EMMETT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
September 2022
Discover Christ's Transforming Love
126 S. Hayes Ave. Emmett, Idaho 83617
Lance Zagaris, Pastor
Pam Hodges, Worship Director
A Word From the Pastor
Jude 20-21 - 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Matthew 24:12-13 - 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
2 Timothy 3:1-5; 4:9-10 - 3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
John 14:21; 23-24 - 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Philippians 1:9-11 - 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Dearly Beloved,
In Mt. 24, Jesus describes some of the signs at the end of the age that will precede His Return:
- People will falsely claim to be Messiah, deceiving many (5);
- there will be wars and international conflicts (6-7a);
- there will be natural disasters (7);
- There will be persecution of believers and false disciples turning from the faith and turning on true believers (9-11)
In 24:12, Jesus declares: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” What is it that can cause one’s love relationship with Jesus and with others to grow cold? Jesus reveals that the increase of wickedness has the potential to significantly drop the spiritual temperature measuring our love for Jesus. Increasing wickedness had the potential to take a flaming hot love relationship with Jesus and over time bring it to a place of shivering cold. Wickedness ices over what were once warm, loving hearts for Christ! People become numb toward Christ and His Word and His church.
In Tim. 3:1-5, Paul mentions some form of the word love 6 times as he describes the last days. People will be 1) lovers of themselves; 2) lovers of money; 3) without love; 4) not lovers of the good; 5) lovers of pleasure; 6) rather than lovers of God. They will have a form of godliness but deny its power (5). It’s not that they are absent of love altogether, but the love that is present in their lives is a self-centered love, a materialistic, ungodly, pleasure–seeking love. God is not in their love. He is not the object of their love. He is not the driving force of their love. And because God’s love is iced over, their love manifests itself with being… boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, treacherous, rash, and conceited (3:1-4).
In 2 Tim. 4:9-10, Paul tells Timothy that Demas has deserted me, because he loved this world. People leave Jesus, they leave serving the Lord, and they leave the church, because their love for this world overtakes whatever love they had for the Lord. Their love for this world becomes their passion and idol. It causes their love for Christ to grow so cold they become spiritual deserters.
Jude 20-21 exhorts us to strengthen ourselves in our most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Daily be in the Word of God, learning it and applying it to our lives. Daily ask the Holy Spirit in prayer to empower and guide us. In verse 21, he calls us “to keep ourselves in God’s love as we wait for the mercy of the LORD Jesus Christ to bring us to eternal life.” We are responsible before God to stoke the fires of our hearts from being distracted from His love. We are to choose to spend time pursuing our relationship with Him. We are to invite Him into every relationship, every decision, every responsibility, every role we pursue.
In John 14:21, 23-24, Jesus says if we love Him, we will obey Him. If we want to keep ourselves in His love, we will live in obedience to His commands. We will want to please Him and honor Him in each area of our lives. Obedience to Jesus expresses a warm heart of love toward the Triune God. The Father and The Son reciprocate by loving us and revealing themselves to us and making their home with us!
In Phil. 1:9-11, Paul prayers that believer’s love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless…” Our hearts’ capacity to grow in love and heat up for Christ are very real, because we were filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ! We have the divine resources in Christ to grow in our love for Him! And we have each other to encourage and challenge each other to grow warmer in our love for Him!
Shepherding you in Christ’s love,
Lance
5 Day Club!
A total of 21 children attended.
There was games, singing, prayer and fun for all!
Kollyns leads memorizing Romans 5:8
Lincoln leads memorizing Romans 5:8
Logan leads memorizing Romans 5:8
Good News Club
Thanks to those who have signed up to help and completed the training and background checks.
For more information on what Good News Club is all about, visit Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) at https://www.cefonline.com/ministries/goodnewsclub/
Prayer is the Key
School doors will soon be unlocked for the children to rush in to continue their education. Teachers administrators, parents and kids have all been anxiously awaiting this re-opening. All this preparation in order to teach our children how to read, write, to do arithmetic, and many other things the federal and state experts have deemed necessary. However, since the Bible has been taken out of public school education, basic information the child needs has been left out of the curriculum, and some frightening things have been added. More than ever before, children are confused, fearful, depressed and many are feeling hopeless in this seemingly chaotic world.
