The Business of Reconciliation

Around two thousand years ago in a small, unknown town called Bethlehem, in a country now known as Israel, Jesus was born to reconcile the world back to God. The bible says, "that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:19

Webster Dictionary gives a definition of to reconcile as "to restore to friendship or harmony." Humans have committed sins and turned away from God. We all have become the enemies of God, doing things that are hostile toward God. However, God doesn't hold grudges against us. He yearns to reconcile with us and forgive us. God reaches out to humankind in a special way. He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to pay for the penalties of our sins on the cross. God has forgiven us completely in Jesus Christ.

What a good news this is! ---that God doesn't count my sins against me. How kind and how sacrificing God is. I am sure a list of my sins is as long as a roll of paper in a cash register and much more. But God torn it apart and erased it. God forgives and forgets even though I don't deserve such a treatment. I have never seen a person so thoughtful, so forgiving as God!

I believe that God wants all human beings to get back to him, to have a close relationship with Him again. Through Jesus Christ, we can get back to the loving arms of God. Friendship with God is sweeter than anything I've known. Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Today Jesus is inviting all of us to go back to God.

Jesus is in the business of reconciliation. We witness his ministry of reconciliation at the cross. I am in awe of God's loving heart and his commitment toward mankind through Christ's sacrifices.

Merry Christmas to you all.

My Father's Gift

It was not even my birthday. We were in a department store right in the middle of Bangkok. My dad told me to pick out a new expensive brand name handbag---the one that I especially liked, the one that was in trend and the kind that all the girls in the university carried around. I was very touched by my dad's kindness. I will never forget my dad's love toward me.

When I was growing up, my dad supported me to learn foreign languages (English and French). He would pay for my extra lessons and tutoring schools. I remember one time I needed to take a special exam and we didn't have much money. I told my dad about my need (for that money) in the evening. In the early morning, when I got up, I saw the money my dad had left for me on the stairs. Later in my life, my dad paid for my entire graduate school tuition fees and expenses. I didn't have to pay a cent or take out a loan like my friends did.

My dad instilled in me the love to learn new things and to work hard. This is his philosophy. He often taught me to give my best shot at work---to go beyond my employers' expectations. He said if there is a situation and they had to let some employees go, I should be the last person whom they thought about laying off because of all my hard work and contributions that I did for the organization. I don't know if I ever worked that hard but my dad lived what he preached every day in his life.

I am blessed to have a wonderful earthly father and a Heavenly Father who love me and give wonderful gifts to me. Just like my earthly father, God listens attentively to my prayers and needs. He sacrifices everything He has for me. The best gift that he gave is His salvation in a form of a baby wrapped in clothes lying in the manger. This gift, I reached out my hands and claimed it for myself. Jesus Christ is God's best gift to the whole world. How kind and thoughtful God is.

Happy Father's Day (Thailand)!!!

I Dared to Call Him Father: a Startling Book with Inspiring Messages

It started with a cold, strange presence that floated like a mist over her garden. The presence that came with darkness and the persistent sickness of her grandson. Bilquis Sheikh, a prominent, upper class woman in a quaint unknown town of Pakistan, had been a Muslim all her life until that one important day when she secretly asked her servant to find her a Bible. Not only Bibles are rare, in a Muslim-dominated country where everything Christian is opposed and punished, Bilquis was just asking for trouble. When she finally acquired the Bible, these verses sprang into her eyes:
"For Christ means the end of the struggle for righteousness by-the-Law for everyone who believe in him." (Romans 10:4) Startled by what she read, she continued on to the following verse:
"For the secret is very near you, in your own heart, in your own mouth...If you openly admit by your own mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and if you believe in your own heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

God revealed Himself further to convince Bilquis of his love for her. In a vivid dream one night, Bilquis found herself having supper with a man whom she knew to be Jesus (From the Quran, Muslims know Jesus as a prophet). In that dream, Jesus sat across from the table from her. With peace and joy, they had dinner together. Bilquis's life was changed upside down by that encounter. She started to delve into God's Living Word and make friend with missionaries. She found herself having more joy, more peace, more love to people around her, including her servants. She forgave her husband who left her for another woman. Ultimately, she decided to give her life to Christ. Bilquis traveled across the globe to tell the world about her Savior.

