Suffering brings us closer to God

India, Myanmar, Bangladesh Hit with Floods

"While many areas on the globe are experiencing a tremendous drought, a torrential downpour has made its way to Northern India, Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh. The unwelcome rains have left thousands of people homeless and in need of help."


As soon as I saw this headline in my email box, I sent up a quick prayer to the Lord for these people. As I prayed, I remarked to God how these people are so very poor already and now a natural disaster. 

As I prayed this, I was struck with the idea that now, through this disaster, God is opening doors for Christians to go in and help them...not only through disaster relief but by sharing the Gospel with them. God knows our hearts. He knows that our hearts are most open to Him in our suffering. It's when things are not going well, when we are not self-sufficient and content, that we began to look to Him.

In addition, as a result of this tragedy, Christians around the world, like me...like you, will pray, today, for India, Myanmar and Bangladesh, when we most likely would not have even thought of them. And "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Does God send these disasters...I don't know. I don't believe He does because God is a God of light and not darkness. He is a God of goodness and not evil. But, like the story of Joseph and so many other instances in the Bible...especially the death of Jesus...does God bring good out of tragedy and suffering? YES! "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  Isaiah 55:8-11

So, are Christians going into India, Myanmar and Bangladesh to bring them material and spiritual help. Yes! Here is the rest of the email:

Gospel for Asia is providing as much assistance as it can to those suffering from the downpour.

India: National Highways Collapse
Four states in India are battling against floods. In Assam, India, two primary national highways considered "lifelines" collapsed after three to four days of continuous rain. In one of the worst hit areas of Assam, helicopters were sent out to rescue marooned people.

In the West Bengal islands, rain has weakened several river embankments. Reports indicate that about 2,500 houses have been damaged by the flood waters.

Bihar, India, has about 500 houses that have been affected. Out of those 500 houses, a GFA field correspondent reports that 90 of those were homes of Bridge of Hope children, and another 20 belonged to believers of a local GFA-supported congregation. Thankfully, the church building and the Bridge of Hope centers in the flooded areas were not destroyed by the rising water.

In Jammu and Kashmir, India, houses and other structures are collapsing, killing a number of people and injuring others. Landslides are also a problem, washing off stretches of road and obstructing villages.

Myanmar: Villages Unreachable
In the country of Myanmar (Burma), villagers had to desert their houses to escape the rising waters.

A GFA field correspondent reported that local missionaries serving in this country are not able to reach many villages because of collapsed bridges.

"They are going through a difficult situation," he said. "Please pray the Lord will console the hearts of the people who are affected in this flood."

Bangladesh: Children Cry for Food
In Bangladesh, steady rain washed away houses, cows, goats, rice paddy fields and other crops. Out of the thousands affected, 238 families belong to seven GFA-supported churches in the surrounding area.

"The people are suffering without food and work," a GFA field correspondent explained. "Their condition is so pathetic that their children are crying and asking for food, but the parents cannot provide food for them."

Help in Time of Need
GFA Compassion Services teams are making their way into villages, government-run refugee camps and school buildings temporarily housing people in desperate need of help. They are distributing biscuits, rice, milk powder, salt and other food items.

"It is hard for us to imagine the intense suffering these poor and helpless people are facing," said GFA President K.P. Yohannan. "I am so grateful for this opportunity we have to bring relief and hope for these precious people in Jesus' name."

Some areas are still too difficult to reach, but GFA Compassion Services teams will persist until they are able to provide help to all who are suffering.

• Please pray the relief teams will reach the people in time and help save them from starvation.
• Pray GFA-supported missionaries are able to share the love of Christ as they minister to those who have lost so much.
• Pray for the flood victims to experience the Lord's comfort during this difficult time.
• Pray the rain will subside so restoration and reconstruction can begin.

I Matter! - 40 Days for Life

An unborn baby in the womb

A few days ago, our family celebrated the birthday of our first child. What joy filled out hearts as we remembered the day she was born. Yet, that joy had begun nine months earlier when we found out I was pregnant. As her little body grew within me, we wondered and marveled at the miracle of life. A miracle that despite all the evil in the world, God continues to bless this world with every moment of every day.

Six weeks after our first child was born, we travelled to China to receive our second precious daughter. What joy filled our hearts as she was placed in our arms. Yet there was a sadness as well...a sadness for her birth parents who would never see her first steps or hear her first words or receive her hugs and kisses. Sadness over a government that makes it so difficult on parents to have more than one child. Sadness at some in a society who believe that boys have more worth than girls.

I feel that same sadness when I reflect on the fact that our country, America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, still does not extend freedom to its youngest members. The baby in the womb is not free to be born. If news of that child's creation brings fear or dread rather than joy, that child may be killed. A smile destroyed before it had a chance to exist...eyes that will never look on the face of a loving mother...arms that will never reach out to hug a father.