As we prepare to bring the gospel into the public schools of the Treasure Valley through Good News Club©, we realize we are in for a battle. Knowing that we live in a broken, fallen world, where Satan is fighting against everything that is Godly, we will face obstacles whenever we share the good news - that hey were created, they have a purpose, and that they are loved by their Creator. These vital truths must be taught to our children in order for them to have any sense of who they are, and what life is about.
As the Bible teaches, before entering any battle or making any decision, we must first seek the Lord's help ad direction. Just as the key is needed to open a physical door, prayer is the key which opens spiritual doors. With this in mind, we are asking each of you to focus on three points of prayer for the month of August.
1. PRAY FOR WORKERS FOR THE HARVEST. (LUKE 10:2)
2. PRAY FOR THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO WELCOME US INTO THE SCHOOLS.
3. PRAY FOR THE HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN TO REDILY RECEIVE JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR.
"..for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him." 1 Chronicles 5:20b
It's Always Harvest Time
Not just at harvest time, do we need to have a reason
we can plant seeds of hope in and out, of every season.
We can reap souls to Jesus, no matter the time of year
it doesn't have to be Autumn, harvest time, is always here.
Seed of faith can be planted, into the hearts of everyone
whether under snowy covers or the warm blanket of the sun.
We can gather in the lost, bring back a wandering soul
it doesn't have to be Fall for the harvest, God controls.
It's always harvest time, we don't need have a reason
we can sow seeds of eternal hope in and out, of every season!
~Deborah Ann
Thank You from New Plymouth FBC
FBC - Emmett,
Thank you so much for your generous donations.
I have many fond memories of Emmett FBC. I accepted the Lord and was baptized there. Mr. Rexford was my 7th grade teacher. Dave & Pam Goff were former school mates.
The enclosed card says 118 W. Idaho St. is our temporary address. We have since purchased the location.
Thanks again,
Nancy Hallaway, Church Secretary
Amanda Weers - God's Plan Achieved Through Your Mistakes
Amanda became a member of First Baptist Church (FBC) March 21, 2022. She has helped out on the worship team, sang some beautiful specials with her husband, Brian, and has served in helping with Sunday School classes at FBC. She was baptized as a teen by her grandfather, who was a minister and Bible College professor. Being raised in a family that knew and loved the Lord, Amanda is grateful that she came to know the Lord at an early age. When she was approximately 6 years old, lying in bed she realized that if she died, she needed a savior. She went and talked with her mom, and her mom prayed with her. When she went back to bed, she still remembers the peace she felt. Even though she was only 6 years old, she very much understood what it meant. Amanda credits having accepted Christ at such a young age and her salvation and faith being so genuine, to why she never went through a rebellious phase like most kids.
Amanda has been married to her husband, Brian for 20 years. Brian was a friend of her older brother and when her brother got married, Brian came to the wedding. At the time, they sort of “re-met,” Brian was living in eastern Idaho and soon left to attend seminary in California. They communicated via e-mail, letters, and phone for a 4-year long distance relationship until they were married. They have 4 children, which are a big part of why they have joined Emmett FBC. They did attend a church in Boise where Brian was the worship pastor, but they wanted to have the kids go to a church with kids they see at school. They attended a couple other churches here in Emmett, but the kids like the smaller church atmosphere at FBC, where they don’t get lost in the crowd. In addition, the family loves Lance and Jolene. Amanda knew Jolene through teaching and her mom, and they appreciate how Lance is so caring.
Vacations are important for the Weers’ family, and they love to use the opportunity for their children to build relationships with the grandparents. When they travel, generally both sets of grandparents travel with them. Amanda’s grandparents on both sides played a huge role in her life, so she deliberately tries to ensure her children get to develop relationships with both sets of their grandparents. Amanda explained that she had her own relationship with her grandparents independent of what her parents had. Her dad’s parents were part of everyday life, both Christians. Her grandpa on her mom’s side was so intelligent on spiritual things. Her grandpa not only baptized her, he also helped officiate her wedding. When he passed, she went to say goodbye to him and knew this was the last time she would see him this side of heaven. The last thing he said to her was “I’m praying for you”. How special that was…even though he passed, his prayers did not. She knows in tough times, her grandparents prayed for her, and those prayers are still being answered in her life now.
Amanda has had many struggles that her faith has helped her through. She explained that “nobody goes through life unscathed,” but faith in Jesus helps get through struggles to see the rainbow after the storm. She explained that she has struggles “daily, big and small, and faith helps to overcome them all.”
