A Quiet Life

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  1 Timothy 2:1-4

This passage has become precious to me over the past few weeks.  Living in a megacity, it can be literally quite loud.  Wedding season is in full swing, so on the weekends we hear one procession after another, horns honking all the way.  Yesterday we observed a funeral in front of our building, complete with wailing, screaming and screeching.  With the warm weather and long daylight hours, children are noisily playing outside until past my own bedtime.  And of course, living in an apartment means that we hear quite a lot of what goes on in our neighbors' homes.  Peace and quiet is always a much-desired commodity for small town people like us.

But the political instability here has provided an illustration of the sort of quiet and peaceful life Paul was talking about.  Before "something snapped" here, as one journalist phrased it, these verses seemed a good reminder of the need to pray for our leaders.  Something to stick into one of those super-organized prayer journals, where you pray for your church on Sunday, coworkers on Monday, government leaders on Tuesday. . .and so forth.  Now, as we watch news footage of the violence in certain parts of the city, and peek through the curtains at the protesters marching through our own neighborhood, I understand a bit more of why Paul urged Timothy to pray for those in authority.  Paul himself didn't have a quiet and peaceful life as far as outward circumstances go.  He guaranteed his readers that they would face persecution.  He wasn't naive about the hardships of life, and yet he still held up a quiet, peaceful, godly and dignified life as an urgent subject of prayer.

We are praying that this time of unrest will come to an end quickly.  We are especially praying that it will not escalate and that we can put these weeks behind us as a difficult period in which we learned to put our trust more fully in God and in His sovereign plan for all peoples.

"I'm American Too"

Due to our years of working in Latin America, we are well aware of the sensitivities of many Latins toward our use of the term "American" to describe someone from the USA.  They generally object with the comment, "I'm American too!"  Which is true...the Americas stretch from Canada down to the tip of Tierra del Fuego.

This past month we spent an afternoon with two couples from Central and South America.  One couple is newlywed and praying about the possibility of coming to live somewhere in this part of the world.  The other is closer to our age and well into the process of getting jobs and visas to live in one of the most restrictive countries of the 10/40 window.  Our team had lunch with them.  Amazingly, all but one or two of our teammates here in Central Asia has a good working knowledge of Spanish, so there was very little need for interpreters.  After lunch, we talked about the work in our region and had a time of prayer for these two families.  During the conversation, one of our teammates made the fatal mistake of referring to us, the US passport holders, as Americans in the context of Latins being able to get visas to countries that Americans are barred from.  The South American brother laughed, and said he wanted to tell us a story.

On his last visit to the country where they hope to work, a man on the street asked him where he was from.  Our friend told him his nationality, and the man responded with something along the line of, "You should have your head chopped off.  Your president is corrupting our country by being friends with our president."  To say that our friend was upset would be an understatement!  He went back to where he was staying and began to ask himself what he should do the next time someone asked where he was from.  Finally, he hit on a truthful answer that would still avoid such hostility.  Now he tells people who ask where he's from, "I'm American!"  Their response?  They grab him and whisper in his ear, "I like America."

Walls of Division

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.  Ephesians 2:14 ESV

Paul wrote these words in the context of Jews and Gentiles.  Where there had formerly been hostility and division, Christ's death and resurrection created a new people united into one structure built on the foundation of the apostles' teaching.

Central Asia is filled with people hanging onto ethnic hatred.  Governments maintain expensive propaganda campaigns to fuel anger among their populations and to keep citizens from noticing their own internal problems.  Graphic film clips and photographs of atrocities are aired regularly to keep tensions just high enough to benefit politicians.  In this climate, believers often struggle with loving their enemies.  Still, we have long prayed that the Gospel would transform people as they submit to God's Word.  This month we saw this happening.

