I have lived a much happier life, since I began to live a happier life.

The difference between Jealous and inspired is this- the jealous desires the success of another man for himself, while the inspired becomes a success.

The back cover to my book. It pretty much says it all

Today I am so excited, I am beside myself. I just turned in the PDF files for my book for publication. This is an initial run of fifty, but

I really hope to make a difference with it. It is a book intended for missions and outreach to primarily Muslims, but, as it turned out, it is to the world.

I wanted to give a copy to my friend, Skip, because I knew he would understand it. He had a soul as gentle as a butterfly. He had found God, and he had found Jesus, but in the beginning, he detested the man he was. As we, his Saturday morning friends, watched him grow, we also watched him glow.

He said, "I don't know anything, so I have a thousand questions!" I said, "So you are a doubting Thomas! That's a good thing.

In a very short time, Skip knew for himself, his salvation from guilt, and he helped every Sunday, as an usher and greeter.

Skip began as an agnostic, not an atheist, and his mind was like a child, open to all possibilities. He was my perfect audience.

Skip passed away today, so I have dedicate this first batch of my book to his memory.

Click to enlarge the back  cover writing

I have heard many ask, why did Jesus have to die? You keep saying its God's plam!  What kind of a plan is that? I have never had the answer to this question, until now!

Jusus' body had to be broken, just like an egg has to be cracked before you can release its essence. God created a body through a virgin, and into him He blew His own life. When Jesus was thirty, he was washed and cleansed, as he submerged into the holy waters.

That day, the Holy Spirit descended upon him, and so that all would know that it was God talking, He spoke in a voice heard by men, This is my son in whom I am well pleased.

Through a conduit between man and God, the Holy spirit came to our world. He was there with Jesus, every time he performed a miracle, but His reach was as far as Jesus' arms. Jesus had to die so the Spirit could come.

Sadly, instead of cracking Jesus's head like an egg, we used him as a pinnyada.

This is the cover letter to my new book. It is an outreach to Muslims, and as blessings abound, I have the honor of being a guest speakers/lecturer and the upcoming Gospel For Muslims (GFM), which sponsors the Muslim Background Believers (MBB) Conference, In Dallas, Texas, on the weekend of the 23rd of April. This outreach Is to the Christian community to let them meet us and get to know us and understand what Jesus Christ is doing, right here and right now, and all across the world.

There are a lot of outreaches represented and there are also a lot of publishers. So, God willing, I will have a publisher soon.. Anyway, the whole page is my work, including the artwork; which is a collection of three beautiful paintings I brought together. Tell me what you think!

 

 

 

Why do we, Christians, make things so complicated and difficult for ourselves? If we can't understand something for ourselves, how can we explain it to anyone else? Take, for example, the word "Sin!"

Without the blood of the lamb, there is no forgiveness. .Having said that, here is the complicated form of the translation of Hebrew on the subject of sin. I acknowledge that their translations are solid and true, and pleasing to God. They have captured the words, and with their English speaking, English thinking mind, they have translated them true.

Here is the translation,

1 John 1
New International Version (NIV)

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Sin is a hateful word in a christian mind, at least here in America. Confessing it to another person, just because Jesus said so? Yeah, Right! That's all I need, to tell someone else! I Lived in Iran for eighteen years, and I have spoken and thought in English for thirty eight years, but no matter how old I get, I still think in Farsi! Let me show you how I would translate "Sin" to the English language, but with an Iranian flavor.

Every time I have told my wife, my son, my sister, or anyone else I have trusted with something that really hurt me, or bothered me, I have "Confessed" a "Sin," and it has always made me feel better."

Now go and sin no more, or in simple English, don't do that again!

I am on Fire for God

Years ago, when I prayed to God to use me for His glory, I took all my hate, all my anger, and all of my burdons; and locked them up in a box and put them away; where I could not revisit them. From time to time, whenever God has brought healing to a memory of my past, I have opened the box and let God take out the garbage for me. This weekend I took out one of my biggest ones; my prejudices towards Arabs. Islam has destroyed my home, and I have held Arabs responsible for the sin of their fathers, for far too long. I also threw in all my memories of Islam and my personal pain. I left it all behind me and walked in, free to be free, and free to praise Jesus with my brothers and sisters at MBB conference (Moslem background Believers).

During the weekend; as I listened to different speakers talk.  I felt inspired, on fire, and empowered. I used to think that my faith had cost me a lot, but listening to the speakers talk, I realized how blessed and easy my transition into a child-of-Christ has been. During the panel discussion, I felt pain. I listened to them talk about their nightmares; most painfully becoming dead to their family, for following Jesus. These people became the living examples of Christ's words to me, 'You will be denied by your own families, for my sake.' I fell in love with them. And I felt their pain.

I realized that the only reason why I can relate so strongly to these people's pain, is because I carry many of their scars myself. That is when I realized how much of those hurts- my memories, my sorrows, and even my anger- were inside the baggage I had left by the door. I realized that; as the American's say; I had let the baby out with the bathwater! So I went back, hoping that it was still there, and when I opened it, I found it cleaned up.  All the garbage was taken away. All the hate and the prejudice and the cultural teaching that separated me from my brothers, were taken out.  It is amazing how light one's burdens become, when one takes out the garbage.

Anyway, I realize that my burden is my joy, and through God's Grace and Glory, my joy will bring joy to my brother's burden, and his joy to another, and to another and another; until we are all filled with God's love and glory; and then my joy is returned to me, ten fold. I felt it and I prayed for it; that God WILL use us all to bring love and healing to the hearts of the many brothers and sisters who are hurting, and those who have yet to hear the words of a parent say to them- disown Jesus, or I will disown you. Some have lost everything. Jesus told us, love them, and this weekend I found myself in the midst of "them;" needing both to heal and to be healed.

In Short-- God was there! Over and over I have felt God's call to serve, and over and over I have felt the need to remind myself to wait for the right time. This weekend was God's confirmation to me- It is time.

In really short-- I am on Fire for God.