I want to recommend I Dared to Call Him Father: the Miraculous Story of a Muslim Woman's Encounter with God to anyone who are seeking truth. This inspiring book is a page-turner and gives you a glimpse of how oppressed Christians in a Muslim country are. Professing to be Christians, they are facing death threats, ostracization from families and friends, brutal attacks, and murders on a daily basis. It is an amazing book that shows us that God is the Pursuer who reaches out with his love to people who don't even know him. He is the God who embraces us with his comforting arms. The life story of Bilquis reminds me of Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Like Bilquis, I would like to thank my God for changing my life several years ago.

Thank you, Lord, for reaching out to me as a Buddhist and a sinner who did not know you and for dying on the cross for my sins. I am eternally grateful to you. Amen.

Precious in His Sight

Thousands of years ago, a psalmist penned these beautiful verses for us to ponder upon, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Regardless of whether you are a Christian or not, I believe that you have noticed this truth about yourself. You are significantly different from your friends, even your siblings. You look, act, and think differently than they do. Your abilities, talents, and interests are unlike theirs.

That's because God creates each person as a unique human being. Each life belongs to God and is precious to Him. You are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Sadly, I observe that when pregnant women make up their mind to abort their babies, they usually come up with these four common reasons to justify their action.

1. This is not a human being. It's just a tissue or blood clot. Furthurmore, it is their (women's)choice to do whatever they want with their body.

2. The pregnancy will prevent them from having a good future. It is an obstacle for their education and career. That is why they call it a "(pregnancy) crisis" instead of a blessing.

3. They need to go through abortion because they don't have financial abilities to raise a baby.

4. They are not married. The baby born out of wedlock embarrasses them and their families. This is usually a reason women from Asian countries and cultures have for abortion.

Over decades, Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry keep bombarding us with one lie after another. They never tell us that through abortion, women are taking another person's life. Killing an unborn child is wrong regardless of circumstances. Like all of us, the babies have the capacity to feel pain when their skulls are clamped and their bodies are shred to pieces. The heartbeat of a baby starts on the 18th day after conception. Listening to Planned Parenthood's propaganda, women never know that there is an alternative to abortion, which is adoption.

As a country, do you see our hands splattered with blood when you look into these staggering numbers? One million abortions happen in the US. every year. In 1996, 1.37 million babies died from abortion. To me, the graveyard of unborn children is as big as the Pacific Oceans.

We need to embrace and cultivate a culture of life in this country and around the world. Ironically, I have friends who told me that they are against the ongoing wars, and they support a presidential candidate who will withdraw our troops from Iraq. They hate to see innocent lives die in these horrible wars. What I don't understand is that the same people who told me this turned around and voted for a candidate who strongly supports the murder of unborn children through abortion.

Jesus said "you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free." It is time for women to know the truth and stand up against the genocide of innocent lives.

Strong Tower

www.freefoto.com

I'm reading Psalms this week, and every time I read these soothing words, I find comfort in knowing that God is sovereign. In a time of trouble and crisis, King David cried out to God and he depended on Him for his safety. So many times in the psalms, David referred to God as his "rock," "refuge," and "a strong fortress." I believe David was in danger and in battles so many times more than one could count. He certainly knew who to turn to and who to trust.

At present, we are facing an economic crisis, jobs reduction, and probably a recession. We live in an uncertain time of terrorism and wars. We are nervous about who will be our next president---will this person lead America to greatness or destruction? Will he hold and support our dear values and preserve them? In a time like this, we need to pray and ask for God's leading. Like King David, as God's people, we need God's shield and guidance.

I'm including Psalms 27 and 28 here because they are so relevant to us.

The Lord is my light and my salvation
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear

Psalm 28 says:

Praise be to the Lord,
for he has heard me cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.

One of my favorite songs from a Christian rock band, Newsboys, is called "Strong Tower." It really gives me a clear picture of God as our Great Protector, whom we can trust in time of need. It is such an inspiring song. I keep it playing in my CD player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRvQGYnMjBk

Have a blessed week!

Top Ten Lies Satan Uses to Mislead Thai People about God (Part 2)

Lie Number Six: The Bible is just a book written by humans. When I was a university student in Thailand, there were missionaries visiting our campus. They showed me some verses from their Bibles. I thought this in my heart. How dare you quote from the Bible? The Bible is just a book written by men! However, later in my life, after I studied the Bible and its amazing history, I found out that The Bible is God-inspired (2 Timothy 3:16). Written over fifteen hundred years, by forty different authors, at different places, under various circumstances, the Bible has one main theme: God's redemption of man and all of creation. Jesus confirmed this truth by saying, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." (Luke 21:33).

