The Parkersburg, Iowa, Tornado

The tornado that ripped through Parkersburg and New Hartford has been officially classified as an EF5, the strongest possible. You can tell by the news and seeing pictures that the devastation was terrible.

Parkersburg is only about 80 miles from Ames. The Ames Chamber of Commerce is organizing a work trip to go up there tomorrow and lend a helping hand, neighbor helping neighbor. My family and I will be taking part in this trip, just because if the same thing happened to us we would appreciate the help. One of the core values of Freedom Ridge is “micro-missions,” taking part in practical, tangible activities to show the love of Jesus. So tomorrow we will be taking part in a micro-mission.

In the next couple days I’ll post about our experience there.

Six More Algerian Christians Face Prison for Practicing Non-Muslim Worship Without Authorization

-After Years of Religious Tolerance, Algeria Takes a Dark Turn-

The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has learned that six Christians could be sentenced to two years in prison for meeting in a friend’s home and allegedly distributing Christian materials to Muslims.

The six Christians are Rachid, Djallil, Sami, Abdelkader, Mohamed and Chabane. They have been accused of “distribution of religious material to convert Muslims” and “practice without authorization of non-Muslim worship.” The public prosecutor asked the court in town of Tiaret, Algeria to sentence each of the six Christians to two years in prison and a fine of 500,000 Algerian dinars ($8,000). The prosecutor alleged that the six Christians were gathered to worship at the house of Rachid, who is one of the defendants.

According to a report by Algerian daily newspaper, El-Watan, Djallil, another defendant, said that they were not carrying any Christian materials and therefore, they should not be accused of distributing them. The newspaper quoted the defense lawyer for the Christians as saying that the six Christians are a “band of friends and none of them have taken into their possession or are in the process of distributing documents that undermine the faith of a Muslim, and that the apartment was used by Rachid not as a place of worship, but as a place of reunion for the group of friends.”

After hearing the arguments from the public prosecutor and the defendants, the court has set the date for its decision as Tuesday, June 3, 2008.

Update on Habiba’s Case

In another development, the court considering the case of Habiba Qawider, who was charged with illegally practicing her Christianity by carrying Christian literature on a public bus, decided yesterday that the case required “supplementary investigation.” ICC reported on the initial hearing on May 23, 2008, in a press release. In that release we mentioned that the public prosecutor asked for a three year prison term for Habiba, and that the court would make its decision on May 27.

The prosecutor has ten days to appeal the decision of the court, according to El-Watan.

Habiba’s defense lawyer criticized the court’s decision by saying that the court is just trying to buy time until the media shifts its attention elsewhere. Habiba’s case has drawn widespread critism both from the local and international media. According to some commentators, the judge was forced to order further investigation due to the attention that the case has attracted.

ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Darara Gubo, said, “The international community should step up its pressure on the government of Algeria so that the government stops interfering with the religious freedom of its Christian minorities.”

ICC would like to thank all the Christians who are praying for their brothers and sisters in Algeria. Please continue to call the Algerian embassies in your countries. Your prayers and calls are very important to support our suffering brothers and sisters in Algeria.

Algerian Embassies:

Australia: (02) 6286 7355
England: (020) 7221 7800
France: (33)-1-5393-2020
Germany: (49) 30 437370
USA: (202) 265-2800

###

ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC delivers humanitarian aid, trains and supports persecuted pastors, raises awareness in the US regarding the problem of persecution, and is an advocate for the persecuted on Capitol Hill and the State Department. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

A Couple Prayer Requests

I’m gonna be a little selfish and ask you to pray for a couple things for me and my family.

First of all, we are still trying to sell our house in Houston. It has been on the market for 180 days, and we are still paying the mortgage and all the utilities (and now paying to have the yard mowed!) To date we have received no offers. This weekend we are switching it over to another realtor, so hopefully this will help to generate a little more traffic to the house. Please pray that it will sell SOON, because we can’t move forward here with a new home until we sell the Houston house … not to mention the financial strain.

Secondly, I am traveling to Dubuque IA this weekend to speak at the Bridge Christian Church. The pastor there has asked me to come share with them about Freedom Ridge, our mission, and what is going on. They have also promised a financial gift to Freedom Ridge, and we really need it since it takes money to do ministry! Please pray that I do a good job, and pray that God gives The Bridge an extra measure of generosity to help us reach out to people in the Ames area.