Randy attended a partnership meeting for workers trying to evangelize among a specific Central Asian ethnic group.  Attending the meeting were Americans, British, Koreans, Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Chechens, Kazhaks, and others.  Several of these shared with the group how Jesus Christ brought them out of darkness and into the light, but the one which was most captivating was that of an Eastern European woman.  When her country went to war just after the Soviet Union fell, her ambition was to get a gun and fight against Muslims on the front line.  However, God graciously saved her and she ended up moving to another Eastern European country.  There, as she came into contact with Muslims, she was filled with a love for them and a burden to see them come to know Christ also.

Like the disciples, Christ could easily say to me, "O ye of little faith."  We've prayed to see these sorts of people standing up to reach across ethnic barriers to share the Gospel, yet it seemed impossible.  I'm so thankful that with God, nothing is impossible!

We Love Birthdays!

Hannah Grace and her friend Rainy posing at our neighbor's birthday party.  In spite of all the food served, Hannah Grace always comes home hungry because everything is so spicy!

Thankful It's All Clean

Not my house. . .or the laundry. . .those are never-ending jobs.  No, I'm truly thankful that all foods are clean to us in Christ.  That's something most of us never contemplate for even a split second because we take it for granted.  The idea has been on my mind, though, after talking with my upstairs neighbor.  I happened to mention that my eldest son was applying for a summer teaching job in East Asia.  Her immediate reaction was to shudder over the food choices in that part of the world.  I reassured her that Kevin doesn't mind trying strange new foods.  After all, he ate the camel meat set before him last summer.  She nodded, and said eating strange new foods wasn't the issue for her; it was a matter of not having access to halal meats.  She said they would never consider visiting the Far East because they might accidentally defile themselves with unclean foods.

That stuck with me all week.  Think what a hindrance dietary laws would have been to the spread of the Gospel.  It would be a stretch to surround yourself with people who are constantly serving you offensive dishes.  If you did overcome your distaste for the people and their food, you would still waste precious time and energy trying to research where every piece of meat originated.  Feeding yourself within the bounds of Mosaic law could quickly become a higher priority than teaching the Gospel.

That's why I'm grateful that Jesus Christ declared that it isn't what goes into the stomach but what comes out of the heart that defiles us, that God gave Peter a vision on the rooftop declaring all foods clean, and that Paul assured his readers that all foods can be eaten with gratitude to God.

A Better, Longer-Lasting Possession

For several weeks now, I've been reading about the increasing pressure in the US to give way to the tremendous momentum gained by the movement to redefine marriage (perhaps "undefine" would be a better word).  As Christian celebrities, sports celebrities and institutions choose to either cave in or at least distance themselves from the controversy, bloggers and commentators all have an opinion on how these people and groups should properly respond.  The response that has surprised me most, however, is a reaction to the most recent incident of a well-known figure backing out of a speaking engagement.  While I certainly don't know the factors and the motivation that went into his decision, most people seem convinced that it was made for the purpose of avoiding controversy.  What surprises me is the number of people who defend his decision on the basis that association with a controversial church could hurt his career and jeopardize his national platform for being an inspiration.

The purpose of this post isn't to analyze that particular situation, but to compare it with some of our precious friends here in Central Asia.  We are so blessed to have the opportunity to fellowship with those who, like Paul, bear in their body the marks of the Lord Jesus.  They're here in our current city as refugees, in legal limbo, but there's no trace of anger or bitterness.  Just bubbling joy tinged with sadness.  Their life is difficult, but they are busy about the work of sharing the Gospel wherever they go.  Some of our friends from another Central Asian country continue their ministry in country.  If they're imprisoned, they witness the truth to their cellmates.  When they're released, they return to their churches and start new ones.  They have all suffered tremendous loss but are totally satisfied in knowing Christ and the fellowship of his sufferings.  I wonder what they would think of the idea that protecting a career--even a career in ministry--is more important than clearly stating our belief in God's Word.