Some of the struggles Amanda shared include:
- As with many kids, Amanda was bullied in school. At an early age she went through 4 surgeries on her eyes. She wore glasses which gave the kids a reason to bully her, along with anything else they could find as kids do.
- At 12 years old, Amanda became very sick. Doctors could not figure out what was going on with her. She became very thin because every time she tried to eat, she would get sick. Doctors would tell her parents it was all mental. It was extremely discouraging… nobody knew what she was going through, they didn’t believe her. At one point, she had a test and was coming out of the anesthesia and could hear the doctor telling her mom that they couldn’t find anything wrong. That it was all in her head and she had psychological issues and needed mental help. Since Amanda was still under the anesthesia, she could not defend herself. When she was at church camp, and still extremely ill while there, and so upset that people didn’t believe her, she prayed asking the Lord to take the illness away from her. She truly felt He responded, “I will, but not now.” At age 16, it was discovered that she had a bad gallbladder. Once she had her gallbladder out, she was fine. Her gallbladder surgery was almost an exact year after she prayed at church camp. Amanda’s faith and trust in the Lord helped her get through these years of difficulty.
- Several years ago, Amanda was in a car accident of which she was deemed at fault. It truly was an accident, but she was advised to get a lawyer in case she was sued. Amanda explained that the hardest part of prayer is the waiting… She had to wait 2 years to find out if she was going to get sued, lose her house, or what would come of it. In the end, the insurance took care of everything, but most difficult was the trauma from the experience and the waiting so long for answered prayers.
- Amanda’s grandmother had Alzheimer’s, and Amanda helped care for her. Amanda described her grandmother as an amazing, godly women who was very smart. While Amanda said she felt blessed to have been able to help take care of her grandmother, to see the devastation this disease took on her grandmother and not have a “why” was difficult. She tried to see the “why” and couldn’t. However, one staff member at the memory care center did say that Amanda’s grandmother would repeatedly say “make me a blessing” and asked what that means. Amanda says it is hard because “we don’t always see the good this side of heaven.”
- Amanda always wanted to have 4 children. With each of her pregnancies, she had some difficulties. After her 3rd child, she miscarried a baby at 12 weeks. She explained that this was one of the worst experiences of her life. It was the end of the first trimester and supposed to be safe. Her sister was also pregnant at the time and due within days of her due date. They had told the 3 boys about the baby, and it was tough explaining the miscarriage to them. She had no warning and went through the entire labor process. She was in so much pain and begged God for her baby. She felt God was asking her “even if I take this baby, will you still believe and serve me?” She responded, “yes.” He did take the baby, and Amanda has a hard time finding the good in that bad, but she knows that “even if” your worst nightmare happens, He is there and those bad things can be used to encourage others.
Using her experiences and talent to encourage others is just what Amanda does. Amanda went to college and was an elementary teacher for several years before deciding to stay home with her children. While at home she decided to pursue her dream of being an author. She had always wanted to be an author and “have her words mean something to someone… to change someone.” She wrote a book and was thinking about having it published. She sent out a few inquiries. Then Brian sold a computer to a client in Florida who was an independent author who indicated she could chat with Amanda about how she did things. Amanda messaged her and didn’t get a response. A week later Brian hurt his back and had to be on disability from work. Amanda tried again to contact the independent author. She responded and they developed a friendship. In exchange for Amanda editing her books, she showed Amanda the ropes of independent publishing. While Brian was on disability from work, Amanda wrote an entire book in six weeks as an experiment. After two back surgeries, Brian was finally able to return to work, but the job he returned to had changed. He never sold another computer. Amanda published her first book the same week Brian returned to work. Had Brian not hurt his back, Amanda may have never felt the desperate drive to pursue her writing and experiment with independent publishing.
Amanda now has over 30 books published. They range from Christian fiction, contemporary and historical romance, suspense and inspirational. She even has a children’s chapter book series. Inspiration for her books is generally from life experiences. Amanda explained that each book she writes has a kernel of her in them. One of her most popular books was inspired by that same car accident mentioned earlier. While she was waiting for Brian to pick her up, she sat on the curb crying. People walked by and didn’t even see her. Her book is about choosing not to walk away.
Amanda is keeping her teaching credentials current and does volunteer work at the schools. She recently worked on promoting a school bond. She knew it was a long shot, but she gave it her all. She explained that the most difficult part was seeing the ugliness of people… people go nasty. However, she felt she was able to earn respect in the way she responded. It was a lot of work, and she did everything she could. While the results were not in her hands, good things did come from it due to the integrity she demonstrated.