Every child, whether in China or in Charleston, SC, beckons from the womb - give me a chance to live! Marvel and wonder at my creation, see the beauty and potential that lies within my smile, see the depth of wisdom and worth that lies within my eyes. I matter! I am a person with a living soul. God chose to create me and He wants me to live. He is giving me to the world and hoping that loving arms will take me in with joy.

This is essentially what 40 Days for Life is all about -- 40 days of prayer, fasting and peaceful vigil to end abortion in America. It is the heart cries of mothers, fathers, business people, students, children, thousands upon thousands who are crying out to stop abortion. To stop the killing of babies before they even have a chance to take their first breath. To trust that when God creates a new life, He will give the help parents need to raise that child.

September 28 - November 6, 2011 will be a time, in Charleston and in more than 291 other locations throughout the US and the world, when people speak-up for the baby who can not speak for itself.

Beginning with the first 40 Days for Life campaign in 2007, people of faith and conscience have been mobilized in 337 cities across all 50 of the United States, seven Canadian provinces, four Australian states, plus England, Northern Ireland and Denmark.


During these unified efforts, participants witnessed countless blessings from God:

• Over 400,000 have joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion
• More than 13,000 church congregations have participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns
• Reports document 4,313 lives that have been spared from abortion — and those are just the ones we know about
• 53 abortion workers have quit their jobs and walked away from the abortion industry
• 14 abortion facilities completely shut down following local 40 Days for Life campaigns
• Hundreds of women and men have been spared from the tragic effects of abortion, including a lifetime of regrets
• More than 1,500 news stories have been featured in newspapers, magazines, radio shows and TV programs from coast to coast ... and overseas
• Many people with past abortion experiences have stepped forward to begin post-abortion healing and recovery
• After so many years of legalized abortion, many people of faith are experiencing a renewed sense of HOPE!

If you would like to know more about how you or your church can get involved, please visit  www.40daysforlife.com/Charleston and www.40daysforlife.com

Each of us knows, in our hearts, that abortion is wrong. 40 Days for Life is the time to do something about this. God will hear our prayers; He will move in response to our fasting; He will bring an end to this evil as His people stand up, in peaceful vigil, to say Enough is Enough! I pray you will get involved.

God and Allah - are they the same?

Muslims praying to Allah in Indonesia

Let me begin by saying...I do not claim to be an expert on Islam in any way. I write this article because this question has burdened my heart. I have asked God for His wisdom and also talked to some friends, who work with Muslims, for their thoughts.

The question I want to address - Is Allah God?

The answer I have come up with is no and yes.

I'll begin with comparing Jehovah God to Allah in the Koran.

The god of Islam, Allah, as defined by the Koran, is seen as creator of the universe, all powerful and the One who determines the fate of all men...just as the Biblical God. But there are many ways in which they are not the same.

"Allah is presented in the Koran as an autocratic ruler who is aloof and arbitrary (Sura 5:40). Allah is unknowable whereas the God of the Bible is knowable (2 Timothy 1:12). Allah is impersonal, unlike the personal God the Scriptures reveal (1 Peter 5:6-7). Allah is unitarian (Sura 4:48) whereas the God of the Bible is trinitarian (2 Corinthians 13:14). Here is what the Koran says about the God of the Bible (Sura 4:171): “Believe in Allah and say not ‘Trinity.’ Cease! It is better for you! Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from his transcendent majesty that he should have a son.”

Allah is capricious (Sura 2:284), whereas the true God is trustworthy. And Allah is never anywhere presented as a god of love — which is the essence of the nature of the true God (1 John 4:7-16).

Jesus — The Koran denies point blank that Jesus was the Son of God (Sura 112:2-3). It also denies His atoning sacrifice by claiming that he never died (Sura 4:157). A substitute died for Him on the Cross. The Koran teaches that Jesus was translated to Heaven, like Enoch, where He will remain until He returns to kill all pigs, destroy all crosses, and convert the world to Islam. Jesus will marry, reign for 40 years and then die and be buried next to Muhammad in Medina. Jesus is characterized in the Koran as nothing more than “an apostle of Allah” (Sura 4:171). "

Source: The Truth About Islam Dr. David R. Reagan...to read more see God and Allah

There is much more you can read about this topic, so I will sum it up by saying that overall, the character and nature of Allah, as declared by the Koran and his followers, has some similarities but many differences to the character and nature of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I do not believe that they are the same God at all. I do not believe that when Muslims pray to Allah and we pray to God our Father, that we are praying to the same God.

However, I do not want to stop here, which is where I believe so many Christians stop...which is where I stopped until recently.