Lie Number Seven: We CAN go to Heaven by ourselves. Satan keeps telling us, "It's ok. We don't need God. We can go to Heaven by our own good deeds." We then think that we are good enough. Why not? We did not kill anybody. We have good jobs. We have a good education. We are respected by our families, our friends, etc. We sometimes give money to charities. We even love animals and pets. However, this is a great lie aimed to destroy us. The truth is we are all sinners. For God, our 'good' deeds are like dirty rags. The Bible says, "all have sinned and continue to fall short of God's glory." (Romans 3:23) And there is none righteous, not even one." (v.10) We all need the Savior's blood to cleanse our sins.

Lie Number Eight: All religions are equally 'good'. They all teach people to be good citizens. I heard this lie so many times hurled at me from Satan. The truth is all religions are NOT equally good. Some led people to commit violence, murder, terrorism, adultery, having many wives, and etc. Some divided people into many classes, resulting in poverty and discrimination. Most of them give rules and regulations that no one can keep! Jesus says this about Himself, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

Lie Number Nine: Keep busy with religious duties. The deeds that you have done will help/save you. Satan keeps telling us to be busy with religious duties or mindless ceremonies. "If you are a Christian," Satan says, "you will not be able to perform these traditional ceremonies that you are so used to." The truth is that ceremonies and religious deeds can not save you. Only Jesus can save you. The Bible says, "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14:12)

Lie Number Ten: God doesn't love you nor does He cares about you. This is a lie that Satan has used with Adam and Eve since the Garden of Eden. Don't let him use this with you. The Good News is God loves you and He says this several times throughout the Bible:
"I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3)
God is love (1 John 4:16)
Jesus said, "as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you" (John 15:9)
Nothing will ever separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35)
Ultimately, Jesus sacrificed His own life for you on the cross to demonstrate His love for you (John 15:13)

Top Ten Lies Satan Uses to Mislead Thai People about God (Part 1)

As I continued to be a witness for Jesus to Thai friends, my family, and whoever I encountered in my daily life, I observed that Satan often uses these same old lies to confuse Thai people about Christianity. The Bible says that Satan is cunning and full of schemes (Genesis 3:1). I would like to share his devious schemes with all of you so that you will be aware of his plan to destroy mankind. The main reason he wants to spew out these lies is that he did not want you to believe in God. But God is the most wonderful, the most loving, and the sweetest Person you will ever meet. If you never know God personally in your life, you miss out knowing your best friend who loves you and who is dependable and trustworthy. God wants to know you and receives you into His arms. Don't let these lies obstructing you from knowing your Creator and your Father in heaven.

Lie Number One: Christianity is a foreign (western) religion. Christianity is only for American people with blond hair and blue eyes. This is the most outrageous lie. God is the God of all creation. The Bible says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1). And God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26). That's right! God created all of us, whether we are Thais, Americans, Jews, Chinese, Europeans, etc.

Lie Number Two: God does not exist. There is no God. Satan uses this tactic very often to confuse people. If you look around you, you will see that the beautiful, complicated world that we live in testifies that there is a Creator. God says, "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me." (Isaiah 46:9) And "I am he; I am the first and I am the last. My own hand laid the foundations of the earth." (Isaiah 48: 12-13)

Lie Number Three: There is no hell. Hell is something that religious people invented to scare other people. But the truth is there is, in fact, Hell. The word "hell" is used at least 54 times in the Bible. Even in Thai and other cultures, there are some references about a place called Hell. The description of hell from the Bible is gruesome. It says, "they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:42) "It (the fire) will not be quenched night and day; its smoke will rise forever." (Isaiah 34:10)

Lie Number Four: When people die, they will go into a state of nothingness or they will be reincarnated as animals or humans. When I was not a Christian, Satan sold me this lie and I believed that after I died, I would come back as another person. But the Bible made it clear that God made us a unique individual and we live only once. The Bible tells us,"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)

Lie Number Five: Jesus is only a mortal man, just like any other religious leaders. This lie is used a lot with Thai people to dissuade us from believing in the divinity of Jesus. I myself used to think that Jesus was just a human. However, after I read the Bible and put Christianity under close scrutiny, I found out that Jesus is unique. Jesus is God incarnated. Jesus performed supernatural miracles that no one else can do. "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, ..." (Matthew 11:5) The most amazing miracle is Jesus' own resurrection. After being crucified, on the third day, Jesus was raised from death and came back to life.