We might be tempted to think that imprisonment for faith in Christ isn't the same as being embroiled in controversy over ethics.  We might tell ourselves that it's okay to avoid this particular controversy, or distance ourselves from an unpopular position, but when it comes down to denying Christ, then we can and should stand firm in the face of intense persecution.  I'm not convinced that it works that way, though.  If we choose to protect ourselves from simple harassment by our silence on an issue of Christian ethics, where would we suddenly find the strength to suffer the loss of all things for the sake of the name of Christ?

I agree with those who say we should pray for Christians in the national spotlight.  But we also need to pray for ourselves.  May we all be like the first recipients of the book of Hebrews, who joyfully accepted the plundering of their property, knowing that they had a better possession and a lasting one.

Esther

The day before my daughter's 15th birthday, I asked my neighbor to teach me how to make red lentil soup.  It's Julie's favorite, and I wanted to serve it the following day.  As my neighbor Esther and I chatted, she asked about my mother's health.  That led into a discussion on death and judgment.  She told me all about her beliefs--some things I already knew and others were new to me.  Then I told her what we believe.  That Jesus died on the cross [at this point she interrupts to let me know that the Koran doesn't teach that] because we can never do enough good works to earn salvation.  That we must put our faith in Him.  That He will forgive our sins and cover us with His righteousness.  When I finished, tears began to form in her eyes.  She replied, "We believe such different things.  I hope that somehow we can be in Heaven together."

Please pray for Esther.   She is a dear friend, and I, too, would love to meet up with her in Heaven.  But there's only one way that will happen.

VKS

Most of you have probably already put VBS behind you for another year.  Thanks to FBC, Milton, Florida, Hannah Grace enjoyed a week of VBS as well as a fun Skype visit with all the children there.

Here in this country, many children are attending VKS--Vacation Koran School.  It isn't as elaborate as what we put on in the US.  It looks a little more like the Backyard Bible Clubs we used to have.  But what they sacrifice in decorations they make up for with time.  The school in our apartment building meets Monday through Friday, 10 am to 1 pm, all summer.

At least, that was the plan until somebody complained and it was shut down by the building management.

Now, our favorite neighbors have written a petition and are conducting a signature drive to have it reinstated.  They asked us if we would sign it.  My immediate response was that I needed to talk with my husband first.  Not because I didn't know what our answer would be, but because I wanted to stall.  I hoped they would forget about it.  I wanted to think of how to respond graciously. . .if that would even be possible.  Anything to avoid the inevitable offense of saying no.

For almost a week, it looked like I was off the hook.  I hadn't seen my neighbor around and she hadn't come knocking again to ask about the petition.  Yesterday evening, though, I went to sit out on the benches with the other moms, and there she was with a stack of petitions.  Now, not only would I have to say no, I would have to do so in front of a whole group of covered women.  They discussed the situation and how to get more signatures.  (Many people are out of town for vacation, so they aren't able to collect as many signatures as they expected.)  Still, nothing was mentioned about my failure to sign.  Finally, as "Z" and I were walking back to our building she quietly asked if Randy and I had discussed signing.  I asked her if she would be offended if we didn't.  She replied that she wouldn't, but just because we signed didn't mean our girls had to go to the classes.  I told her that I understood that, but as Christians we couldn't sign the petition.  My hope was that from there I could talk about our faith, but she cut me off.  Not because she was angry, but (besides the fact that I'm pretty slow in the language) because she wanted to reassure me that there was no offense taken.

Almost at that moment one of the older ladies walked up and asked about the petitions.  This is one of those women that tend to be a little pushy.  She told me rather loudly that I needed to sign.  "Z" nicely told her that whether I signed wasn't her business.  When the woman persisted, my friend very sweetly told her good evening and led me on into the building.  Not only did she not take offense, she shielded me from the more easily offended neighbors!

This turned out so differently than I expected.  I expected that my good friend would be hurt and offended.  I expected to at least get to share the Gospel.  Neither of those scenarios came about.