As I spoke about in earlier blogs - A witness in every culture and in earlier ones,  The incredible power of God and Eternity in their hearts, for Christians to reach out to an entirely foreign people group, it is so important for them to find a culture key...something in that people group's culture that will help them relate to Jesus, that will open the door to the Gospel, that will show them that God has left a witness for Himself within their culture (Rom. 1:20, Acts 14:16-17, Romans 2:14-15 and Psalms 19:1-4).

I believe, as do many other Christians, that one of the main culture keys for the Muslims is the word Allah. Before I say anymore, I want to share with you the words from a friend of mine, Malath, who is a pastor in Iraq. He has worked with Muslims his whole life and knows much about sharing Christ with them.

"Allah is the name of God in Arabic. In our Arabic Bible, it is written Allah, so we are using the same term to express our faith in God. That is good because we consider that as a common ground between us.

However, the attributes of our God are totally different than Allah in Islam. Allah in Islam has 99 names and it is missing the one we have, which is "God is Love." So we use this name, "God is Love," to reach them (Muslims) and tell them that our God loves us and them as well. At our church in Iraq, we supply some food and children gifts to show them the love of our God.

Also Allah in Islam is very hard to reach or talk to, so we tell them it is not hard or impossible at all in Christianity. We as His people can be in fellowship with God...known to them as Allah. Also, as you know, there is no insurance of salvation in Islam, not like us, so you can use this also. All these things show to Muslims, in indirect ways, that our God is different than Allah in Islam."

So, while Allah and God are not the same God, the term "Allah" as referring to a creator and all-powerful God, can be used as a common bond, a culture key, a redemptive analogy, in order to introduce the God of the Bible to Muslims. This has been done by numerous Christians throughout the centuries...in fact, as Malath stated, the Arabic translation of the Bible uses Allah as the word for God.

This was reiterated by my missions teacher, Dr. Goodwin, himself a missionary for many years, who said, "My understanding, from talking with Egyptian Christians, is that the word Allah is simply the Arabic word for God.  The word was around a long time before Islam started."

The use of this culture key, by Christians, has not been lost on Muslim leadership. "Millions of Christians in Indonesia (which has the highest number of Muslims of any country but also has a sizable number of Christians) use Allah for God and Tuhan Allah for Lord God. Perhaps because of this, Indonesian Christians have been much more effective in winning Muslims to Christ than any other Christians. Let is also be known that Muslims in some Muslim nations, knowing the access the name Allah gives to the Muslim heart, are passing laws to forbid Christians from using it in reference to the Gospel of Christ," Don Richardson in Redemptive Analogy.  Malaysian Christians still banned from using "Allah" , Malaysian Muslims attack churches over Christian references to Allah

In conclusion, I do not believe that God and Allah are the same, however, when reaching out to Muslims, Christians can find common ground in the name "Allah" to reference a creator, all powerful God. They can use the Muslims' understanding of God as a beginning to an understanding of who Christ is. We as Christians must defend the tenants of our faith, but we must also diligently seek for ways to share Christ with those who have a hard time understanding that Jesus came to die for them.

Jesus in the Qur'an

The Qur'an

Jesus in the Qur’an

What do the Muslim people know about Jesus? Does their holy book, the Qur'an/Koran, teach them anything about Jesus? The answer is yes...it does. 


Jesus is usually referred to in the Qur’an by the name Isa. Various titles, roles and activities are attributed to Jesus. Here are a few examples:

• Jesus is the word of God: Sura: 3:45 - The angels said, "O Mary, GOD gives you good news: a Word from Him whose name is 'The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary.' He will be prominent in this life and in the Hereafter, and one of those closest to Me.
• Sura 5:46 - Subsequent to them, we sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the previous scripture, the Torah. We gave him the Gospel, containing guidance and light, and confirming the previous scriptures, the Torah, and augmenting its guidance and light, and to enlighten the righteous. 
• Sura 57:27 - ‘In their footsteps we caused our messengers to follow, and we caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow, and we gave him the Gospel.’

• Jesus is Messiah: Sura: 3:45 - ‘God giveth thee tidings of a word from himself whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary.

• Prophet or a Messenger from God: Sura: 3:49 - As a messenger to the Children of Israel: "I come to you with a sign from your Lord—I create for you from clay the shape of a bird, then I blow into it, and it becomes a live bird by GOD's leave. I restore vision to the blind, heal the leprous, and I revive the dead by GOD's leave. I can tell you what you eat, and what you store in your homes. This should be a proof for you, if you are believers.
• Sura - 57:27 - Subsequent to them, we sent our messengers. We sent Jesus the son of Mary, and we gave him the Injeel (Gospel), and we placed in the hearts of his followers kindness and mercy. 