Wow, do you think a human being can do that? Of course, not! The good news is Jesus is God. He is the Savior of the world who loves you and who cares about you. Don't believe in Satan's lies and miss out His good news.

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Five more lies ---to be continued in Part 2

Nam Prik Ong: Comfort food from My Mom's Kitchen

Whenever I think about my mom, I think about her tasty Northern Thai food. One of my favorite childhood dishes is called 'Nam Prik Ong,' a minced pork dish mixed with tomatoes and aromatic spices. My mom was born in a small province of Northern Thailand and she inherited her cooking talents from my grandmom, who also learned how to prepare this exceptional ethnic cuisine from her mother. When I was young, I enjoyed visiting a village where my grandmom lived. I remembered her spacious home was always filled with a tantalizing aroma of spices and herbs. Her big family, including my uncles and aunts and their families, ate together, and it was fun to listen to their lively conversation.

At home, my mom often cooked an unusally large amount of food for three of us children. She would get up in the early morning and hopped on a bus to the market. On her way back, she usually hired a tuk tuk (a popular three-wheeled vehicle in Thailand) since a tuk tuk had more space for several bags of ingredients that she bought from the market. The tuk tuk driver would ask her, "Did you buy all this for your food shop?" He thought that she owned a restaurant because she bought so much food! My mom would reply with a smile, "No, this is just for my family." The tuk tuk driver would sometimes have to help my mom carry her heavy bags down from his vehicle.

I like Nam Prik Ong because it combines spicy, salty, sweet, and sour flavors in a perfect union. The fragrant smell of Nam Prik Ong comes from dried chillies, garlic, shallots (Asian small red onions), galangal, and sweet tomatoes. Nam Prik Ong is often served with a variety of steamed vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, and long green beans. It is also served with sliced fresh cucumber. You will get plenty of vitamin A from carrot. Cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumber are excellent sources of vitamin C.

Since I couldn't find 'Nam Prik Ong' in any Thai restaurants in the US., I cooked this dish by myself at home. I thought of my mom as I blended garlic, shallots, juicy tomatoes, and pork in a hot wok. To give a final touch to the dish, I garnished it with fresh cilantro sprigs that contrasted with the vibrant red color from tomatoes. I am not as a good cook as my mom but the result of my experiment was fantastic. Together with a scoop of steamed jasmine rice and a glass of Thai iced tea made this a perfect dinner that reminded me of my mom's love and her unique heritage.

For delicious Nam Prik Ong's recipe, click here.

God of this City

My friend forwarded me an e-mail from Thailand that is so encouraging that I need to share. It is about a song from a Christian rock band named Bluetree from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The song is called God of this City. This amazing song was written in Pattaya, Thailand.

When you listen to this song, you will feel the power of God surrounding you and experience true worship. Why? The inspiration behind the song is awesome. In November of 2007, Bluetree was invited to play at "Pattaya Praise," an event organized by a missionary group from Belfast. The band did not know anything about Pattaya when they arrived. But Pattaya is a popular beach city in Thailand where prostitution thrives and where Western tourists go to enjoy drinks, dances, and scantily-dressed bar girls in nightclubs. So, needless to say, the band was shocked, depressed, and disgusted to see this horrible, dark place. I know their feelings, I was in Pattaya about five years ago and experienced the same depression. I saw young Thai prostitutes everywhere hanging out with foreigners. For a Christian, it is hell on earth.

The turning point came when a nightclub owner heard about the band and invited them to play at his nightclub! The band (with a heart to serve God) accepted this guy's invitation and courageously went to the nightclub and played worship songs there. In the middle of people drinking and dancing, God inspired them to sing God of this City on stage. The Holy Spirit was with them and poured upon them. So the song came out and they kept singing and playing all night. The lyrics of this song say it all. Despite horrible things that happen in Pattaya, God is above it all. He has a plan for Pattaya and He will help its people. Hallelujah. The band said God is the God of all cities, including where you live. There will be a big change. God's people are making a difference in the world. The gospel will be preached. Lives will be touched.