I don't believe that God allowed our path to cross with these neighbors for no reason.  They are "on fire" committed to their faith.  They are disciplined in their practice of it.  Wherever we happen to be, when it's time to pray they find a place and pray.  Yet they remain very open to us.  Not to our belief in Jesus Christ, but to us.  Please pray that they will realize that we would not be the people they like and are drawn to apart from Christ.  Pray specifically that they would start to ask the sorts of questions that would lead to a serious discussion about the Truth.

Dates, Water, and Meat Offered to Idols

Several weeks ago, our upstairs neighbors said they wanted to celebrate our sons' arrival with dates and water.  The kind of dates that grow on a tree. . .of course.  Due to a misunderstanding on my part about the difference between a general (we ought to get together sometime) invitation and a specific (I'll be expecting you in the next few days) invitation, our families never did get together for that party.

This morning, I went upstairs to invite them for dinner this week.  My friend invited me in for coffee while she checked her calendar, and after a few minutes she asked her house help to serve us water.  It turns out that the offer of dates and water was intended as a show of regard for our family.  The dates and water were from their recent pilgrimage to Mecca, and the water came from a well that they believe is the same one God showed Hagar in Gen. 21:8-19.  They believe the well is miraculous, and it is considered a great honor to be offered this water.

Now, in the US, we generally look at Paul's teaching about whether or not to eat meat offered to idols and try to look for some overarching principle that we can glean from it since that specific issue isn't one we typically have to wrestle with.  It just doesn't seem to relate to our everyday lives.  But for Muslim background believers, eating meat offered to idols (or in this case, a false god) is a very real issue.  Is it a sin to drink water that Muslims believe is holy, even if they know, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8, that there is only one true God?  What about the Sacrifice Holiday, when sheep are slaughtered to commemorate Abraham's sacrifice at Mount Moriah?  Like the Christians in Corinth, some in this part of the world believe that there is nothing inherent in the water or meat that can defile them, while others have what Paul calls a weak conscience because of their former associations and feel that to accept these things would be sinful.  One young woman told me that only Christians with a weak faith would eat the sacrificial meat, while those who are truly strong in the faith would not.

So, life here has its complexities.  To drink the water or not. . .

Eastern Weddings

The bride does know when the groom will show up. . .the date has been planned and invitations sent out. But weddings here do still preserve the tradition of the groom coming to the bride's home before the wedding and, with celebration and fanfare, taking her to the wedding feast.

American weddings are beautiful.  We incorporate a lot of symbolism into the ceremony such as rings and unity candles.  But we miss out on this one aspect of illustrating that the Church isn't getting to Heaven on her own.  Christ is coming to claim his bride and take her to the wedding feast.

Disruptions

Disruptions can provide all sorts of opportunities.  This past week I found myself locked out of the apartment.  I was in a hurry and simply forgot to pick up the house keys.  Sean, Julie, Hannah Grace and I all sat down in the corridor to make the best of it.  Hannah Grace kept us entertained for a while by trying to trick the motion sensor lights, seeing how far she could run before they turned on and then freezing when they did.

Finally, the elevator stopped on our floor and I was sure it would be Randy.  Instead, our next-door neighbor stepped off.  His wife opened the door to let him in, and they both spoke to us.  Then they seemed to realize our predicament and were very insistent that we wait in their apartment.

They both apologized for not having spoken much before that day; they had assumed we wouldn't be able to communicate.  Sitting and smiling at each other isn't always as easy as it sounds!  The wife brought out a box of chocolate and we all had a good laugh when the husband scolded her for only offering it to the guests and not to him also.  We looked at pictures of their grandchildren and listened to stories about their son who is a ship captain and all of the places he has sailed.

During the conversation, they mentioned that women gather in their home for religious meetings, to discuss the Koran.  Then the wife told me that my name had come up at the last meeting.  They felt badly for not having thought to invite me to their group.  I don't know how often they meet, but I wouldn't be surprised if I get an invitation next time.