• Raised the dead and healed the sick: Sura: 3:49 - I restore vision to the blind, heal the leprous, and I revive the dead by GOD's leave. I can tell you what you eat, and what you store in your homes. This should be a proof for you, if you are believers.
• Sura 5:110 - GOD will say, "O Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessings upon you and your mother. I supported you with the Holy Spirit, to enable you to speak to the people from the crib, as well as an adult. I taught you the scripture, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel. Recall that you created from clay the shape of a bird by My leave, then blew into it, and it became a live bird by My leave. You healed the blind and the leprous by My leave, and revived the dead by My leave

• Pure, sinless: Sura: 19:19 - He said, "I am the messenger of your Lord, to grant you a pure son."

One of the reasons you will find Jesus mentioned in the Qur'an is because the religion has its roots in Judaism and Christianity. However, even if the Qur’anic ideas listed above are the same or similar to Biblical ideas, Muslims never think of Jesus as being divine or as saving us through his death and resurrection. They do not believe He is the Son of God. They think of him only as a prophet who brought a book called the “Gospel.”

According to Islam, Jesus was actually a good Muslim and he taught an earlier form of Islam to the Jewish people. One can find a Muslim account of the life of Jesus in the so called “Gospel of Barnabas.” This document teaches that Jesus will come again one day, he will marry, he will have children. He will correct the errors which Christians have said about him. He will die, he will be buried in Medina and be judged like all men at the Last Judgement.

Why should a Christian know these things? What does it matter what the Qur'an says about Jesus?

Because the best way to touch a Muslim's heart and to share with them the truth about Jesus is to begin with what they know and believe. They believe the Qur'an. Thus, they believe some truths about Jesus. Those truths can be a starting point from which to share the full truth, the Gospel, of Jesus Christ.


The above information came from the following websites:
30-days Prayer Network
Jesus in the Qur'an

Severe Famine in Somalia - Please Pray!

SOMALIA - FAMINE Please Pray!!! SUMMARY: Lack of rain, failed crops, and ongoing civil conflict have combined to create a disastrous situation in Somalia.  The United Nations and other groups are predicting widespread malnutrition and even famine conditions.  Tens of thousands have already died and 12.5 million people are now at risk of starvation and death.

Photo: abc.com The entire Horn of Africa region is experiencing the worst drought in 60 years. This has led to crop failures and severe food shortages. In July, the United Nations declared a famine in two regions of Somalia. "Unless we see a massive increase in response," the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief said, "the famine will spread to five or six more regions. Tens of thousands of Somalis have already died, and hundreds of thousands face starvation." Complicating this situation is the fact that Somalia does not have a functioning central government. Al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups control entire sections of the nation. The two areas where famine has already been declared are controlled by al-Shabaab - and Western aid is not being allowed in. According to the New York Times, the terrorists are also "imprisoning displaced and starving Somalis who were trying to escape Shabab territory." "The famine is as much about failed politics as failed rains," the president of the African Development Bank said. Many Somalis have fled the region, hoping to find relief in the refugee camps of northern Kenya. But the camps were built for 90,000 people and now house 400,000. Reaching the camps also requires days, even weeks of travel on foot. "The refugees arrive bedraggled, exhausted and often bereaved as loved ones die on the long trek... It is hard to imagine the horror of mothers forced to leave their infants behind to die as they trek for weeks to reach safety." Somalia is ranked number 5 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2011 for worst persecutors of Christians. WIN partners pray for Somalia on Day 28 of the WINDOW INTERNATIONAL NETWORK Praying Through the Window 9: Global Terrorism and World Religions prayer calendar. PRAY FOR: the Lord to provide for the people of Somalia. Ask Him to enable Christian humanitarian agencies to gain access to the regions where Somalis are in need. (The Bible, Philippians 4:19) food, clean water, shelter, and medicine to be made available to those who are at risk of malnutrition, hunger, and death. (The Bible, Psalm 65:9; Matthew 25:40) al-Shabaab and every other terrorist group in Somalia to be defeated, have their funding cut off, and fail in their efforts to recruit. (The Bible, Psalm 7:9) the Lord to establish a government in this lawless nation. Pray for Him to raise up men and women to lead Somalia in integrity and the fear of the Lord. (The Bible, Proverbs 1:7) the international community to respond quickly to the crisis in Somalia. Ask the Lord to give leaders wisdom and strategies for addressing this problem. (The Bible, Proverbs 3:13,14) the Lord to comfort those who have lost loved ones and who have fled from their homes. Petition Him to provide a safe place of refuge for them. (The Bible, II Corinthians 1:3,4; Psalm 18:2) the Christians in Somalia to call out to the Lord for relief. Pray for them to humble themselves, seek God, and ask Him to heal their land. (The Bible, Psalm 40:1; II Chronicles 7:14) this potential disaster to become an opportunity for the Gospel to be preached and for Muslims to put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (The Bible, Romans 10:9) a great harvest of souls in Somalia as the Kingdom of God comes in power. (The Bible, I Corinthians 4:20)