Amanda believes she has accomplished her dream of being an author and is blessed that God is able to use her words to do His work – to touch people. Amanda publishes a newsletter for all who subscribe that is world-wide. She receives comments from viewers/readers all over the world… Africa, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, etc. If interested in subscribing to the newsletter and/or to view all the book titles Amanda has written, to her website at https://amandatru.com/. You can also look her up on Amazon. Her pen name is Amanda Tru.
Amanda has two books releasing in the next couple of weeks. They are the final two books of the series that started as the first book she ever wrote. About twelve years ago, she wrote a time travel short story for her sister. That story turned into a book, which then turned into the Yesterday series. Books 7 and 8 finally complete the series and will be available starting September 27.
In many ways, the Yesterday series is an extra-ordinary example of Psalm 139 and Amanda’s favorite verse—Psalm 139:16. As her books show through an exciting world of fiction, she believes God has a plan that will be achieved even through your mistakes.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. ~Psalm 139:16
Thank you, Amanda, for your time and sharing your heart and your story. So glad your family joined Emmett FBC! Praying your writing continues to be an inspiration to you and others! I, personally, look forward to reading your books, and getting to know you through your writing and fellowshipping with you at FBC.
By Kathy Osborn, FBC Secretary/Treasurer
JOHNNY CASH: THE REDEMPTION OF AN AMERICAN ICON
At the end of his rope, Johnny Cash stumbled into a cave and lay down in the dark. But death didn’t come calling; God did. JOHNNY CASH: THE REDEMPTION OF AN AMERICAN ICON is the untold story of how “The Man in Black” saw the light.
Exclusively in theaters December 5, 6, & 7, JOHNNY CASH focuses on a critical period in the country music legend’s life and career when he went from singing hymns in the cotton fields to playing sold-out stadiums. At the height of his career, a cycle of depression and drug addiction left Cash in the lowest valley personally.
About the Documentary
Fathom Events, Kingdom Story Company, WTA Media and Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie partner on this documentary to share the country music legend's enduring faith.
At the end of his rope, Johnny Cash stumbled into a cave and lay down in the dark. But death didn’t come calling; God did. JOHNNY CASH: THE REDEMPTION OF AN AMERICAN ICON is the untold story of how “The Man in Black” saw the light.
Exclusively in theaters December 5, 6, & 7, JOHNNY CASH focuses on a critical period in the country music legend’s life and career when he went from singing hymns in the cotton fields to playing sold-out stadiums. At the height of his career, a cycle of depression and drug addiction left Cash in the lowest valley personally.
Don’t miss the official trailer -- coming soon!
3711 East Longwing Lane, Meridian, ID 83646
7:00 PM
Regal Nampa Stadium 14
2001 N. Cassia Street, Nampa, ID 83651
7:00 PM
“Here’s the great contradiction–who could be friends with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Billy Graham all at the same time? The answer, Johnny Cash. He was a contradiction at times, but he had a deep faith that he always returned to.”
Pastor and Producer Greg Laurie
of Harvest Ministries
Fish need contact with water or they die... Plants need contact with minerals or they die... People need contact with God or they die "spiritually."
Former Islamic Scholar Attacked with Stones For Christian Faith
WHY A FORMER ISLAMIC SCHOLAR IS NOW PROVIDING A SAFE PLACE FOR EX-MUSLIMS TO GROW IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
When the first rock struck his back, Waleed turned and shouted, “Who did this?” Groups of young men loitering along the street stared blankly back at him, while shopkeepers avoided eye contact. Then, as Waleed turned and continued on his way, a barrage of stones began to rain down on him. “I was so scared,” he recalled, “so afraid.” Waleed ran for his life.
Later, while assessing his cuts and bruises, he realized that his brothers at the mosque were no longer his brothers. He had pointed out too many contradictions in the Quran and had asked too many questions about Jesus that they couldn’t answer. Who was this Jesus mentioned 187 times, more than anyone else in the Quran?
BECOMING AN ISLAMIC SCHOLAR
An uncle in Waleed’s deeply Islamic family selected him at a young age to become an Islamic scholar. He grew so fluent in Arabic, the language of the Quran, that he received a four-year scholarship to an Islamic university in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where he was expected to immerse himself in Islam before returning to his home country to teach and spread the religion.
After graduation, Waleed became a sheikh, a respected Islamic teacher who taught at the mosque, wore white and, despite being a foreigner, shared meals with prominent members of society. “I was very proud,” Waleed said, “thinking I am a great person.”
