Hopes and Fears of Afghan Christians

 

II Timothy 3:12

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

 

For Afghanistan's tiny Christian community, a community certainly in the hundreds and probably the thousands, the Abdul Rahman case has brought both fear and hope. Mr. Rahman is starting a new life in Italy after his trial in Afghanistan for converting from Islam collapsed. He faced the death penalty if he had been found guilty.

He said, "In Afghanistan we Christians have nothing to do with politics. We love and respect everyone. We love and respect even our enemies, however they punish us."

The Christian community lives with the threat of official harassment and attack by extremists. There have been gun and grenade attacks against churches in neighbouring Pakistan.

But despite the reported hardline rhetoric of Afghan clerics during the Rahman case, the Christian claims that many Muslim friends regard his conversion as a private matter.

"Most of my friends know that I am a Christian," he said. "I have many friends who are mullahs and maulvis. Some of them say they like me more these days. Before I was a liar, I was cheating people and many other things. I don't do that now."

The reasons for conversion in such a potentially hostile environment are of course varied and personal:                    

The harsh doctrine of the Taleban were factors in the conversion of some Afghans.

There is much disillusionment. People used to look to communism, now they look increasingly to Christianity.

The compassionate actions of Christian-based aid agencies during the civil war and Taliban era in Afghanistan had impressed many Afghans.

A Christian Afghan convert stated, "I am very happy with my life and I see other Christians here very happy too,"

He added, "In the future, what God wants will happen. But Christians are always with God and if we are killed we go to God."

Friend, are you promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you living it? Every corner of the world, every nook and cranny is a missions field. The grocery store. The mall. The neighbors. The bus stop. Every place is the right place to take the Light of the world - Jesus Christ - to the world.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  (Matt. 5:16)

Whom do you choose: God or Mammon?

I Want To Serve God!

Story excerpted from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4865818.stm

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 God of Another Chance

Romans 5:3-6

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

Sometimes your burdens may seem endless. You repeatedly go through the same trial, making the same mistakes. The last time through, you thought you had truly mastered this area of your life. However, now you realize that it continues to cause you pain.

You question if God has abandoned you or if you have displeased Him so greatly that He would allow this suffering to persist. You wonder if you will ever learn the lesson God desires to teach you. Take heart; the Lord loves you, He is with you, and He will never forsake you (Heb. 13:5). He allows the trials in your life because He desires to give you freedom through them and show you His love.

James 1:2-4 teaches, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

Through your troubles, God develops perseverance, character, hope, and the ability to accept His abundant love. It is said that those who were closest to Christ our Lord were those with the greatest trials.

He is drawing you close through this repeated problem. Do not despair. Cling to Him and He will fill you with His love.

Consider this illustration:

A lecturer raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20 ounces to 100 ounces.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

And that's the way it is with a burden. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.

A word of caution, you can put the burden down for a while and rest before holding it again. You may feel refreshed momentarily, but the weight of the burden will continue. Imagine carrying that burden with you month after month, and year after year. I dare say that some of you have been doing exactly that. Now imagine that what you're holding in that glass isn't water but poison; you may be nursing it, sipping it, gulping it and refilling it. And that's exactly what's happening when that burden is anger or bitterness.

You can carry on with the burden alone or you can turn it over to Jesus, who said "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.”  Matt. 11:28-29

Other Scripture to encourage you includes,

Psalm 55:22 “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

and,

I Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

So, Reader, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Be still and know that He is God. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In a world of inconstancy, it's good to know that Jesus is the Eternal One who changes not.

Come to know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour: I Want Jesus to Give Me A Chance

portion of this post courtesy of Dr. Charles Stanley

Vox Populi, Vox Dei

Psalm 24:10
"Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory."

The biggest cost of ObamaCare is not the increasing cost of health insurance or providing coverage to every American, it is the loss of economic freedom. Coercing people into making economic decisions and being obligated to enter into legally-binding contracts (by purchasing a government approved health insurance plan regardless of personal want or need, or facing a fine) forsake the values that our Founders established as inalienable.

These 3 days of hearings are the most significant in terms of constitutional challenges. We're at a critical juncture in American history and that's no hyperbole. The ruling from the SCOTUS will be momentous when it comes later in the summer. Whether the citizens of the United States take this sitting down or go to the polls to express their outrage remains to be seen. Truly, freedom is at stake. What this nation - and the world, for that matter - is witnessing is the formation of government control the likes of which have not been seen beforehand.

And what the world is witnessing is the clash of ideas of economic, political & religious freedom versus ideas of collective, technocratic fiat with no center. That is, a godless center is no center at all. You see, without God being the center, there is a void - whether it be in a person's life; family's life, civic life; or the governance of a society - and it is easily filled up by man, who takes the place of God.

Good luck with that.

The Latin phrase, Vox Populi, Vox Dei means: The voice of the people is the voice of God. When people have Jesus Christ in the center of their lives, it would be easy to see how this Latin phrase would be applicable to the government as well as to the governed. Sadly, the voice of the people is not heard, not heeded; instead, it's ignored or worse, distorted.

