Pray for Rifqa Bary

Rifqa Bary is a seventeen year old Sri Lankan girl raised in Ohio. She is also a runaway currently hiding from her parents here in Florida. While many children and teenagers run away from home, Rifqa's story is unique because she claims that she fled because her Muslim father threatened to kill her for converting to Christianity. The father claims that no such threat was made, but I don't think anyone hearing her story can deny that something took place or was said to make her genuinely fear for her life. She was so certain that an honor killing would took place, she hitch hiked and bused her way across the country to get away.

Personally, I tend to believe her, not because all Muslims are fire breathing monsters who would murder their own children for accepting Christ. I believe her because it appears that she truly felt threatened by her father's response and carefully calculated what she had to do in order to live.

Currently, she has been placed uder the protection of Florida DCF. A Florida judge will decide whether or not she must return to Ohio, which will likely mean returning to her father. Pray for God's will to be done as for her living arrangements and that she would be protected from those who wish to bring her harm on account of her faith. Most of all, pray that her faith would remain strong.

You can watch her plea for her life here. An ABC news report is here.

His Name Is Not An Expletive

I pray for my President and Vice President regularly. However, when the Vice President of the United States uses the name "Jesus Christ" as an expletive in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, we should communicate our disapproval. Why? Because we expect lost people to revere the name of Jesus? No. Because we expect those who 1) profess to be believers and 2) represent our nation by holding such a high office to at least show basic respect to the name at the center of our faith.

When the Vice President doesn't think twice about denigrating the name of Jesus but would not think of denigrating the name of Muhammad, it not only demonstrates his approval of a grossly unfair double standard, it also paves the way for worse acts to follow which demean Christians.

Join me in expressing your disapproval (in a Christ-like and loving manner) here.

God's Sense of Humor

As I was leaving church yesterday morning, I couldn't help but think about the fact that numerous men and women who do not know Christ were in our services that morning...and none of them, to my knowledge, received Christ. A little discouraging. However, as I was about to drive off, I saw a man who'd pulled up on a motorcycle pointing at me, so I drove over to say hello. "I need to talk to you," he said.

"Sure, about what?" I replied.

"I want to become a Christian," his answer.

Needless to say, I got out of my car and had a long chat in the parking lot with Mr. Biker. We kneeled in the grass and I got to hear him call upon the Lord. That night, he came to our service for the first time and made his profession public. This week, he'll take our baptism class.

At the end of the day, I realized just how awesome is God's sense of humor. I prepared all week to preach my heart out on Sunday, praying that the lost would be saved. God, however, does not need my preparation or my preaching to save the lost. He can drop the Philippian jailer at my doorstep any time He wants.

She May Have Been a Kennedy...

Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away this week. She is known as the sister of former president John F. Kennedy and more importantly, the founder of Special Olympics. She was inspired by her intellectually disabled sister and that inspiration led her to create an Olympic event catering to such persons.

What you may not know is that Kennedy was pro-life. This may surprise us considering the political dynasty to which she belonged, but not when we consider her commitment to equal rights for every human being. To Shriver, all human life is worthy of protection. She understood that if the preborn child is not worthy because he/she failed to pass someone's "personhood test," eventually the intellectually disabled would fail as well.

I am saddened that none of the news outlets I heard report on her passing made mention of her commitment in this area.

"It is my deepest hope that the world can begin to look at our friends with special needs and, for once, tell them, 'Yes, you do belong; yes, you are wonderful; yes, you can be a shining light of hope for the world!"
— Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Sotomayor's Christian Oath

Sonia Sotomayor took the oath to become our newest member of the Supreme Court. I couldn't help but notice that she made this vow with her hand upon...the Bible. She ended her oath with the words..."So help me God." Let us pray that she will remember both when she is asked to rule on the First Amendment.