Then, in 2002, his comfortable, successful life was upended when he was diagnosed with cancer. After four surgeries, doctors told Waleed he had little hope of survival. “It came very fast,” he said, “and I was far from my family.”
With no one else to turn to, he began to seek Allah with all his ability. Waleed knew that in Islam his worthiness to enter paradise was weighed as if on a scale — bad deeds on one side and good deeds on the other. Would his good deeds definitely outweigh the bad? As with all Muslims, there was no certainty.
Even the most religious sheikhs sinned, he reasoned, hating and insulting one another; he knew their behavior didn’t conform to the Quran’s strict requirements. “The Quran says if you see a lady, you have already committed adultery,” he said. “If you hate someone and want to kill him, you already murder.” And unlike Christianity, Islam provides no offer of atonement.
Waleed determined that he would spend the rest of his life inside the mosque, praying and attempting to tame his sinful thoughts to ensure his entrance to paradise. He even sent others to buy food for him so he wouldn’t be tempted in any way while running errands.
Then, while napping after lunch one day, he had a dream in which his younger sister laughingly mocked him, saying, “You think your devotion will make you holy or take you to heaven?” Shaken, Waleed awoke and opened his Quran at random looking for comfort. When he looked at the page, he saw that the book had opened to Sura 19, the chapter that details the life of Jesus.
As he began to read, Waleed recognized for the first time how differently the Quran spoke about Jesus than about the Prophet Muhammad. He was struck by the surprising details about Jesus performing miracles and even being raised to life (Sura 19:33). “The man who does these things is powerful,” Waleed said. “He is incomparable, because no other prophet written about in the Quran is doing something like that.”
He began to wonder why Muslims revered Muhammad, a man who had clearly died and was buried, whereas Jesus had risen from the dead, is alive and will return to judge the world. Although he had never met a Christian or read the Bible — he had been taught that it was sinful to even touch the “corrupted” Christian Bible — he knew there were people who worshiped Jesus.
Desperate for the truth, Waleed delved deeper into the Quran and began questioning his fellow sheikhs. “I wanted to understand,” he said, “but they didn’t have an answer.” Soon, his queries began to cause rifts in the Islamic community, and Waleed feared for his safety as former friends threatened to kill him. “They started to hate me,” he said.
The tension finally erupted into violence as he was unexpectedly assaulted with stones in the street. But the attack from his fellow Muslims served only to drive him closer to Christ; after the attack, he prayed in the name of Jesus for the first time. “Jesus, if You are above and You see how I am, help me,” he prayed.
Having been rejected by his community, Waleed decided to head for someplace he thought for sure he could find Christians. He had heard the story of Philip baptizing an Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26–40) and knew the country had adopted Christianity as its state religion around the turn of the fourth century, so he made hasty arrangements and got on a plane to Ethiopia.
SEEKING THE CROSS
When Waleed arrived in Ethiopia, he wasn’t sure how to find someone who could answer his questions. He began by wandering the streets looking for a cross, assuming that was the best way to find a church. When he found a church, he walked in and said, “Teach me something about Christ.” But no one at the churches he visited offered any help. Instead of addressing his questions, they merely invited him to attend a Sunday service.
After three discouraging days of fruitless searching, Waleed decided to take a break and visit a movie theater. While talking with a man sitting next to him, he mentioned that he had come to Ethiopia to find a church but had not found anyone to answer his questions. In the middle of the movie, the man got up and led Waleed to a nearby church. “It didn’t have a cross, but was like a house,” Waleed said.
Unlike his encounters at other churches, this time the pastor explained repentance to him and connected him with a believer who would meet with him for the next three months. “He taught me about the sin nature and the new creation, how I need to be and how I was,” Waleed said.
When Waleed ran out of money three months later, he decided to return home, reconnect with his family after many years, and start a business. Those around him, however, quickly noticed differences in his behavior, such as his refusal to attend prayers with them. Waleed’s business partner eventually left him after realizing he was no longer a Muslim, and once again he was alone. Still longing for someone to discuss his faith with, he started praying about what to do next.
Unexpectedly, a relative in Europe called and offered to help Waleed move to a country in Africa. He eagerly took the opportunity to move and soon enrolled in a Bible correspondence course, surprising his pastor with his high grades. “He was praising God,” Waleed said.