Memorial Day

As you are grilling today and hanging out with friends and family, please remember the true meaning behind Memorial Day. We enjoy tremendous freedoms here in America, but freedom isn’t free.

My Soda Saga

I wanted to let you know how I was doing so far on my soda-weaning process. Yesterday was my first day, and all I had was one can of Diet Twist-up (nothing but the best at our house.) I have this huge 1-liter water bottle that I filled up 5 times yesterday, which comes to 1.3 gallons of water. If I can’t drink Dew, I’ve got to drink something.

Today all I’ve had is a large Diet Coke from McDonald’s (not supersized and no refills), and I have drank 4 liters of water. I’ll probably get at least one more liter of water in before I go to bed.

Before I started this I would have had about 10 cans under my belt by now.  So I’d say I’m off to a good start, although my left eye is twitching and my neck keeps jerking and when I look at my family their heads look like Mountain Dew cans.

Algerian Christian Faces 3 Years in Prison for Carrying Christian Books

The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has learned that Habiba Qawider could be sentenced to three years in prison for carrying Christian books while traveling on a public bus from Tiaret to Oran, Algeria.

Habiba, 39, was first detained by police on March 29. The police freed her after detaining her for 24 hours, but ordered her to appear in court in the city of Tiaret on May 7.

The court, however, delayed her case until Tuesday, May 20. During the initial hearing, the public prosecutor accused her of practicing “non-Muslim worship without authorization” and demanded the court to sentence her to three years in prison.

The prosecutor’s argument was that carrying Christian books is tantamount to practicing Christianity, which is legal only in designated areas approved by the government. If the court accepts this argument, it would set a dangerous precedent that could send all of Algeria’s Christians to prison.

In response to a question from El-Watan, an Algerian daily newspaper, if there was any law that prohibits carrying Christian books in Algeria, Khelloudja Khalfoun, Habiba’s lawyer, said, “No! There is no law which prohibits people to be in possession of religious books. There is a provision of the Ordinance of 2006 which prohibits having a number of booklets, books and distribute them to undermine the faith of Muslims….on the contrary, it [carrying a Bible] is a lawful act which is guaranteed and protected by the Constitution [of Algeria]. The Constitution speaks of freedom of worship and sees it as sacred.”

After hearing the arguments from the public prosecutor and the defendant, the court has set the date for its decision as Tuesday, May 27, 2008.

Double Jeopardy for Christian Man

In another development, a Christian man named Djallal was detained yesterday, May 22, 2008. Djallal and another Christian were first arrested by police in June 2007 when police found Christian literature in their car. He and his companion were brought before the court in Tissemsilt, Algeria, which is near Tiaret. The court found them not guilty.

However, when Djallal’s father contacted authorities yesterday to ask why his son had been detained again, they told him that he would be transferred to Tissemsilt. It seems that he is facing charges in the same case in which he was tried and found not guilty in 2007.

Campaign against Christians

This year Algerian officials have begun cracking down on Christians. More than 20 churches have been closed by Algerian officials under the guise of failing to register with an as yet non-existent government body.

Many Christians have also received suspended prison terms, threatening them with prison if they continue evangelizing Muslims.

Algeria has made a huge comeback from a bloody civil war between the government and Islamic terrorists that resulted in the death of over 100,000 Algerians. Currently, the country is enjoying peace and economic progress, but its heavy-handed approach towards Christians, which constitute less than 1% of the total population, is tarnishing its image.

Darara Gubo, ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, said, “Algerian officials have the duty to respect religious freedom. They must, therefore, re-open the closed churches, and stop detaining and harassing Christians who are practicing their faith. The international community must exert pressure on the government of Algeria so that the country stops violating religious freedom.”

Christians can help their brothers and sisters in Algeria by praying for them and by calling Algerian embassies in their respective countries. Please politely ask the Algerian embassy officials to re-open the churches in their country, and to stop harassing and imprisoning Christians. Please also specifically bring Habiba’s and Djallal’s cases to their attention.

Algerian Embassies:

Australia: (02) 6286 7355
England: (020) 7221 7800
France: (33)-1-5393-2020
Germany: (49) 30 437370
USA: (202) 265-2800

###

ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC delivers humanitarian aid, trains and supports persecuted pastors, raises awareness in the US regarding the problem of persecution, and is an advocate for the persecuted on Capitol Hill and the State Department. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

I Bleed Mountain Dew

I love Mountain Dew. It is my favorite drink. I drink so much of it, that I think if you would cut me I would literally bleed Mountain Dew. A few years ago I started to drink Diet Mountain Dew so I wouldn’t be drinking all those calories. Eventually I noticed caffeine was starting to affect me, so I made the hard decision to lay off the Dew.