God can turn the ugliest thing around and transform it to be the most beautiful thing. From the darkest place on earth, God's light shines through. Jesus said, "Behold, I am making all things new." (Revelation 21:5) He is making all things new, indeed.

To listen to God of this City (Chris Tomlin's version), click here .

It is (NOT) Hard to Say I'm Sorry

Have you ever had a song played in your head and its crazy tunes stuck in your brain forever? When I was young, I heard this popular song, Hard to Say I'm sorry, from Chicago repeatedly from our radio. Before I knew it, I started to sing along at the top of my lungs. It was about a guy whose girlfriend was leaving him. This poor man found out that he couldn't live without her but at the same time it was hard for him to say he was sorry for what he had done to her.

Often in our Christian life, we hurt somebody, act inappropriately, or judge wrongly. We do not exactly live in God's will, but we are too proud or too ashamed to say that we are sorry about what we've done. However, the bible is all about being humble and repenting of your sins. Saying that you are sorry to God and to your friends and turning your life around are noble characteristics of a Christian. It is an act that pleases God. The bible says in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I know that repentance is not a popular topic to discuss among Christians. Most Christians tend to think that repentance is only for non-believers, and as for them, it's a one time thing that took place when they received Christ. But repenting should be our state of mind, something that we practice daily as long as we live on this earth. Peter says this so eloquently in 1 Peter 5:5, "clothe yourselves with humility toward one another." James teaches us to"confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed" (James 5:16).

Did you hurt somebody that you love? Did a loving Christian brother or sister try to tell you to change something that is wrong in your life but you came up with long excuses? Did you take feedback well from your family or from your pastor? Today, instead of trying to defend yourself, listen to what they say, turn around, and say to them, "I'm sorry. You are right and I'm wrong. Will you forgive me?" I believe that you will build a better, stronger relationship when you say you are sorry.

Friend For Life

I have the most wonderful friend in the whole world. I believe what I am today and what I have become is the result of the friendship that I shared with my friend, Tan, when we were in college back in Thailand.

I remember when I first knew her, my world was brightened. Suddenly, classes were not that boring and I had the new motivation to show up and learn. At that time, my self esteem was pretty low. I was about two years younger than my classmates and the university I attended was one of the best in Thailand. I was thrown into a sea of the brightest and the coolest students who did not know me and probably did not care to know about me. I was afraid; in fact, I was frightened. But, oh, how Tan's presence brought me comfort. After class, we shared precious time eating delicious supper in the school's cafeteria, which was near a soothing river. We dug our heads into old, dusty books and made a corner of the library our home. We had a great adventure taking trips outside Bangkok together. Tan is an adventurous type, and I couldn't resist her. The moment that I will never forget is when a male classmate teased me and mocked at my leg (I contracted a polio virus when I was two and it weakened my left leg and made me walk with a slight limp). I was deeply upset. Tan was there at a bus stop to comfort me and cheer me up. She even tried to take the same bus with me even though her home was on the other side of Bangkok.

There was time that I doubted her loyalty to me. We had an argument, and I hurt her feelings. But Tan always forgave me. Not only that, she always encouraged me to write, to pursue my dream of being a writer. I kept on writing today because of her.

After college, career and a busy life separated us, but we continue bonding through long-distance phone calls and e-mails. Still like in the old days, Tan listened to my thoughts, my dreams, my goals, and sometimes my frustration with great patience. She came up with positive feedback with a good sense of humor.

I believe God gave me a good friend like Tan to laugh with, to cry with, and to bring me through difficult time. I am not sure I would ever graduate from college if it hadn't been for her encouragement. The bible is right. 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 says, "love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." I have learned the meaning of love and true friendship from my sweet friend who shares her life with me.

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To read Tan's musings on life, nature, Thai food, cultures, and different perspectives, visit her unique blog, The Intercultural Life.

The Gentlemanly Savior

In my life, I have never met anyone who is as kind as Jesus Christ. Jesus' kindness amazed me and radically changed me. I remember seven years ago when I perused my newly purchased bible with great curiosity, trying to find out who Jesus Christ really was. I was alone in the quiet apartment in one late afternoon. Kneeling down on the floor, I kept reading the bible until I came across this scene about the arrest of Jesus on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:47-51). On that important day, a band of armed soldiers came to arrest Jesus. One of Jesus' followers stepped forward and struck the servant of the High Priest with a sword. It must have been a gruesome sight with blood dripping, the cry of that servant, the pain, and the shock. I imagined everyone present expected the worst to happen. Maybe an ugly fight that left many dead. However, with His great mercy and kindness, Jesus simply said, "No more of this!" And He touched the man ear and healed him.