When people seek relief through the court systems, the cases end up (if accepted) at the Supreme Court of the United States, which is called the Highest Court in the land.

I beg to differ.

The highest court is the holy throne of God where children of God, who are born again by Christ's atoning work at Calvary, may approach (Heb. 4:16).

Americans find themselves in troubled times, but not hopeless times, so long as we keep looking up beyond and above man's institutions, because our hope is a living hope. His name is Jesus Christ, the King of Glory!

Remember this: One day every knee shall bend and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).

To find out more about how to possess the living Hope, click here: The Living Hope

A Father's Helplessness

Psalm 23

One early morning in 2006, when my daughter Amelie was just 4 years old, my wife and I heard a blood-curdling shriek no parent ever wants to hear coming from their child. It was about 4 o'clock in the morning. When I heard my daughter's high-pitched scream, both my wife and I shot out of bed and ran to her bedroom, which was next to ours. She writhed in her bed as she cried, clutching her right side.

When she saw me, she yelled, "Daddy, make it stop!"

My wife asked her, "What's wrong?"

"It hurts!" she screamed as tears ran down her face.

I scooped her in my arms and took her to the car. My wife followed behind. She drove her to the emergency room. I stayed behind because we had four other small children. As my wife sped away in the dark morning, all I could remember was my little girl pleading, "Make it stop!"

In the living room, I fell to my knees and cried out to God, pleading with Him to save my little girl and to have the doctors find out what was wrong with her. I had never felt so helpless. My daughter needed me and I couldn't even help her. In that moment of begging for God's favor and mercy, I couldn't think of Scripture to guide me through my prayer.

After waking up the other children and getting them off to school, I drove to the hospital. In the emergency room, my wife told me that they thought it was appendicitis. She was very young and the doctors said that while uncommon, it happens. The pediatric surgeon explained the risks involved in the appendectomy and the risks of general anesthesia. She could die from complications from the burst appendix, or go into a coma from the anethesia, or possible die from the sleeping gas. As they wheeled her into the surgery room, my wife and I prayed over Amelie and then kissed her.

My wife and I hugged each other as we saw our daughter disappear behind the surgery doors.

We sat in the E.R. lobby for what seemed an eternity. Nothing was said. My wife had her eyes closed as she prayed. I couldn't pull my thoughts together, so I pulled out my pocket Bible from my jacket and began reading Psalm 23. I whispered it to myself, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

When I heard my own voice, it sounded shaky, broken. I didn't realize how scared I truly was at the possibility of losing my daughter.

As I repeated verse 1, it occurred to me that I had never considered the phrase, "I shall not want." until that moment in the hospital's E.R. waiting room.

My Father in heaven knew what I wanted; I wanted my little girl back in my arms. I wanted her healthy. Yet, in the first verse of Psalm 23, David says that the LORD is his shepherd, he shall not want or lack because God the Father provides for him.

You see, I knew that God was a provider (of food, health, safety, etc.). But up until then, it had been an intellectual understanding. It wasn't a matter of the heart. Until that very morning of February 2005. When I suddenly realized how God provided life and was the giver and taker of life (Job 1:21) that I realized that Amelie wasn't mine; she belonged to God (Psalm 127:3).

It was then that I prayed outloud to God and, as I did, I cried to Him and told Him that I loved Him, that I acknowledged that Amelie belonged to Him. I asked that He let her live, but that if He took her home to be with Him, I would understand. I told Him that I would continue to love Him no matter what His decision was, but to please consider giving her back to me because I loved her. I ended my prayer but saying, "In Jesus' name. Amen."

Friend, the previous paragraph might've been easy for you to read, but it was the hardest prayer to pray for me. In my selfishness and pride, I wanted Amelie with me. Yet, I had to surrended my desires to God to let Him that His will, and not mine, came first. You see, once you recognize who God is in all His power and glory, you really have no choice but to submit to authority.

If for some reason you are angry at God because things didn't turn out your way then, I'm sad to say, you really don't know Him at all. In Isaiah 55:8-9 , He says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

When the surgeon came out from behind the swining doors of the O.R., he told us that Amelie was in post-op recuperating just fine. I looked up heavenward and said, "Thank You, Jesus!"

We thanked the doctor and as soon as we were allowed, we rushed in to see our four year old daughter. As she slept, there weren't traces of tears on her face or any contorted expressions of pain, only the placid rest of a tomboyish girl who liked to collect ants, ladybugs and praying mantises and then bring them into her bedroom unbeknownst to us.

I was (and continue to be) a powerless father. But, I have a Father in heaven who is omnipotent. For when I am weak, I am strong through Him (II Cor. 12:10). God can do all things. And He does them well (Mk. 7:37).

How about you, Reader? Have you put your trust in God? The only way to a real and meaningful relationship with God is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Here's how to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son: The Plan of Salvation

In Search of John Doe

Luke 19:10

Imagine that you're looking for a long, lost family member: John Doe. All you know him is his name and the last state he lived in. That's it. Nothing more. You try the internet (Google, Ancestry.com, jail rosters of the major cities; and so on); you try a private detective; you purchase ad space in local newspapers announcing your search for John; and, you even consider leasing billboard space, but it's too expensive. You search turns to relatives who might know more about your loved one. But, you find nothing. Every lead turns out cold; they are all dead ends. Now, imagine seeking John Doe for 30 years. At times, you give up and stop looking. Then another lead turns up and you're back at it again. Searching, asking, and so forth. And so the cycle of frustration repeats.

