Tim Challies

Weekend A La Carte (March 2)

I’m so grateful to Help The Persecuted for sponsoring the blog this week. They “invite you to join their prayer network and commit to praying weekly for the specific needs of persecuted Christians as well as for the growth of the Church in the Islamic World.”
I added a lot of Kindle deals yesterday and have a few more to add today. Highlights include Collin Hansen’s biography of Tim Keller.
Logos users will want to take part in the annual March Matchups competition that will lead to lots of great discounts. You’ll also want to look at this month’s free and nearly-free books as well as the monthly sale.

“We often portray an image of ourselves that does not accurately capture the essence of who we really are. When we look honestly, we’ll see that we’re frequently fake, inauthentic, and hypocritical. We go through life accepting all kinds of praise for things perceived as virtuous when we know, deep down, that we undertook those actions from selfish motives.”

This article lays out nine healthy ways we can respond to criticism.

Samuel James considers the idea that perhaps Evangelicals are too hard on men.

This is a really interesting look at the state of dispensationalism today. I especially appreciate the distinction between scholarly dispensationalism and pop dispensationalism.

This article from Kuza addresses that lingering feeling many Christians carry that God is constantly disappointed in them.

“I am hardly alone in my loneliness. About one in four adults across the world suffers from a similar hunger. Bankrupt of any long-term solutions, the world suggests increased human interactions to alleviate the suffering. But for all our digital connectedness, the loneliness epidemic persists and grows.”

I recently read (and highly recommend!) J.R. Miller’s short work A Gentle Heart, and in that book I came across this convicting passage which reminds us of the source and model of our gentleness.

The way of Jesus is not a trouble-free existence—far from it. But Jesus does promise that, in giving ourselves away, we will truly find ourselves.
—Glen Scrivener

Free Stuff Fridays (Help The Persecuted)

This weeks giveaway is sponsored by Help The Persecuted.
Help The Persecuted rescues, restores, and rebuilds the lives of persecuted believers in the Islamic World through spiritual support and tangible help. Every week, they send out an email with specific, real-time prayer requests of persecuted believers to their global Prayer Network.
You can join the Prayer Network using the form below! As a thank you, you will be entered to win a giveaway consisting of several books loved by the Help The Persecuted team, items made my persecuted believers in Lebanon and Iran, and a Help The Persecuted hat!
Included in the giveaway are:
Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri
A winner of multiple awards, Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story), recounts the early years of the author’s life in Iran, the saga of religious persecution his family faced when his mother converted to Christianity, and his time as a refugee in Italy and then asylum in the United States. The book, written for young adults but compelling to all ages, is both heartbreaking and funny, and it highlights the worthiness of Christ even when one loses everything to follow Him.
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
Nabeel Qureshi grew up in a devout Muslim family. Well-versed in Islam apologetics, he frequently challenged his Christian friends. When one of them casually suggested they read the Bible together, Nabeel was happy to do so to prove the superiority of Islam. However, he ended up falling in love with Jesus Christ! His story highlights the intense inner struggle of a committed Muslim to seek the truth at all costs and the immense emotional weight of converting to Christianity.
A cross and tote bag made by persecuted believers
One of the cornerstones of Help The Persecuted is helping persecuted believers achieve sustainable economic independence after losing everything for the sake of Jesus. One of the ways we do this is by working with believers to create their own business plans and providing seed funding. In the giveaway, we will include a small cross carved from olive wood in Lebanon and a tote bag sewn together by persecuted women in Iran—each representing a business that is helping persecuted believers lead lives of dignity!
A Help The Persecuted hat
To round out the giveaway, we will include a Help The Persecuted ballcap!

Thank you for joining the Help The Persecuted Prayer Network!

A La Carte (March 1)

The first day of a new month is always a great time to pause to remind yourself of this: Right now, at this very moment, God is reigning from his throne. All is well.
A new month always brings new Kindle deals and I’ll do my best to have an updated list in the early morning.
If you want to begin the new month with some reading, Westminster Books has you covered. They’re offering a deal on Defeating Evil and several other titles about that tricky issue of the existence of evil.
(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for February 2024)

Trevin Wax looks at some interesting evidence that there may be some rumblings of revival among Gen Z. “Today, I wonder if we’re seeing the beginning of a revival among Gen Z, particularly those in college. As I survey the landscape, I see signs of hope and renewal that strike me as unexpected and remarkable.”