What would you do?

"Good" People

This past week Hannah Grace and I went downstairs to the playground considerably later than usual.  It was nearly her bedtime, but that seems to be when the other children are out and about.  Our upstairs neighbors were just presenting a brand new scooter to their daughter, who also happens to be totally fascinated with Hannah Grace.  Something about the long, blond hair--sometimes she calls her Barbie, and other times Rapunzel.  Anyhow, our two girls took turns riding the scooter while the mother and I chatted and the dad went off.  About fifteen or twenty minutes later, the dad returned with a gift for Hannah Grace.  It was a brand new scooter, identical to the one they had just given their own child.  As an American, I was speechless.  As an American that has lived overseas for years I recovered quickly enough to accept graciously and thank them profusely, and to begin mentally figuring out what I should do in return.

This whole episode has me thinking a lot about good works and salvation.  This couple seemed genuinely happy to surprise us with an unexpected, lavish gift.  They want our daughters to become good friends, and in their minds the scooter seemed to be an excellent way to make that happen.  At the same time, their whole belief system encourages them to stack up as many good deeds as possible to increase their chances of salvation after death.

By all earthly accounts, these are good, moral people.  Sometimes we look at people like this and think, "They're such good, likable people.  All they need now is to just accept Jesus."  Yet, apart from the righteousness of Christ, they are just as sinful as the difficult, hard-to-get-along-with neighbors.  How do they come to the point of recognizing that all of the wonderful things they do will never be enough to satisfy God's justice?  That they can never tip the scales in their favor?  That awakening will only come through work of the Holy Spirit.

How Far Would You Travel to Church?

As we settle in at our new home, and as we learn our way around, finding a place of worship is one of the most important decisions we have to make. For those of us who grew up in the deep South, we usually have dozens of options within just a few miles from home. People look at their area churches and base their decision on factors ranging from theology to music style. It's possible to spend weeks--perhaps months--visiting prospective churches before settling on the right one.

Here, in this city of more than 14 million people, we have three options. One group that we have been visiting is a two hour trip across the water to the European side of the city. Bus ride, boat ride, train ride. We aren't sure if this is where we will settle, but it did get me thinking. How far am I willing to go, how much time am I willing to invest, how much inconvenience am I willing to tolerate, for the sake of worship with other believers?

Of course, our prayer is that the gospel will spread and communities of believers will sprout up all over the city! When you go to church this Sunday, many of you right in your own neighborhood, don't forget to pray for the millions of people who don't have any fellow believers in their area to gather with.

Hospitality and Strangers

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. -- Hebrews 13:2

Just four days after moving into this apartment, I was the recipient of local hospitality. Hannah Grace and I went downstairs to the park located on the apartment complex grounds. A mother and her four year old son were already there. Feeling extremely unconfident with the language, I smiled and said spoke, not being entirely sure if I was saying "hello", "good morning", or "good afternoon". She smiled back but didn't speak. My first thought was that she probably took me for an idiot that didn't know how to speak correctly, so I sat down and watched Hannah Grace play.

After a few minutes, she walked over and asked where we were from. (Now that she's heard Hannah Grace and me speaking English she realizes I'm a foreigner, rather than an idiot.) We talked for a while, and she told me which apartment she lives in, and that I could come visit anytime. I told her the same. I think.

When her son was ready to go back inside, she turned to me and said, "Come on, let's have some coffee at my house." I went, and we talked some more, laughing whenever my Turkish was so bad that we couldn't communicate at all.

Later, I spent some time thinking about hospitality. Not Martha Stewart-style entertaining, but the love of strangers (which is the literal definition of New Testament hospitality). Seeing a foreigner that can barely speak the language, and bringing them into our homes and serving them coffee. It's the sort of hospitality that can be uncomfortable. Yet God's Word teaches us that we should not neglect showing love to strangers.

