, the mind is overwhelmed with wretchedness, and instinctively sighs for relief. He asks himself: Can keeping the Law help me? Can any man rescue me? Can any innate strength of conscience or of reason mitigate this miserable state of mind? In vain all these are tried, and the Christian then calmly and thankfully acquiesces in the consolations of the Good Book, realizing and understanding and concluding that aid can be obtained only through Jesus Christ.

Yet, there are those who continue to struggle in the flesh with that which cannot be overcome in the flesh. What frustrating misery to live by a code and yet fall short on a daily, nay, hourly, basis. The body is the seat of the fleshly desires; the heart, the control center where decisions are made (Jer. 17:9). The love of the world appertains to the Devil (I Jn. 2:16) - lust of the flesh & eyes and pride of life. But, the decisions come from the heart, dear Reader.

Sin makes us guilty of death. Being unable to free ourselves from it (even in our very best state), we cry out until there aren't anymore tears, just sheer exhaustion, and look for help and deliverance out of ourselves. And that's the rub: We cannot deliver ourselves from ourselves. You might as well be trying to crawl out of your own skin. So, we must cry to the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver us Himself.

Thus, the man, finding there is no help in himself, begins almost unknowingly to pray, Who shall deliver me? That is a question and petition altogether wrapped in desperation. He then seeks and looks for deliverance, until God in Christ appears to answer his question: "Be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world." (Jn. 16:33).

Matthew 11:28-29 states, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Isn't it time you surrendered your struggles to Jesus Christ? You know you've tried everything else. Speaking with friends. Reading self-help books and philosophical treatises. Scanning the world wide web. Looking for answers that aren't there. Stop living with one foot in the world and one in God's grace. Please, Reader, give Jesus Christ a chance to prove that He indeed is the Prince of peace.

C'mon! What's holding you back? Jesus Christ, My Rest and My Peace

’Tis the grandest theme, let the tidings roll,
To the guilty heart, to the sinful soul;
Look to God in faith, He will make thee whole,
“Our God is able to deliver thee.

He is able to deliver thee,
He is able to deliver thee;
Though by sin oppressed, go to Him for rest;
“Our God is able to deliver thee.

Christianity Growing In Afghanistan

Isaiah 6:8
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."

Coming across a news article on Christians in Afghanistan struck a chord in my heart so much so that I thought I'd share it with everyone out in cyber-land. I'm asking that you please include this nation and its peoples in your daily prayers. I'm copying the text of the news article, which was originally linked by The Weekly Standard. The main news source, Mohabat News has been linked in this post.

(Source:  Mohabat Iranian Christian News)

Afghanistan, a country long suffering from civil wars, has not experienced peace for many years. Ongoing bombings by fundamentalist Muslims have stolen peace from the lives of Afghanis. However, the country has recently seen signs of change as people hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Bigger Afghan cities tend to have underground "Bush Markets" where stuff that "falls off the back of the truck" like these MREs intended for American troops are sold for as little as 20 cents

According to Mohabat News, “Informed Afghan authorities acknowledge that Christianity has obtained a special place not only among youth, but also among various layers in society. (In addition), house churches are growing tremendously.” Further, an independent Shi’ite website in Iran reportedly quoted a knowledgeable Afghan official as saying, “There is evidence of widespread Christian propaganda in Afghanistan, and the existence of more than 10 churches that operate secretly in residential houses have been proven.”

This beggar in Herat suffers from elephantiasis, which afflicts over 120 million people, primarily in Africa and South-East Asia

 

 

News reports indicates that some members of the News country's parliament have embraced Christianity. A Farsi news service also published a report on these conversions, writing, “Evangelism and Christian propaganda is taking place in the country at a high level, but this is the first time that those who call themselves representatives of the Afghani people not only have become ‘apostates’ but have joined Christian ministries to evangelize. This time they want to present their Christian services to Muslim people through parliament.”

Along the road vendors sell freshly caught Kabul river fish or scavenged mountain flora

Muslims make up the vast majority of Afghanistan’s population at 99.85 per cent. Christians account for 0.05 per cent. While there is limited freedom to practice other religions, there is no freedom to propagate another faith or to convert from Islam.

During a picnic at the walls of the ancient city of Balkh, "Sheikh" (center right) unfurled the red carpet and served us fatty lamb, flat bread, sugary tea and Coca Cola

Thank the Lord for the way He is working in this nation. Ak Him to Afhani Christtians a strong and mature faith with a bold desire to share the gospel. Pray the Lord will continue to work to bring many more to repentance. Pray for protection of believers in Afghanistan.

Instead of an iPod, workers in the field bring their song birds to entertain them through the day

NOTE: Photos and captions courtesy of Paretz Paretnsky who took the pictures and wrote the captions. More can be seen at Through the Eyes of An Independent Contractor

I'd like a relationship with Jesus Christ: Click Here

He has called us to the reaping,
urgently sent out the call.
What a shame if at His coming
we have brought no sheaves at all!

Face to face, I shall behold Him
on His glorious judgment seat.
What a shame if at that meeting,
I lay nothing at His feet.