Good News from the Middle East

 

We hear a lot of negative news about Muslims and their impact on the world and society. What we are not hearing is how Christ is reaching into that world and changing hearts and lives. In the last 12 years, 65 movements to Christ have occurred throughout Africa, the Middle East and Asia. This is unprecedented in the history of the world!

For more information go to www.30daysprayer.com and click on the 8 minute video on the bottom of the page.

I received a 30 days of prayer booklet to pray for Muslins during July which is the month of Ramadan.

There is a story in there about a guy named Pramana. He felt like his life was in ruins. He went to his local imam and he told him to fast and pray. On the third day, a voice spoke to him saying: “Find Jesus, find the gospel.” Living in a very restrictive Muslin country, Pramana had never heard of Jesus. At this point, He didn’t know if Jesus might be a fruit, a rock or a tree. The voice continued to give him detailed instructions on how to find this Jesus. Pramana walked all night to a city he’d never been to, following the voice’s directions. Pramana’s journey led him to the home of one of the only three believers in his people group of 24 million people. This man shared the gospel with Pramana and he became a follower of Christ that very day.

Wow! I thought this was such a cool story, I wanted to share it with you! It just made my day when I read it and inspired me to give out some Chick tracts and renew my efforts to reach out in love to others! We just have to sow the seed and God does the rest.

God bless all of you and have a great day in Jesus!  Aren’t you glad you know who He is???

I thank Anna Chubb, the missionary to Togo, for sharing this information with me.

"All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive." (Mt 21:22)

A Fourth of July Abroad

I prepared the beans this morning and also some fried eggplant to bring to the church picnic. We got there about noon to a fairly large crowd. An awning was set up with folding chairs and tables under it but we preferred to sit out in the sun. It was a rare sunny day so we didn’t wait to take advantage of it.

We ate our hamburgers and hot dogs off the grill in our large lawn area that just a few months ago had been covered with snow and now was lush and green. It was the perfect day with perfect temperatures for sitting outside; sunny and not too hot nor cool.

 It also was the perfect day for discussing the storm clouds on the horizon that threaten to destroy what little American unity is left.  I had read an article that morning on how we were splitting into red and blue states with very little in common between them. The commentaries on the article showed people were very concerned and alarmed on the path our country is taking. But, like the Bible says: “If the foundations be removed, what can the righteous do?”  (Psalm 11:3)

What can the righteous do? All you can really do is be led by the Lord and trust him every day of your life…one day at a time. That’s all we are guaranteed anyway.

We watched the kids play games and talked until late into the afternoon. Then we left, ran by Aldi, grabbed some groceries and proceeded to our home around the corner in little Kindsbach. I made a light supper and then we called Tommy.

It was great to see him on Skype! He told us all about his plans to make a thriller based on the Everglades. I don’t want to tell you more or give away the plot. You’ll just have to see it when he’s done with it. Meanwhile, he filled our heads with his dreams and hopes to help us someday when he “makes it big” so we wouldn’t have to work any more.  It would be wonderful not to wonder how we would pay our bills each month.

After I got off the phone with Tommy, I went out to water the plants and heard the choir softly singing from the tiny church down the street.

“That’s right!” I thought to myself. “Its Thursday and they always practice on Thursday.”  I starred at the church a few minutes and watched as a nun made her way into the building with a large book under her arm. Was that her hymnal perhaps?

 I went back in to do my dishes piling up in the sink.

Next, I called my Mom. That was almost an hour on the phone hearing about all her struggles and problems. But she was in good spirits and so was I and we both swapped stories of our past week.

Finally, the sun went down around 10:00 and the fireworks began around 10:30 at the Base. You could just barely see them through the trees. I tried to take a picture of it but it didn’t turn out.

That’s it. Our first Fourth of July abroad. It felt different in another country. And I felt like I was celebrating what America USED to be.

The America of today doesn’t need celebrating as much as it needs our prayers!

Happy Independence Day!

My High Tower

Yesterday was rough.

I felt depressed. Why, I don’t know. Sometimes, I just get that way. I ran all over the place to get my paperwork done for substitute teaching in the Fall. It drained me, really, as I thought of the long summer. How would we make it?

Then I heard our house didn’t sell for the third time. The contract fell through.

Quickly, I began to pray and struggle with my emotions. I felt immediate comfort from the Lord so I felt better. But then, I thought about the defeat of DOMA the day before and my heart sunk again. I cried aloud like Jeremiah and read in my Bible: “Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?” (Jeremiah 5:9)

Finally, it rained and I felt that God was crying. I felt like crying, too. The news seemed all bad as I scrolled around all the news websites.

I cried for all those who think abortion is okay. I cried for those unborn babies who will never get a chance at life. And I cried for those who have abortions with all the turmoil that having one must bring them.

But then, I opened the back door of my porch to water my plants. I heard a beautiful choir singing in the tiny church down the street. They sounded like angels. It was all in German, so I couldn’t understand it but I felt better. God was in control. He is carrying all our burdens for us.

 Of course, I always remember that when I hear the competing church bells ring up and down the street of the two neighborhood churches.

Well, today I did wake up with a migraine headache. That explained why I felt so depressed yesterday. I always feel that way before one.

So this afternoon, Bob and I took a walk through the woods. We passed by some cliffs (could those be those sandstone ones we were looking for last week?) and hiked higher and higher. We got to the crest of the hill continuing to climb up to the top of the Bismarck Tower.

This is the one they call “Hitler’s Tower” where he gave his speeches. In spite of the headache, I felt wonderfully refreshed. We looked out on all the towns and villages around us. How small it all seems this high up! And how small all our problems seem too!

God is still sovereign and His grace is sufficient for every need. He knows about DOMA, abortions and the state of our country; He knows about our trials and troubles before they ever occur. He strengthens us so we can stay faithful to Him and He loves us no matter what happens.

We have a “great, big wonderful” God who will see us through to the end… No matter what is going on in our own lives, our nation or in the world.

It reminded me of the verse that says:

 

 

 

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength and he in whom I trust; my buckler and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.” (Ps 18:2)