My new friend, Jana, didn't show hospitality because of her love for Christ; she doesn't truly know and love Him yet. She was motivated by loneliness. Her family moved to this part of the city less than two months ago, and she hasn't made many friends. How much more should I be willing to open my home, when I do have the light of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me?

Please pray that I will be a good friend to Jana and that her loneliness here will soften her heart to the love of God. Pray also that we will get unpacked and settled quickly so that we can begin having new friends and neighbors into our home.

And More Changes. . .

We received an update today on where our organization stands and some of the immediate implications. There are a lot of details, but the bottom line is that everyone with our organization has to be out of the country in a matter of days. This involves two singles, two empty nest couples, and four families not including our own family.

Can you imagine what it feels like to have a week to pack up everything you own, say goodbye to dear friends, find words to explain to your young children why you're leaving what they consider home, and not know if you'll ever be able to go back again? If you can even grasp that feeling, then you know how to pray for our team. If not, the Holy Spirit intercedes even when we don't have the words.

We would also ask you to pray for the workers from other organizations who are still in country. There have been two unexpected deaths in our expat community. Political tensions are high. We are hearing reports of local believers falling away from the faith. Other workers have also lost their visas. All in all it seems overwhelming. Yet, we believe in the sovereign God who holds each of us in His hands and is not caught off guard by anything that has happened in our field of work over the past six months. He loves the people there more than we ever could and He will glorify Himself in that nation.

Still, we all struggle with human emotions. Please intercede for us all as we process all that is happening to us as individuals and as a community of workers.

Changes

It's been a month since I've posted anything, because this has been a busy month. Our sons were home with us, which was a lot of fun. We celebrated Christmas in the US, which is a very rare event in our family. We traveled to Georgia and to Arkansas. We reconnected with old friends and mourned the loss of a close family friend. Looking back now, I can't believe that all of this was packed into just a few weeks.

However, life is settling back into a semi routine. . .but not for long. We are preparing for another huge change. We don't know the exact timing, but we expect that by this time next month we'll be on a plane for Istanbul, Turkey. The government where we were living previously denied our NGO's application for re-registration, so we will not be returning there in the immediate future.

We have been in Istanbul as visitors a number of times so we aren't quite going, like Abraham, to a land that we know not. However, we also realize that visiting a city and living in it are two different experiences. We will be learning a new (but, thankfully, similar) language. We will have to meet and form all new friendships. Randy in particular will have to learn new ways of doing his work.

Besides moving to a new city, we are also adapting to a new phase of life with two boys in college. With Hannah Grace coming along so late in our lives, it will be many years before we have a truly empty nest, but sending both guys off at once will certainly impact our family in ways we probably don't fully realize yet.

Please pray for us as we work through all of these changes in our life. Pray that we can quickly adjust and work effectively in our new situation.

Merry Christmas!

This morning I read two different blogs that dealt with the amazing truth of the incarnation. (You can read those here and here.) Immediately I thought of my friend Emerald, who rejected Christ several years ago. When she told me about her decision, it was on the basis of the incarnation. She would not accept that the all-powerful God who created the universe could limit Himself to experience thirst and hunger. How could a transcendent God need food? Who could imagine God falling asleep in a boat?

When we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating this truth that my friend turned away from. We celebrate the Word made flesh and come to live among men. Every one of us understands the reason for Christmas, but I personally don't believe I spend quite enough time pondering all the implications of this miracle. Jesus allowed Himself to feel the limitations of a human body. Yet it is precisely this concept of incarnation that repels so many of our Muslim acquaintances. What we celebrate as the glorious, miraculous foundation of our faith they reject as an illogical absurdity at best, and blasphemy at worst.

As we prepare to go back overseas, please pray that the Holy Spirit would do the work of opening blinded eyes and softening hardened hearts. We can't convince a Muslim to believe that God Himself would take on flesh, experience fatigue, hunger, thirst, pain, and eventually death and resurrection because He loves them. We can only share that truth, love them, and pray that they will see Jesus with eyes of faith.

