Happy Wednesday

Terrorist!

"But the Lord said to [Ananias], "Go, for (Saul) is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;" - Acts 9:15.

Terrorist!

A word that evokes fear, confusion, anger, and even hatred in the hearts of people-
- especially those whose lives have been forever changed by one or more terrorists.

It seems that not a day goes by when there isn't news of terrorism somewhere in the world.

Unfortunately, terrorism isn't new.
In fact, one of our most beloved authors of the Bible, Paul, was a terrorist.
And he was the worst kind of terrorist--a religious terrorist--plotting to kill and hurt people who didn't believe in God the way he did.

He was brilliant, highly educated, and ambitious.
The mention of his name would strike fear in people who didn't believe as he did.

One day on his way to fulfill another terrorist plot-
- he was stopped by a power he didn't know existed.

It terrified him.
This person was so powerful that the young terrorist was literally stopped in his tracks.

The terrorist was named Saul.
The powerful person was Jesus.

On that day-
- the terrorist named Saul was changed inwardly and outwardly by the love of Christ.

Christ changed Saul's name to Paul.
And God used Paul to be the greatest theologian and missionary in the history of the church.

Christ can change anyone who is hostile to Him and His church-
- even religious terrorists.

He can even change people who are sinners like you and me.
Daily Smile: 
For weeks, a six-year old lad kept telling his first-grade teacher about the baby brother or sister that was expected at his house. One day the Mother allowed the boy to feel the movements of the unborn child.
The six-year old was obviously impressed, but he made no comment. Furthermore, he stopped telling his teacher about the impending event. The teacher finally sat the boy on her lap and said, "Tommy, whatever
has become of that baby brother or sister you were expecting at home?"

Tommy burst into tears and confessed, "I think Mommy ate it!"

In The News:

Pastor Saeed Abedini in Good Spirits as Threats Increase The family of imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini visited him in Iran's Evin Prison this week and said he was in good spirits, CBN News reports. Abedini is serving an eight-year sentence in Evin, reputedly one of worst anywhere in the world, for his Christian faith. According to the American Center for Law and Justice, the 33-year-old pastor told his family his health appears to have improved. However, the ACLJ also said that since Iran's presidential election last week, prison guards had threatened to move Abedini to a more remote prison. Such a move would make it nearly impossible for his family to visit him.

Two Christians Slain by Islamists in Nigeria Ethnic Fulani Muslims killed a Christian in Nigeria's Plateau state, less than a week after the Islamic extremist Boko Haram sect killed a pastor in Nigeria's Borno state, Morning Star News reports. In the latest of a series of attacks this year in the Wase area, 134 miles southeast of Jos in Plateau state, Fulani Muslims killed Toma Vongjen, 40, and left church buildings in four villages in ruins, said the Rev. Dinfa Lamda of the Church of Christ in Nations in Jos. In Borno state on June 13, Boko Haram Islamic extremists killed the Rev. Jacob Kwiza in the Mandara Hills area, church leaders said. Lamda, a native of Langtang, near Wase, said social and economic activities had been paralyzed in the Wase area, and "Christian fellowship activities and evangelism outreaches are no longer possible." Most churches in Wase have closed due to the violence, and surviving pastors have been relocated, he said. "There are Christian villages that have been completely wiped out by these Muslim terrorists," Lamda said. "Just last week Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked some Christian farmers in Wase and destroyed all the crops they planted on their farms." Lamda said Fulani Muslims had attacked Christian communities in the local government areas of Wase, Langtang and Shendam, all in Plateau state. "For a number of years, the attacks on Christians in these [areas] have caused the displacement of thousands of Christians there," he said. "There is a very lamentable problem, as we are no longer able to worship God as Christians in this part of Nigeria."

Russia, China Among Worst Countries for Human Trafficking (WNS) -- China and Russia failed to meet minimum standards for fighting human trafficking, according to the U.S. State Department, which dropped the countries to the lowest possible ranking in its 2013 report, released yesterday. The annual “Trafficking in Persons” report ranks 188 countries on performance in fighting various forms of human trafficking. Promises to improve kept China and Russia on the Tier 2 Watchlist for nine consecutive years. Now, the State Department has dropped the two countries, along with Uzbekistan, to Tier 3, on par with countries such as Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe. The report accused China of state-sponsored forced labor under the name “re-education through labor,” as well as widespread sex trafficking. China’s one-child policy — and the skewed sex ratio of 118 boys to 100 girls it caused — has created a huge demand for the “trafficking of foreign women as brides for Chinese men and for forced prostitution.” The report cited the Migration Research Center, which estimates that one million people experience “exploitative” labor conditions in Russia. The report accuses Russia of using forced labor for projects related to the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and forcing North Koreans to work in logging camps, under an agreement with the North Korean government. While the report acknowledged some action on the part of both governments, it determined that the plans were either not implemented properly or were ineffective. Neither country is eligible for the waiver that has kept them off Tier 3 for the past two years. President Barack Obama has 90 days to determine whether to apply sanctions against the 21 countries currently on the Tier 3 list. Sanctions could range from restricting aid to removing U.S. backing for loans from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Both countries have expressed frustration at the new ranking. Chinese news agency Xinhua said Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian ministry’s human rights envoy, called the decision a “politicization of the trafficking issue” and “arbitrary.” News agency Al Jazeera reported Hua Chunying, a foreign ministry spokeswoman for China, asking the United States to “stop making unilateral or arbitrary judgments of China.” Activists commended Secretary of State John Kerry for being willing to downgrade powerful nations. “Frankly, we expected a number of these countries to be upgraded for geopolitical reasons,” said David Abramowitz, director of the U.S.-based Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking. “The Trafficking in Persons report is only effective when it’s honest.” John Sifton of Human Rights Watch said it remains to be seen whether the White House will implement sanctions. He urged the administration to do so unless the governments in question commit to fight trafficking. The Trafficking in Persons report is one of several annual assessments issued by the State Department on human rights-related topics. Its rankings often ruffle diplomatic feathers. It is based on the actions governments take, rather than the scale of the problem in their country. There are 25 countries that could find themselves in the same position as Russia and China come next year’s report if governments fail to demonstrate they have a plan and the resources to address human trafficking.