Persecution and Grace

I just wanted to share with you about a man named Farooq Keiser. Farooq is in both my ethics and old test. class. He is a christian who converted from Islam with a pretty intense story. This is his testimony.

I was born in 1973 in a middle class Muslim family in the east part of
the Nepal. My father was a religious leader of the community. As I was
growing up, my parents taught me the basic teachings of Islam. It
began with 'Kalima" which said: "there is no deity but Allah and
Mohammed is the prophet of Allah", because of this statement I was
brainwashed to believe that this was the only truth. I was taught that
there is no better religion than that of Islam and that only Muslims
are the true followers of God. All the other religions were called
"KAFIR", means paganism. Up until then I was never able to find peace
and love in my family. My father had problems with my uncles about
property and my grandfather had problems with his sons. Later, I found
that most of the robbers, thieves, murderers, and terrorists were
mostly Muslims. I began to question that if the Muslims are the
followers of the only true God then why were they so bad? Secondly I
was wondering why Muslims were one of the poorest communities in the
world and why they were always at war etc? Beside these questions, I
had asked so many other questions to my father but he had never been
able to satisfy me with his answers. Now, slowly I started to doubt
and hate Islam.

At the age of 12, I was trying to find a musical radio station on my
radio after finishing my homework. I was suddenly stopped when I heard
a voice and began to listen to it carefully trying to find out the
title of the song. To my surprise, the person never mentioned anything
about the movie song; instead it said "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT
HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM, SHALL NOT
PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE." Then there was a brief story about
Jesus Christ that came into this world by virgin birth, performing
many miracles, as well as dying on a cross for sinners and who on the
third day raised to life again. Even though I did not know who Jesus
was I started weeping. I have never heard such an incredible story
before in my life. Since then I became a regular listener of that
program and after 5 to 6 months, I came to a conclusion that if there
is any loving, forging and living God that must be Jesus Christ. I
confessed my sin and accepted Jesus as my Savior. At that time there
were neither church nor any Christians in that area. After some time I
went to Delhi for higher education and started to attend a church and
got baptized in 1991 in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Still, I was a nominal believer, without anyone strong
discipling, along with a desire for personal fame.

In 1992 I went to Mumbai with the purpose of joining Bollywood to
become a movie director. As I was working there in an attempt to
accomplish my dream, I had to leave Bollywood because of Hindu and
Muslim riots. I went to Thailand on business where I was discipled by
a friend and began to know God more intimately. As I started to grow
in intimacy with God, I got a vision and burden for the lost souls of
Nepal. Therefore, I resigned my job and returned to Nepal in 1996.
After attending a short training school I started preaching the
gospel. The Muslims of my community got very angry and starting making
plans to kill me. My family kicked me out of the house because of my
faith and asked me never to come back again. My mother said, "Son, I
had 4 sons but from today on one son has died for me." I have never
imagined that a mother can say that to her son. Full of tears I left
home never to come back home again. The love of Christ gave me grace
to forgive my family and love them. After one and a half years of
fervent prayer, most of my family members are walking with Christ and
have started a fellowship at home. Besides that, several other Muslims
responded to the Gospel. At present I am leading two Hindu and five
Muslim background Churches in Nepal. I often face death threats and
persecution is very common.

However I have made a commitment that "If I live I live for Christ and
if I die I die for Christ. Nothing can separate me from the love of
God."

Your brother in Christ,

Farooq Keiser

Job of a lifetime

Well its been really busy around these parts of town. I have been swamped with class, papers, and my wonderful job that I'm so thankful for. I am an Intern of Student Ministries at Calvary Bible Church, Boulder and Erie campuses. It has been an amazing experience thus far. I am learning a ton of new things right now. Whether it's planning a dodgeball tournament, hanging with students, or teaching on a Sunday morning or Tuesday night. The people I work with are so uplifting, easy going, and happy all the time. It is exciting and fun everyday I get to go in and be apart of the team. Right now, my partner in crime (Stephen Milburn) and I are planning a corn maze for next Saturday. We have had fun making a video for it and putting a bit of a twist into the actual corn maze activity. But before we get to Saturday, we have to get the program together for this weeks TNT (high school youth group, short for Tuesday Night Thing.... its real creative isn't it). Right now we are in a Dodgeball series and we are starting the first week of playoffs tommorow night. We are giving away $800 to the winning team of 8 players. Intense huh? Its a ton of fun. I ususally get to ref and call out crazy vulgar mouthed high schoolers for getting hit by the blury yellow ball. Its GREAT watching them get so pissed off just because i "saw" them get hit by the rhino ball. They slam the ball they have in their hand down to the gym floor, and more than likely they will also slam down "Oh F-Bomb!!" It is truly a God given moment. Then I tell them they are going to Hell for that. After I tell them they are going to Hell, I envite them to come listen to me teach on how they can be saved from going to Hell on the following Sunday morning. So I guess some of them won't be going to Hell. Anyway.... This Sunday I am teaching for the first time at Crave (the high school Sunday School) I dont know what I'm gonna teach about yet other than the fact our Series is The Apprentice. So please pray that i don't blow it, and suck it up (half joking laughter)!

Unfriendly Roomie

So in the last two weeks, I have had two different confrontations, with two different house-mates. Both, unsurprisingly have the notoriuos bad temper and bad communication skill combo. Im just gonna share with you one of these fun filled encounters, and save the other for a later time. Sunday Sept. 2- I had just gotten home from a nice fun filled day of paintball. I was a bit hungry so I decided to mosey on into the kitchen to get a bite to eat. The kitchen was filled with this Southern Baptist choir music (I really wanted to take the radio and drop kick it out the window). I started walking towards the fridge when I saw someone at the table out of the corner of my eye. I looked at him and said "hey Brad, how are you doin today?" As I kept walking towards the fridge, waiting for a response, I looked back and he was just staring at me. I stopped, turned around, and started back at the table he was sitting at and asked once again "hows it goin today Brad?" Oddly enough, he kept staring at me. So one last time (as I stood at the side of the table) I asked how he was doing. His deep intense stare gave me the most uncomfortable feeling. He proceeded to stare at me for a few more seconds and he finally turned back at his food and shook his head in disapproval. Now im no communications major, but I think he showed some fantastic communication skills right there. He showed me that he has good eye contact, that he didnt like me, and he didnt want to talk to me all in 3 simple acts. So in the future if you dont like someone, and you dont want to talk to them either. Just do what Brad does and stare deeply, dont talk, and shake your head in disapproval.

P.S.
Brad is not this individuals real name. I changed it for protection of this individuals rights.

Prime location

So, the school year is off and going once again. C.U. students roam the sidewalks like cattle trying to get to class on time, and car horns and screeching tires fill the lovely street of Broadway. The "hill" is packed with people winding through its all of 10 or so streets. Ahhh yes! Being back to this frantic and high energy town is amazing! All that is missing is the first drunken weekend. For everyone who doesn't know, tonight will be the first of many loud and obnoxious nights. It is also the first of many great opertunities to put the wonderful location and design of the Lewis house balcony to use. Hassling the gaggle of intoxicated partiers. Water baloons will soon fill the air like flamming arrows in the dark starry sky! The peircing screams of suprise will finally break through the night and bring justice to this "sin city."