When we moved here to Ames, imagine my delight when I walked into the store and noticed caffeine-free Diet Mountain Dew on the shelves! I had never heard of such a thing. I was back in business!

Yesterday I was thinking about how much I drink. On a normal day I will down at least 4, usually 5 cans. That doesn’t seem like a lot to a hard core Dewaholic, but it adds up to 120-150 cans a month or about $50 a month. The other thing that is beginning to worry me is all the junk in the soda that I am drinking. I’ve never really listened too much to studies done that show this one thing causes cancer or will make hair grow on your palms, because next month another study will disprove it. But still I have to wonder.

Here’s what I’m gonna do. I am going to lay off the soda. I’ve got 6 cans left, and when these are gone I am going to go at least a whole week without any soda of any kind. When I get to the end of that first week I will either decide to go for another week, or I will reward myself with a nice cold Dew and then go for another week. My ultimate goal will be to move from a Dewaholic to a casual Dew drinker.

I will post about my progress here; maybe you can join me. By the way, I said I’ve got 6 cans left, but I am going to try my best to make these things last. Then I’ll get started.

I’m Sick Of Viagra Commercials

If you have watched any amount of TV, you have undoubtedly seen one of those Viagra or Cialis commercials. I’m sure those drugs serve their purpose, but do they need to advertise those things during family friendly programming? I hate watching a TV show and having to turn the channel during the commercials! I don’t want my daughters to know that you don’t have to “worry about interruptions” or if you take this drug you will be able to sit in a bath tub overlooking a beach or to constantly hear the song “Viva Viagra!” I’m not a prude, but there is a time and a place for things. Something else I haven’t understood is when during a TV show that is rated TVPG they will advertise an upcoming TV show with a preview that is rated TV14. Doesn’t make sense to me.

I remember as a kid when they would advertise lady’s undergarments, the clothing would actually be on a mannequin with a live person talking about it. We have come a long way in what is shown and talked about on TV. Sometimes the good ole’ days really were good.

That’s my rant for today.

Freedom Ridge Dinner 2 Update

Last night we had another dinner to briefly share with people who we are as a church and some of the things we hope to do. Again it was well attended, although some people who said they would be there had some things come up at the last minute and weren’t able to come. That’s OK, because we’ll do it again. We had it at Valentino’s Pizza. It was good pizza, and the service was good.

If you weren’t able to make it to the dinner, keep watching this blog and Freedom Ridge’s website for information about upcoming activities you can be involved in.

Remember, we are here to “love God, love people, change the world!”

Freedom Ridge Dinner 2

We’re having a free informational dinner on Saturday (May 17) to share a little more about Freedom Ridge, and I’m excited about it! You can find out more info about it here.

Anyone is welcome to come, but I just ask one thing … please bring an unchurched person with you. Help us fulfill our mission! If you want to come, let me know so I can tell Valentino’s Pizza how many people will be there.

Blind Spots

I’ve shared with you how my oldest daughter now has her learner’s permit so she can drive. She’s been doing pretty good. The other day I was trying to teach her about the infamous “blind spot.” I was driving down the highway with her in the passenger seat, and a car began to pass us. When it got into my blind spot, I sped up a little so he would stay there. I then calmly had my daughter look and explained to her how she needs to be careful and always aware so the blind spot doesn’t end up causing problems for her.

I’m sure the guy in the other car called me a few choice words, and my daughter was the typical teenager and acted like she would rather eat glass than listen to my important life lesson. But because I love her and want her to be safe, she got the blind spot lesson.

We don’t just have blind spots in driving, but also in life. The other day someone lovingly helped me see some blind spots in my life. I would have rather eaten glass than listen, but deep down I know if I listen and learn that I will be a better person.

What are your blind spots? Chances are you don’t know, so it is best to ask someone you love and respect and ask them to point out some blind spots in your life. It won’t be fun. But you’ll be better for it in the long run.

500 Miles To Drop By

My old church met in a school, so we would do the set up and break down every Sunday. I’d be lying if I told you it never got a little tedious, but overall it was a lot of fun and something I didn’t mind doing. I would meet a church member named Oscar at 7am every Sunday, we would hook up the trailer to his truck, haul it the 6 miles to the school, and unload it and begin setting stuff up. It soon became a time I looked forward to, and through the course of that singular purpose we developed a friendship.