Here’s an explanation of why pastors may benefit from inviting specific people to evaluate their preaching.

Jacob lays out the challenge of Christian contentment. “We think that contentment is gained by adding to what we have. But the Christian seeks contentment, not by addition, but rather by subtraction.”

“Anger has been flaring up everywhere lately. It pervades modern life, ready to erupt any moment like popcorn five minutes deep in hot oil. And it is not just spilling out over world events or relational conflicts but also seemingly minor things. I see it in impatient drivers, eye-rolling store clerks, and people arguing online. Sometimes, when I see these behaviors, I realize I am looking in a mirror.”

“There was nothing unusual about the night. I was leaning against the doorframe to the bedroom they all currently share, Bible open in my hands. The lamp was turned off in their room to help them settle down and I was relying on the hallway light for my reading. The plan was simple as always. Read a little bit, discuss a little bit, sing a song or two together, pray, give kisses and hugs goodnight, and finally, navigate multiple attempts to get out of bed again for various and sundry reasons. It was a typical night, not the kind of time I would have predicted for the conviction of the Spirit to fall.”

I enjoyed this somewhat (but only somewhat) tongue-in-cheek guide for Americans who are traveling to the UK. “Magnanimous character that I am, I thought I’d help out our American friends—teach them a lesson or two about how things work outside the land of the free, and more specifically in the bog-ridden ‘tiny island across the sea’ that is Great Britain.”

When Americans were first battling to secure the right to abortion, many Christians offered a solemn warning: To devalue life in the womb is to devalue life everywhere… Never has this been so clearly seen as in the scandal of Kermit Gosnell.

The power of a temptation is in its falsehood. Every temptation is leveraged on a lie. Every time. Always. Without exception. Temptation is a sales pitch begging you to buy into a misperception of reality.
—John Kitchen

New and Notable Christian Books for February 2024

February is typically a solid month for book releases, and this February was no exception. As the month drew to its close, I sorted through the many (many!) books that came my way this month and arrived at this list of new and notables. In each case, I’ve provided the editorial description to give you a sense of what it’s all about. I hope there’s something here that’s of interest to you!

Delighting in the Old Testament: Through Christ and for Christ by Jason S. Derouchie. “The Old Testament makes up the majority of the Christian Bible, yet incorrect teaching of its texts abounds in the church. Without effectively studying these stories, covenants, and kingdoms within their close, continuing, and complete biblical contexts, believers miss the beauty of the Old Testament, including how it points to Jesus, and why it still matters today. Jason DeRouchie helps Christians delight in the books of the Old Testament and read them the way God intended–as relevant parts of Christian Scripture. This accessible guide stresses the need to keep Christ at the center and to account for the progress of salvation history when applying the Old Testament today. It helps Christians interpret the Old Testament, see how it testifies to Jesus, believe that Jesus secured every divine promise, and understand how Jesus makes Moses’s law still matter. By more strongly comprehending Old Testament teachings and how they relate to the New, Christians will better enjoy the Old Testament itself and increasingly understand all that Jesus came to fulfill.” (Buy it at Amazon)

Are We Living in the Last Days?: Four Views of the Hope We Share about Revelation and Christ’s Return by Bryan Chapell. “Will Jesus’s return be preceded by a single world government? Will every person have a government-issued ID or mark? Does Christ return once or twice? Will believers go through a Great Tribulation? Will there be a literal battle of Armageddon? Does it even matter what we believe about future events? Biblical prophecies about the end times have confused, confounded, and even divided God’s people for centuries. But the reason Scripture gives us hints about the future is to provide the encouragement we need to endure the present, confident that God keeps his promises. In this balanced look at four major views of the end times, bestselling author Bryan Chapell explains the primary ways Christians have interpreted biblical prophecy about the last days, not so that we might pick a hill to die on but so that we can cling to what unites us in Christ. No matter what end times view we find most compelling, in God’s plans we can find strength for today and hope for tomorrow.” (Buy it at Amazon)