After studying evangelism and discipleship, he joined the evangelism office at his church and focused on reaching Muslims with the gospel. His background as a sheikh and in-depth study of Islam proved invaluable, as he was able to gently point out to Muslims the flaws he saw in Islam. He shared his own inability to avoid sin even while living in the mosque and told them it was impossible to reach heaven without Jesus. Meanwhile, he continued to study and grow in knowledge of the Bible. “I know everything on the earth shall pass away, but [God’s] Word will never pass away,” he said. “I am learning, and I like to learn.”
FINDING REFUGE
Waleed soon began to meet others who had left Islam to follow Christ, including a woman named Yasmina whose ex-husband had abandoned and divorced her when she became a believer. Although he had never expected to marry, Waleed is grateful that Jesus gave him a wife in Yasmina. “I am much better doing ministry with my wife than I am without,” he said.
More than a decade after doctors told him he had only a short time to live, Waleed remains healthy and has undertaken a new ministry with his wife, working mostly with young adults. Many of the believers cannot tell their families they are following Jesus or even evaluating Islam’s teachings, so they secretly gather for fellowship on Sunday afternoons in someone’s backyard in a quiet neighborhood. They sit on cushions in the shade of a canopy, singing, praying and discussing the Bible. For many, it is the only time they can truly be themselves and openly discuss the questions burning in their hearts. And for those who have not yet come to know Christ, it is an opportunity to hear a clear explanation of the gospel.
The leaders of the group, who are also front-line workers supported by VOM, invite young people to live with them so they can study the Bible and grow in faith outside the oppressive environment of their Muslim families. They have also taken in girls who were rejected or threatened by their families after becoming followers of Christ.
Seeing a similar need for the men in their community, the group leaders proposed that Waleed and Yasmina open their home to young men seeking to follow Christ. They accepted, trading their roles as well-known evangelists and apologists for the role of caretaker for several young men. Every morning begins with devotions, and every evening ends with group prayer. The young men go to school or work during the day, but they come home to a sort of family, where they can openly discuss the Bible and receive discipleship training from Waleed. “When I came to Christ I lost … my position, my health, my job, my community, my family,” Waleed said. “But God gave me double now. I am so blessed.”
Although Waleed’s focus has shifted to working with young Christian converts, he hasn’t stopped sharing the gospel with other Muslims. “I believe I have a responsibility,” he said. “I remember the reason I am saved is to be His witness. I live for His glory, to witness His glory to unreached people.”
He recognizes, though, that his work is not without risk. He and Yasmina often receive threatening messages and are sometimes followed. “Muslims see you like the enemy,” Waleed said. “They want to kill you and believe if they kill you, they are serving their god.” More than once, they have had to move to a new house after becoming too well known in the neighborhood. “Of course we have problems,” he continued, “but we thank God. We have not been beaten, just hit and some words said to us or something like that.”
Even today, after many years in ministry, their existence remains tenuous; a Muslim family member has been threatening the couple recently. But despite ongoing obstacles and trials, Waleed has not lost sight of his primary purpose. “You know, life is very short,” he said. “The only thing we have to do is to share God’s power with our people, who are dying without Christ. We cannot see them and keep silent.”
Creamy Cucumber Salad
By Julia Levy
Recipe by MyRecipes
Cool, herbaceous, and refreshing, this creamy cucumber salad is the perfect accompaniment to any number of summer entrees, including barbecue pulled pork, grilled chicken, smoked brisket, and more. If you can’t find English cucumbers, simply use regular cukes, but peel them first.
Ingredients
- 1 pound English cucumber, cut into 1/8-in. thick slices (1 large cucumber)
- ¾ cup thinly sliced sweet onion (1 small onion)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Step 1 - Combine cucumber and onion in a colander set over a large bowl. Toss with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Let stand, tossing occasionally, until softened and liquid has drained out, about 1 hour. Pat vegetables dry with paper towels
Step 2 - Meanwhile, stir together sour cream, vinegar, dill, chives, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add cucumber and onion mixture; toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with pepper, dill, and chives.
Chef's Notes:The key to this salad’s deliciousness lies in salting and draining the cucumbers (step 1); you do not want to skip on it. If the the cucumbers aren’t left to release some of their liquid beforehand, all of that water will leech into the dilly sour cream dressing, making for a watery mess.
Chuckles
A magazine article said that the way to achieve inner peace is to FINISH tings I have started.
Today I finished four bags of potato chips, a cherry pie, and a small box of chocolate candy I feel better already!