On a certain day - a day no different from the others - you receive a phone call out of nowhere. A cold call. The person on the other line states that they're looking for John Doe's relatives. You see, he has adult children who are seeking to make a connection with his long, lost family.

The phone drops from your hand as you are in a state of shock. You feel jubilant, relieved,  doubtful  and exhausted all at once. And you begin to weep.

Your search is over.

I write about this scenario because it really happened. One of my job duties is to conduct relative searches. It so happened that on this particular case, the Lord would not let me stop. There was just something itching inside of me to continue the search for a family on the West Coast. And, it was on a hunch (well, really, the leading of the Holy Spirit) that I googled a combination of key words and the relative's name. The name popped up on an employee roster on the employer's web site. And just like that - a name, a phone number, a hope - a phone call was placed. Then, the family reunification was confirmed.

When I spoke to the person who had been seeking the relative and he told me of his 30 year odyssey of searching for the lost lost loved one, I asked him how it felt to have gotten a cold call out of nowhere, telling him that a search for his family had lead me to him. The person's voice cracked as he answered, "It was very emotional."


Emotional indeed. What person wouldn't be searching for a lost parent or sibling or loved one? You'd have to be love sick to continue searching in the face of frustration, disappointments and humiliation. And, what I mean by love sick, I mean a charitable, selfless love of giving all of yourself - sacrificing everything - to find your loved one.

And to think, there's the Lord of the universe who loves you so much, who cares deeply for you, that He sent his Son to look for you. It's very personal, don't you know? He wants you to know that He did everything possible to demonstrate His love for you. His Son Jesus Christ did just that at Calvary. This is what He has to say about His search:

1. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10

2. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."  Rev. 3:20

3. "It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."  Luke 15:32

4. "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."  John 10:15-16

5. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  John 3:16-17

There's oh so much more I could tell you about Jesus Christ, but I'll let the Gospels do that. Open your King James Bible and read the four accounts of Jesus Christ in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read for yourself about the wondrous story of Jesus and His love and come home!

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling—  Calling for you and for me; Patiently Jesus is waiting and watching—   Watching for you and for me.

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

If you want a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, click here: The Plan of Salvation

Birthday of the Unconquered Son

Luke 2:13-14

No one really knows when Jesus Christ was born. Some say in the fall; others, in spring. What is known is that Christ was indeed born. Certain groups of people who are anti-theistic (I refuse to call them atheists because God doesn’t believe in atheists) like to point out Christmas is celebrated on a pagan holiday and that the Christians are really partici-pating in a cultish festival.

In 336 A.D., Christian leaders set the date of Christ’s birth to December 25th in an attempt to eclipse a popular pagan holiday in Rome known as Saturnalia, that celebrated Natalis Solis Invincti, or "Birthday of the Un-conquered Sun." It was, therefore, the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours.Along with honoring the god Saturn, the use of the title Sol Invincti allowed several solar dieties to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian (AD 270-274); and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin.

So, Saturnalia was a time of general relaxation, feasting, merry-making, and a cessation of formal rules. There was drinking, gambling, and singing, and even public nudity. It was the "best of days," according to the poet Catullus.

While it may be true that no one on earth knows when exactly Christ was born, I encourage all of you who believe in Jesus Christ to hold this day holy because of He who made the heavens, the stars and all underneath it. Celebrate it because it was the advent of our salvation. It brought forth a Savior in a world too dark and too busy with itself to make room for Him on that special, holy night. His arrival brought great promise: peace to all the world. As Prince of Peace, Christ brought the only lasting peace—not with the world, but with God. Celebrate it because in Him there is hope, peace, love and redemption that were purchased with His blood.

During this Christmas season, remember that a young Jewish virgin woman cradled the biggest news of all: the birth of the Savior, who would become our Lord and Savior, whose birthday continues to be celebrated thousands of years later because of His redeeming work at the cross and because He conquered death.

That's the heart and soul of the Christmas message. Back then, there weren't many worshipers around the original manger; only a handful of shepherds. They were considered lowly because of their work. But, they were the first ones to see Christ. They saw and believed and humbled themselves before Him. Over two thousand years later, there are those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. But one day every knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess He is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). Those who doubt Him, those who are His enemies, those who merely ignore Him, all will one day bow, too, even if it be in judgment.

I pray that God grants you the life-changing spiritual experiences that only Christ can bring. I pray God gives you an ongoing attitude of joy, thankful-ness, and responsiveness that causes you to tell others that you, too, have seen Christ the Lord. And that He dwells in your heart. Truly, we celebrate the birthday of the Unconquered Son: Jesus Christ!


Jesus is the greatest gift you could share with anyone this season!
Spread the Good News and Merry Christmas!