Can you imagine healing your enemy who is trying to murder you? Have you ever seen anyone so forgiving and kind? Later, Jesus was badly tortured, whipped, and scorched. The soldiers crucified Him on the cross and mocked Him with rude insults. But Jesus prayed for them and said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."

I knew a Thai pastor whose life was touched by what Jesus said on the cross in Luke 23:34 and consequently prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior. The pastor said that if anyone could forgive this much, He must be God! Well, after I read and reread the bible, I did the same thing. I cried out to Jesus, "Lord, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you are God." I repented of my sins and invited Jesus into my life. Things have never been the same since!

Jesus is so kind and so polite. He is the gentlemanly Savior. Read about Him and find out by yourself what kind of person He is. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20). He is waiting to come into your heart and be your friend. Will you open the door and let Him in?

Our Body in Orissa

Not many Christians in America know about the vicious violence against their brothers and sisters in Christ that broke out in Orissa, India in August. But the magnitude of their sufferings is horrific. As of today, hundreds of Christian homes and churches have been demolished or burned to the ground, and estimates put the total number of Christians murdered near 50. Close to 20,000 Christians are living in unsafe refugee camps and more are hiding in jungles.

As the killings spread out to nearby states, little has been done by the Indian government (local and State) to improve the situation. I am wondering if and when our major media will pick up this news and report it as they are supposed to? Since Christian persecution has never been their forte, the answer might be "never." However, we, as Christians, can do a lot for our own body. The Bible says that the body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body (1 Corinthians 12:12).

During my prayer time this morning, my eyes laid upon this scripture in 2 Timothy 3, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." Do you know that those believers in India live righteously and follow Jesus boldly even if it cost them their lives? That's why the Hindu extremists are filled with jealousy and hate towards them. The Hindus murdered our brothers in the most gruesome ways. They set fire to homes when Christians were inside. They ordered them not to return home unless they converted back to Hinduism and paid a huge fine to perform a conversion ceremony. One elderly man was forced to burn his own Bible in front of everyone. The Hindu mobs demanded that pastors and Christians stop converting local people and slaughtering cows because cows are considered sacred in Hinduism. A young woman who tried to stop the mob from attacking children in an orphanage was thrown alive into a burning building.

What will you do if parts of your body are set on fire? I don't believe you would just sit and let your whole body burn. I also believe that the Church needs to step up and help their family in a crisis like this. Paul wrote to the Romans and gave this instruction, "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love." And "Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn."

You can easily do what Apostle Paul did by devoting yourself to the body of Christ now! Prayer is our first weapon as Christians. Pray fervently that the Lord will protect and comfort Christians who are suffering in India. Pray that despite the horrid situation, the number of believers in India would grow. You can also send your financial help to Christian organizations to help rebuild homes, orphanages, and churches that were destroyed. Write to the media to inform them of this situation and request that the crisis be immediately reported to the world. Lastly, you can contact Indian government officials to ask for protection of Christians in Orissa and request that the Christians are treated fairly.

For more information and an update on Orissa Christians, please check International Christian Concern and Gospel for Asia websites.

This article appears on International Christian Concern's Blog.

The Hope of the World

Mutita was young and beautiful, coming from an exceptionally well-to-do family. She attended the most prestigious university in the country and graduated with honors. In college, she was popular and was called a "star." Later, she lectured at a famous university. She had all the things that the world sought and honored: good look, health, wealth, education, and a promising career. But what really happened to this young lady? On March 21, 2008, Mutita's story appeared on the front page of every newspaper in Thailand. She committed suicide by jumping from the tenth floor of a parking lot building. The police later found her dead body with a diary describing her depression and hurt from a broken relationship with her boyfriend.

According to Asia Times, this state of hopelessness was not uncommon among the youth of Asia. In 1998, 32,863 Japanese committed suicide, which was a huge 35 percent rise over the year before. What they lacked were not material things that the world offered. They did not have hope, joy, and peace that could only come from God.

