Pastor's Corner by Pastor Larry
April, 2006
News broke out this week about a forty-one-year old man in Afghanistan by the name of Abdul Rahman. I initially heard this story from the Osgood File on radio. He confessed to being a Christian at a judicial hearing in Kabul, Afghanistan last Thursday (March 16, 2006). While in his country many years ago, he worked for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees. After that, he moved to Germany where he lived for nine years, and during that time, he became a Christian. Three years ago, he returned to his own country and tried to gain custody of his two daughters who had been living with their grandparents. He has to fight for custody of his own children from his parents because his family disowned him for converting from Islam to Christianity. In the custody battle, when it came out that Rahman was a Christian and carried a Bible, he was immediately arrested and charged with the crime of defecting from Islam, which, is punishable by death under the law. The prosecutor said that he is a reasonable man and offered to drop the charges if Rahman would convert back to Islam. Instead of succumbing, Rahman refused. Abdul Wasi, the prosecutor said, “He (Rahman) would have been forgiven, but he said he was a Christian and would always remain one.”
As this case began to surface to the rest of the western world, diplomats from several countries began to apply “pressure” on the Afghan government. According to one news report, Rahman now seems unlikely to be tried or executed. Prosecutors in Kabul said he might be mentally “unfit” to face trial because of his fanatic attitude towards his newfound Faith. Let us continue to pray for our brother in Afghanistan, that he can be released from prison and gain custody of his children. I sincerely thank this unknown brother in Christ who lives halfway around the world to remind me to stand firm in my Faith. Maybe we should be as “crazy” as he is.
We who live in this free country have a difficult time comprehending what it means to pay a price to follow Jesus. We really don’t know the costs of being Christians in a hostile environment. To us, sacrifice for God only means giving up a little comfort or convenience. Even if it only means that, we still need to develop a willing attitude. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Well, where was Jesus going? He was on His way to Calvary. It was for this reason He came—to be the ultimate sacrifice for the Sin of the world. He invites us to follow His example of sacrifice.
Before I sign off, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that Jesus came in order to die. He willingly chose this road to Calvary so that we may have eternal life. The world and everything in it will pass away one day. Giving some of it up will not hurt us for too long, for if we are in Christ, we will be with God in eternity.
Pastor Larry