Keeping Christ in Christmas

Being back in the US this year for the Christmas season, I've begun to be a little confused about the so-called Christmas wars and the battle to keep Christ in Christmas. As I listen to people talk, as I read Christian blogs and news sources, even as I listen to Christian radio, one question keeps coming to mind: Are people trying to keep Christ in Christmas, or are they trying to keep our beautiful traditions and memories in Christmas?

Where we live there is no cultural celebration of Christmas. There are trees and lights, and Grandfather Frost, but those are all New Year traditions. Christmas is a holiday that is only celebrated by professing Christians. Our Muslim neighbors understand that unless they acknowledge Christ as the Word made flesh, they don't--they can't--celebrate Christmas rather than a Winter Holiday. How ironic that they grasp the real meaning of Christmas with such clarity!

If you're saddened by the fact that cashiers say "Happy Holidays", or that your child's school is observing a winter festival, or that the municipality has erected a holiday tree, take a moment and remind yourself that only Christians can genuinely celebrate Christ's first coming and look forward to His second coming. Then, instead of getting involved in a campaign to "keep Christ in Christmas", get involved in activities that will bring people to know Christ as Lord and Savior. Make it your goal to keep Christmas in Christ.

If You Knew Who Says to You

Every once in a while, someone will walk up to us after we've spoken at a conference and tell us that it takes a special person to do what we do, or that God really knows the right person to call overseas, or something along that line. I've always been uncomfortable when that happens. Normally, I remind them that we go overseas and share the Good News because God gives us the grace to do so.

Too often we think that God asks people to do something--teach a class, preach a sermon, give generously to support the work of the church, go overseas, serve the needy--and we lose sight of just exactly who is asking. To paraphrase A. W. Tozer, we may view God as coming to us hat in hand asking for assistance. We understand that God wants to us to do good works, but we forget that He asks us to give what He has already prepared beforehand.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman "Give me a drink." Her response shows that although she certainly thought it an odd request, she never doubted for a moment her ability to give Jesus what He asked. She missed the point of the request. The Creator and Lord of the universe did not need to sit at a deserted well and wait for this woman to provide what He was lacking. The point was for this woman to realize what she was lacking.

Even as believers, we can easily accept the idea that we're saved by grace through no merit of our own yet act like God needs us to give Him a drink of water. We never doubt for a moment our ability to serve God (until He graciously allows us to reap the consequences of working in our own strength). He doesn't ask us to serve because we have something to offer Him. He asks because He has something to offer us.

Next time you believe God is directing you toward some ministry, stop and remember who it is that is asking for your service.

Sacrifice

This is from two years ago, but I still think about these things whenever the Qurban holiday comes up on the Muslim calendar.

Yesterday was Qurban--the Festival of Sacrifice--in the Muslim world. It is a day to remember the sacrifice that Abraham made on Mount Moriah. Islam teaches that it was Ishmael, not Isaac, that was placed on the altar that day.

The idea of a substitutionary sacrifice--whether the death of a ram in Isaac's place or the death of Jesus Christ in our place--has no acceptance in Muslim theology. It is all about works.

We were out yesterday to take Hannah Grace to the doctor, and passed herd after herd of sheep being prepared for slaughter. Those who can afford it are expected to purchase a sheep and have it butchered. They must then share a portion of the meat with those who are too poor to buy their own.

One prominent cleric was lamenting the fact that most people in this country have lost "the essence of Qurban". For them, it's a day of feasting. For butchers, it's a day of price gouging. Few people take time to remember the "real meaning" of this holiday. Sound familiar?

As believers, of course, we would love to help them understand the true essence of Sacrifice. In many parts of the Muslim world yesterday, the streets ran red with the blood of sacrificial sheep. Needlessly.