Oscar visited our church on the very first Sunday. The truck the church owned actually broke down on that first Sunday and we weren’t able to use it to get the trailer back to the storage unit. Oscar volunteered to pull the trailer back with his truck, and he never missed a Sunday helping out with the trailer after that, unless he was out of town (which wasn’t very often).

Now I am living in Iowa. Oscar was in Indiana on a job, and he “dropped by” to see us. I looked at mapquest, and he made a 496.59 mile trip to drop by. He was here for about 3 hours before he had to head back to Houston. I’m glad he stopped by; it was very good to see him.

Did Superman Need Jesus?

Do you remember that thermometer I told you about awhile ago? It is wireless, we have a sensor outside, and the base tells us what the temperature is outside and inside as well as the lowest and highest yet registered. So far the warmest day we have had was 75 degrees, until a couple days ago.

I was outside grilling some stuff for supper and I went inside to get a drink. The base to the thermometer sits next to our fridge, so I glanced at it to see what the temperature was outside because it felt good. I mean I was grilling outside, so it had to be decent. It said the temperature was 90.7 degrees!

I was amazed it was that warm, then I remembered where the sensor was. It needs to be covered so it is out of the weather. I had put it on the shelf underneath the grill with the wire hanging out a couple feet behind it. It was picking up some radiant heat from the grill. It still felt good outside, but it wasn’t 90.7 degrees.

This reminded me of something Jesus said when he spoke about how he is the vine and we are the branches and we can’t do much of anything unless we’re connected to him. We may feel like Superman and we’re invincible and don’t need Jesus, but sooner or later we’re gonna be reminded that we do need him. We might as well make it a point to be connected to him on a regular basis now so we don’t have to go through a potentially painful reminder later.

As a pastor and church planter, it is too easy for me to hit the ground running or get bogged down in details when I should be spending time with Jesus and working on my connection with him so that I can indeed bear fruit. I’ve got to be intentional. How about you?

How Do You Treat God?

I went to the Redbox at McDonald’s this evening to return “I Am Legend.” Good movie. I had to wait for a couple minutes because someone else was using the machine trying to rent “27 Dresses.” The machine wouldn’t accept his card.

Anyway, while I was waiting I noticed a young mother who was dining there with her child. The reason I noticed her is because her child was throwing a fit. The kid was sitting in a high chair and couldn’t have been more than a year old, but was making enough noise for 5 or 6 kids. I turned around and looked, and this mother was sitting there with a smile on her face, holding a huge ice cream cone, saying, “No, I need to hold it. No, I need to hold it.” It was obvious that she was sharing her ice cream, but the kid was wanting to hold the cone and eat it all himself. How ungrateful. How immature. But not really surprising.

We expect that kind of behavior from babies, don’t we? I thought it was cool that this young mother was being patient and kind and cool under pressure. I give her props.

But how often do we act like that child towards God? You know what I’m talking about. God gives us a gift, but we focus on what he hasn’t given us. He grants us goodness, but we want so much more and we want it right now, so we view his timing as a lack of compassion.

Do you act like a whining, blabbering, snotty-nosed, fit-throwing kid towards God sometimes? I know I do.

Track Meets & What They Taught Me

Last evening I went to my daughter’s track meet. She just runs a couple events, so I am only fully engaged for about 3 minutes of the 4 hour track meet. But as I sat there watching, I finally noticed something that is really cool.

Something that has bugged me was how at each track meet so far they run at least a dozen 100 meter dashes. The kids line up, the gun goes off, the kids run as fast as they can across the finish line, then the next group of kids line up and the process starts again. I always thought they were wasting time.

But last night I was actually paying attention and I noticed as each group takes their turn, it becomes obvious that the slower and “less fit” kids are taking part. During some of the other events, some kids are even lapped.

Here is what I have witnessed so far … no kid has ever quit. Even though they do not look the type and are running well behind the leader, they are giving their 100%. They are trying their best. And as these lone runners are making their way past the stands, the crowd claps and cheers and many of their team mates encourage them on as if they were about to set a record and win a gold medal. Very cool. In the big city the competition is so much that these kids would not even be allowed on the team.

I’m glad we’re back in an area where kids can be kids and everyone is part of the team. It’s amazing the things you notice when you pay attention.