Empowered Witness: Politics, Culture, and the Spiritual Mission of the Church by Alan D. Strange. “The goal of the church should be simple–share the gospel to the ends of the earth. But in our highly politicized age, Christians can tend to place earthly political and social agendas over God’s spiritual mission of the church. In Empowered Witness, author Alan D. Strange examines the doctrine of the spirituality of the church, making a clear distinction between the functions of the church and other institutions. Strange argues that if the church continues to push political agendas, no institution will be focused solely on the Great Commission and the gospel will be lost entirely. This book calls readers to become aware of the church’s power and limits and shed light on moral issues in a way that doesn’t alter the deeply spiritual and gospel-centered mission of the church.” (Buy it at Amazon)

Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity by Carl Trueman. “Historic statements of faith–such as the Heidelberg Catechism, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Westminster Confession of Faith–have helped the Christian church articulate and adhere to God’s truth for centuries. However, many modern evangelicals reject these historic documents and the practices of catechesis, proclaiming their commitment to “no creed but the Bible.” And yet, in today’s rapidly changing culture, ancient liturgical tradition is not only biblical–it’s essential. In Crisis of Confidence, Carl Trueman analyzes how creeds and confessions can help the Christian church navigate modern concerns, particularly around the fraught issue of identity. He contends that statements of faith promote humility, moral structure, and a godly view of personhood, helping believers maintain a strong foundation amid a culture in crisis. This is a revised edition of Trueman’s The Creedal Imperative, now with a new section on the rise of expressive individualism.” (Buy it at Amazon)

Pastoral Perseverance: Helping Pastors Stay, Endure, and Thrive by Brian Croft & James Carroll. “The call to ministry is a call to lay down your life for others. It seems we have reached an unprecedented time of burnout and depression among pastors. These men often dedicate their lives to shepherding congregations without anyone who will care for them. Pastoral Perseverance could not have come at a more crucial time. Seasoned pastors and authors, Brian Croft and James Carroll, strengthen pastors by pointing them to God’s word for help in facing the unique challenges of pastoral ministry in the modern day so that they will not merely survive, but stay, endure, and even thrive.” (Buy it at Amazon)

The Warrior Savior: A Theology of the Work of Christ by Owen Strachan. “In this stirring systematic theology of atonement, Owen Strachan turns our gaze to the biblical Jesus—the greater David, a mighty king who comes in the power of God to save sinners and destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). The true Jesus is the most fascinating subject in all history: he is Lamb and Lion, gentle and ferocious, divine yet a humble servant. All these graces bear down on one moment in time: the cross. The Warrior Savior brings together strands of doctrine that are too often separated, notably penal substitutionary atonement and Christus Victor. Instead of arguing for an unweighted blend of “models” or “theories” of the cross, Strachan argues that the cross accomplishes a propitiatory atonement, which in turn secures the defeat of the dread foe of God’s people, Satan. Throughout the book, he weaves in rich devotional and spiritual commentary, focusing on the love of God as the chief message of the cross of Christ. The result is a vivid, dramatic, and inspiring study of the most important salvific event ever to occur.” (Buy it at Amazon)

We Shall All Be Changed: How Facing Death with Loved Ones Transforms Us by Whitney K. Pipkin. “When Whitney K. Pipkin’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she wasn’t ready. How could she be? She searched for resources that could help her walk through this heavy yet sacred time in her life. But she struggled to find the guidance she longed for in a season of anticipatory grief. We Shall All Be Changed is a companion for those experiencing the lonely season of suffering and death. In this book, Whitney reaches across the pages to hold the hand of the caregiver. Walking through death with a loved one can be incredibly isolating and unsettling. This book reminds us that we can experience God’s very presence in life’s dark and deep valleys. As Whitney draws from her own experience, she sheds light and hope. She shows that we are not alone. And she reveals the mysterious way that God ministers to and transforms us through death and suffering. Beautifully honest and theologically rich, Whitney invites us to consider death so that we might understand life and how to live it.” (Buy it at Amazon)