Before I was a Christian, there were times that I opened my eyes in the morning and wondered what the meaning of getting up and keeping on going. There was no hope of living. My existence was as meaningless as a fly on the wall. After I knew the Lord personally, He transformed me. I have changed and I have hope, not only hope in heaven, but also hope while living on earth!

Jesus said that He is the light of this world and everyone who follows Him will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life (John 8:12). Jesus is the world's only hope. He is the Hope of this hopeless world. When you open your heart to Jesus and receive Him as your Savior, He will give you peace and hope that transcend all understanding. No matter how big your house is, no matter how much money you have in your bank account, or how high your education is, you will not find true peace in your heart until you know Him.

Love is an Action Word

People often asked me why did I become a Christian. Well, the answer is easy. I know that God loves me and I love God deeply. He is everything for me and vice versa. Jesus said, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you." (John 15:9) But God did not only say these words to be impressive. He demonstrated His love to me by sacrificing His own life on the cross. I know that His love for me is real because of his action.

When I was young, my mother took care of all of us kids by washing our dirty clothes. At that time, we did not have the convenience of a washing machine like today. Every evening after school, I would see my mom sitting in front of soapy bowls, scrubbing our clothes by hands. Another time, we did not have enough food or money in our house. I remembered we only had an apple in an empty refrigerator. My mom let me eat that apple, while I knew that she was also equally hungry.

Those were touching experiences that I will never forget. My mom often told me that she loved me but those actions in the past imprinted in my mind more than her words. Her sacrifices demonstrated her deep love for me over the years.

God's love is unconditional, personal, and unfailing. For God, love is not only composed of empty words. God took action by reaching out to us and sacrificing everything for us, even His own life. I would like to invite anyone who hasn't known God personally to open his heart to Him. He is an action-taking God who will not fail you.

Kha Nom Jeen and Cheese Pizza

Yesterday, while I was driving back home from work, I was pretty hungry. All day long, I had been running around, taking care of people at the library with light snacks in my stomach. While I was thinking about what I would have for dinner, my friend called me on my cell phone. She invited me to eat Kha Nom Jeen at her house. My friend is an unparalleled cook of Thai delicacies and her authentic Thai dishes are, well, delicious! For those of you who don't know what Kha Nom Jeen is, it is a typical Thai dish of rice noodles topped with aromatic spicy chicken or fish gravy. It's one of my favorite dishes! I immediately drove to her home and had dinner with her lovely family. Before I left my friend's place, she packed me some more Kha Nom Jeen in a ceramic pot and I was rejoicing in my midnight snack!

I called my husband, who was still at work. He told me that before he left home, he was so busy that he grabbed only a small bag of chips for his dinner. For other days, he usually brought a sandwich and other foods to go with it. Miraculously, that evening, a customer ordered many kinds of pizza and gave them to the staff. My husband ate the cheese pizza and enjoyed it. We marveled at this blessing as we thanked God for His wonderful provisions.

Do you remember when Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish(Matthew 14: 13-21)? God is the constant Provider who takes care of our needs. He is lovely and awesome. He even knows exactly what we like to eat! Two thousand years ago, Jesus treated the Israelis with bread and fish. Yesterday, He treated us with a nice delicious dish of Kha Nom Jeen and cheese pizza.

"I Am The Way"

I still remember my nerve-racking adventure in Washington, D.C. as if it was yesterday. There I was, first time in the capital city, with a set of keys fresh from a car rental office, and the name and the address of where I was to attend a meeting. I knew what highways I would take but unfortunately, I did not have a map of Washington, D.C. With sweaty palms turning the wheel, I started to pray that the Lord would lead me to His people so that I could accomplish what I was there for. The meeting was set up by a Christian organization for its volunteers and it had started in the morning even before my plane arrived. I did not want to get lost in the big city and missed out the whole thing.

True to His promise that He would take care of me, God steered me to the right direction and I found the church where the meeting was conducted. It did not take me long at all. I had to make turn after turn and covered a long distance but I finally arrived safely at my destination.

In our life, God is the One who leads us. He is the Only Way that will lead you to your home in heaven safely. Even though you are now faced with great difficulties and it seems like you can't go on anymore, God is always with you and He is in control. Obstacles and problems might look like dead end streets and you might have to take several turns. But God will do exactly what He promised. He will lead you home because He is the faithful and almighty God.