Scattering Seeds of Hope by Jeremy Marshall & Mary Davis. “Nearly all of us are discouraged when it comes to evangelism. We love the Lord, and we want others to become Christians, but we are afraid and have many reasons and excuses for why we don’t or can’t share the gospel. After being diagnosed with incurable cancer in 2013, until his death in 2023, Jeremy told countless people the gospel. Scattering Seeds of Hope explains the method Jeremy found so effective: simply sharing Bible stories, being a good friend and asking questions. There are no long gospel outline to learn, no special techniques to rehearse and absolutely no guilt trips. What if the secret to effective evangelism is to simply scatter seed abundantly and indiscriminately and watch while God does the rest?” (Buy it at Amazon)

Moral Vision: Leadership from George Washington to Joe Biden by Marvin Olasky. “What makes a leader truly great? Is it simply a matter of management style and personality? Or is it character that matters most? Moral Visions takes an insightful look into America’s leaders of the past to answer these questions and demonstrates that values and moral convictions are critical to the strength of a nation. Supposedly, we learn about the candidates for the highest office through a series of tests called “debates,” which are instead an exchange of soundbites. We can’t know whether an aspirant to the presidency has the ability to ask good questions or only a suave or belligerent ability to answer them. Moral Vision is a human-interest introduction to American history through studies of nineteen leaders: presidents, almost presidents, a tycoon, a crusading journalist, and even a leading 19th century abortionist. Its lessons can help voters sort through the candidates in 2024 and beyond by measuring them against previous leaders—none of whom was faultless. It shows how the deepest views often grow out of religious belief and influence political goals, racial prejudices, sexual activities, uses of power, and senses of service.” (Buy it at Amazon)

The Kindness of God: Beholding His Goodness in a Cruel World by Nate Pickowicz. “Kindness has fallen on hard times. Almost daily, we witness or experience cynicism, impatience, or incivility. And it begins to wear on a soul. Overall, we’re not doing well. We need hope. We need truth. We need God. In The Kindness of God, pastor and teacher Nate Pickowicz shows how our lives must be understood and lived in light of God’s kindness. Pickowicz brings the reader along a joy-filled journey of discovering God’s lifegiving lovingkindness and compassion. This book is for Christians overwhelmed with their life circumstances. It’s for anyone who is feeling disappointment or hurt from a fractured relationship. It’s for all those who are discouraged by caustic political discourse. And it’s for those who are saddened or frustrated, desiring more from life . . . more from God. This book offers biblical salve to spiritual wounds and answers how God’s own character remains intact even when wounds are inflicted by others. You will come away from this book, marveling and thanking God for His immeasurable kindness. And you will come to reflect His kindness more deeply in your own life toward others. In a world that can feel dark and cold, this resource is a light of God’s kindness!” (Buy it at Amazon)

Defeating Evil: How God Glorifies Himself in a Dark World by Scott Christensen. “Revised, adapted, and condensed for a broader audience, this companion edition to Scott Christensen’s lauded What about Evil? shows how sin, evil, corruption, and death fit into redemptive history. Exploring the storyline of Scripture and addressing practical concerns, Christensen shows that God’s ultimate end in creation is to maximize his glory before his image-bearers by defeating evil through Christ’s atoning work.” (Buy it at Amazon)

A La Carte (February 29)

Grace and peace to you, my friends.
Today’s Kindle deals include a long list of discounts that are going to expire tomorrow.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Freak of Nature (and Nurture))

Is it ever right to lie? This article answers the question quite thoroughly.

This article discusses some of the evidence for Jesus that comes from outside the four gospels.

“There seems to be an awful lot of Perfect! going on these days, at least in my part of the world. I told my server at a restaurant that I wanted fries and steamed broccoli to go with my entree. ‘Perfect!’ he said. A nurse read off my blood pressure. ‘Perfect!’ again. When I offered 8:30 as a possible time for an appointment, I heard ‘Perfect!’ over the phone.”

This is a compassionate letter to Christians who doubt. “Sometimes doubt comes upon me like a foreboding cold. I wonder if that was just a sneeze or am I coming down with something serious. The sniffles of doubt increase when I read of natural disasters that bring unfathomable suffering. Where was God during that hurricane? Other symptoms of wavering faith show up when famous Christians espouse heresy or reveal double lives of staggering immorality. I dare to ask, Does this Christianity stuff really work?“

“Everyone knows that an unborn baby is a baby. Most would not go as far as the State of Alabama, with its ruling that frozen embryos are children, but certainly by the time a woman knows she is pregnant what is in her womb is clearly a baby.”

Wes provides encouraging evidence of why pastors need to take the long view of preaching.

I can’t help but wonder how that “nay” will sound before the throne, before the one who creates life, who loves life, who tells us to protect life. 

The intent of the cross of Christ was to bring you close more than make you good. He, indeed, will produce good in you, but through forgiveness of sins, you are his, and he is yours.
—Ed Welch

A Freak of Nature (and Nurture)

We are probably so accustomed to seeing bonsai trees that we don’t think much about them. But have you ever paused to consider how strange and freakish they really are?
Bonsai trees are otherwise-normal trees that are deliberately kept small. They are grown in little pots where they can put down only shallow roots. They are obsessively pruned to stunt them and keep them from growing tall or wide. They are mighty woods relegated to mere flowerpots, whole forests confined to side tables. Though they may live for centuries, they grow no more than one or two feet tall. Though they have such potential, their gardener applies constant and deliberate action to keep them from ever reaching it. What a strange thing that a gardener would choose to grow a dwarf in place of a giant.
Some churches do something like this to those who attend them, don’t they? They fear that doctrine is drab or divisive, that it is boring or alienating, and determine that it is best to keep the church entertained and immature. They feed their senses rather than their souls and tickle their egos rather than transform their minds. Rather than help them grow tall and broad in their faith they keep them low and stunted. They give them a bonsai faith.
And then some Christians do something like this to themselves, don’t they? They make a profession of faith but content themselves with scant growth and bare maturity. They can sometimes seem to be passive in this, but there is a sense in which they are very active. They do not merely allow themselves to be satisfied with spiritual puniness but they actively pursue it. They work to dwarf themselves, to resist the impulse to grow their knowledge and stretch their faith. They restrain the Spirit who would so readily help them to grow. They give themselves a bonsai faith.
God’s purpose for his people is never smallness and never stagnation.Share
But God’s purpose for his people is never smallness and never stagnation. Rather, his purpose for us is constant transformation, constant renewal, constant growth. We are to resist any allure toward spiritual laziness and instead be active in growing and maturing. We are to press on, always straining, always striving, always pressing on toward the goal.
Thankfully, God is committed to our growth and eager to help us. And thankfully there is no trick to spiritual growth and no mystery to solve. We simply have to take hold of the means he gives us—to obey him by being baptized and taking the Lord’s supper, to grow in our relationship with him through Word and prayer, to commit ourselves to a local church where we can serve and be served. As we take hold of these simple means and as we dedicate ourselves to them, God transforms us from the inside out. He causes us to grow rather than stagnate, to have a faith that is tall and broad rather than shrunken and puny. This and so much more is ours through Christ if only we will reach out and take it, if only we will resist the allure to be bonsai Christians who have a bonsai faith.

If you’re a bonsai lover, don’t be a hater. I think they’re neat too. They just happen to make a vivid illustration.

A La Carte (February 28)

Good morning. May the Lord be with you and bless you today.
The Kindle deals continue today!
Westminster Books is offering deals on children’s books this week, including a sweet new one from Jonathan Gibson.

Probably all of us have wondered this at one time or another, whether to justify our own purchases or to pass condemnation on someone else’s.

I admire pastor Leonardo De Chirico and appreciate the stand he is taking in Rome. (You may need to have a free account at CT to read this one.)

I found this a really interesting one from Matthew Westerholm. He discusses how worship education (and, specifically, training people to lead worship in churches) has changed over the years.

“Show me a big dream if you’d like, but what really impresses me is the ordinary faithfulness of hidden saints.” Amen!

“I admire people who know how to say no. More specifically, I admire people who recognize that they have limits. People who know that, as much as they might want to, they can’t do everything. Whether it’s attending social gatherings, taking on special projects, or anything else you can think of, they know their priorities, and their limitations.” And amen to this as well!

Nick explains how and why you are probably WEIRDER than you think.

“Now this is me, not the Bible.” You are making it clear that you’ve gone from an area of absolute biblical clarity to an area of wisdom and conscience. You are ensuring that both you and he acknowledge the difference.

The deepest passion of the heart of Jesus was not the saving of men, but the glory of God; and then the saving of men, because that is for the glory of God.
—G. Campbell Morgan

A La Carte (February 27)

I like to offer the occasional reminder that this site is supported in large part by readers like you. Those interested in becoming supporters can do so via the excellent Patreon service.
If you’re into Kindle deals, it’s best to check in every day as many of them now last for just 24 hours.
(Yesterday on the blog: Why Didn’t You Tell Me?)

We can most appreciate God’s kindness when we acknowledge that we don’t deserve it. “When the diagnosis came in February of 2023, God was good. When we discovered that the chemotherapy wasn’t working, God was good. When radiation could not keep up with the spreading of Robyn’s cancer, God was good. When we faced the deep valley of hospice, God was good. When we told the kids their dear mother would meet Jesus sooner than we expected, God was good. And when she departed for that eternal shore, forever to be with her Savior . . . God. Was. Good. He has always, and only, been good to Robyn and me.”

Jake Meador explains some of what he heard at an event featuring Jordan Peterson. “As we were leaving the ‘We Who Wrestle with God’ tour last Thursday night in Omaha, my friends and I were talking about the lecture when one of them said, ‘I don’t think they actually wrestled with God. They just wrestled with themselves.’ It’s an insightful comment, and a true one.”

Jim Donohue explains why his church has an evangelist on staff and why your church may benefit from it as well.

“Based on how you lived last week, what was your primary pursuit? Was it career, money, recognition, promotion, family, pleasure, or something else? We often know what the correct answer should be, but our lives often paint another picture.”

I enjoyed this little piece from Abigail Follows and very much identify with her fear of driving in India!

Kim Riddelbarger continues his “The Basics” series with a look at the new heavens and new earth. He makes some important distinctions and clarifications.

“This could never be God’s will.”…They want to protect God from his own sovereignty, as if it does not extend to matters as consequential as sorrow, suffering, and death.

May our passion for Christ always be greater than our passion for an easy and comfortable life.
—Burk Parsons

Unite in Prayer with Persecuted Believers

This week the blog is sponsored by Help The Persecuted.
“Can I have a Bible?”
The guard studied Qasem. “If you paint the walls of every cell in this prison, I’ll get you a Bible.”
“Where is the paint?”
And so Qasem, enduring what would ultimately be a three-year sentence for running house churches throughout Iran, began the weeks-long process of repainting the walls of the prison that had become his home. The time passed quickly, so great was his longing for the Word of God.
His path to faith in Jesus Christ had been hard. His parents, who were Muslims in Iran, divorced when he was little. As a 13-year-old, he woke up one day to discover his mother lying next to him, dead. Over time, he turned to drugs to cope and fell into a deep depression.
At the height of desperation, Qasem asked Allah, the god of his childhood, to end his life. Instead, he had a chance encounter with a distant relative…who shared the hope of the gospel. Qasem instantly fell in love with Jesus, and his heart finally felt peace! He was discipled in the faith and started many house churches. One grew from four to 200 members—all converts from Islam—in a matter of months.
Then the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence raided one of his house churches. Qasem was arrested and mercilessly blindfolded, interrogated, and charged with apostasy from Islam and conspiring against the government.
In the midst of everything, a surge of hope rushed through Qasem when the prison guard promised him a Bible. When every inch of prison walls gleamed with new paint, he went to the guard and asked for it.
“No, of course not!”
Qasem’s face fell as he thought back to the weeks of labor. Perhaps it spurred the guard to a rare moment of compassion.
“But you normally get six minutes of phone time each day. I’ll give you fifteen from now on.”
It was enough.
Knowing that someone on the other side of the world was praying for him strengthened Qasem’s heart. Share
Day after day, Qasem smuggled a pen and paper to his phone time, where a friend would dictate the Bible to him in their native Persian. Soon, he had most of the New Testament. He shared it with his fellow inmates, many of whom came from extremist Islamic backgrounds and had never heard about a compassionate, loving God. Conversions to Christ came in droves.
The guards, alarmed by the growing number of Christians in a country where people are executed for apostasy from Islam, quarantined all the Christians in a single block in the prison.
Unable to evangelize, Qasem grew weary and discouraged in his faith. When his Christian friends were denied their rightful release, he went on a hunger strike that lasted 60 days to get the judge’s attention.
On one of his worst days, battling extreme hunger and sadness, Qasem received a postcard in the mail from Denver, Colorado. He later learned that hundreds of postcards had been sent to him over the years, but only this one ever arrived. It said, “I prayed for you today, that our heavenly Father will comfort you, give you peace, and heal you.” Knowing that someone on the other side of the world was praying for him strengthened Qasem’s heart. To this day, he says this postcard saved his life.
Qasem’s friends were released, and a few months later, he was, too. He was told if he remained in Iran, he would be imprisoned again—or worse. He fled to Turkey, where he serves persecuted believers, many from Iran, with the ministry Help The Persecuted, which rescues, restores, and rebuilds the lives of persecuted believers in the Islamic World.
Help The Persecuted has on-the-ground ministers, including Qasem, in 13 countries, the vast majority of whom have faced imprisonment, torture, and death threats for their faith in Jesus. Every week, they meet with persecuted believers like themselves, providing spiritual support and tangible help. In addition, they record the specific prayer needs of each person. Every Saturday, Help The Persecuted sends out a prayer newsletter including 10 of the most imminent prayer requests.
We invite you to join Help The Persecuted’s Prayer Network and commit to praying weekly for the specific needs of persecuted Christians as well as for the growth of the Church in the Islamic World. There are so many more believers like Qasem for whom prayer makes all the difference. Join their Prayer Network here.

Why Didn’t You Tell Me?

If you have spent any time at all on YouTube, you have probably seen videos of people hearing for the first time or people seeing color for the first time—videos of people who, through the miracles of modern science, have senses restored that had either been missing altogether or that had become dull through illness or accidents. It is hard not to be moved as a child hears her mother’s voice for the first time or to be thrilled as a man gets his first glimpse of the world in color.
But we only ever see the beginning of these journeys. After all, short-form videos can show us little more than the first reactions—the gasps of surprise, the looks of wonder, the tears of joy. But there is, of course, much more to learn and much more to celebrate in the days that follow.
I recently read of a teenager whose hearing had been restored. After some time had passed, the teen eventually said something like this to her mother: “You didn’t tell me that music is so beautiful. Why didn’t you tell me just how stirring it is to listen to Pachelbel’s Canon or how Handel’s Messiah can bring tears to my eyes? Why didn’t you tell me?”
And eventually, the person who was color blind must say to his wife, “I just didn’t know how beautiful the world is. Why didn’t you tell me how stunning it is to watch the orange rays of the sun as it sets over the ocean? Why didn’t you tell me how beautiful you look when you wear that red dress? Why didn’t you help me understand?”
And the mother of the person who had been deaf said, “I tried to explain, but until your ears were unblocked, you could not truly understand. You needed to be cured before you could grasp what I had so often tried to tell you.” The wife of the man who had been colorblind must have said, “I did my best to explain, but until your eyes were opened you simply could not see and therefore you could not understand. I tried to describe red and pink and orange, but you could not appreciate them until you could see them.”
And isn’t that the experience of those of us who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus? People tried to tell us what it is like to know the voice of the Good Shepherd, but it did not sound very compelling. They tried to show us the glories of Christ, but he did not look very glorious. For years or even decades we were told and we were shown. And we judged it bland and boring.
But then God unblocked our ears and we heard. He opened our eyes and we saw. And then we began to hear what our ears had been unable to catch, to see what our eyes had been unable to glimpse. And we might have been tempted to go to our Christian friends and family members to say, “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you show me?” But they could only have replied, “We tried. We tried, but you were deaf and could not hear. You were blind and could not see. But let’s praise God together that he has given hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind. Let’s praise God that he has allowed you to hear and see the glories of Christ.”

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