There must be a list somewhere in the blogosphere that keeps a record of the least-covered or strangest topics. If there is, I am almost certain toilets would be at the top of the list – or should I say bottom? See what I did there? HA!
Well, before you flush this post, let me get to the point: I think the Pakistanis have the right idea when it comes to toilet hygiene. And considering the fact that 99% of all eateries there would never place on a “restaurant report card,” much less pass, that’s saying something!
So, what’s so special about the toilets in Pakistan? The spray nozzles!
You see, the only thing they use toilet paper for in Pakistan is drying your tush, not wiping it. And when you use the toilet paper, you don’t flush it, either; you put it in the trash.
When I was first told what to expect, that I wouldn’t be flushing my toilet paper, it disgusted me! My immediate response was imagining stinking, poopy paper beside me in some trash can. But in reality, it was nothing like that. Thank the Lord!
Actually, beside every toilet – unless you go to where people only have a hole in the ground – is a spray nozzle attached to a long, metal hose. In most cases, it is attached to the wall beside the toilet paper, but not always. Sometimes there was no paper, only a nozzle.
An “executive” restroom in Pakistan
At first it was a little awkward. I mean, it was like taking the spray nozzle from your kitchen sink to your behind. But let me tell you, I got used to it really quickly!
Just the other day I saw a commercial for a particular toilet paper brand, the one that uses animated bears. It talked about how that specific brand of paper had ridges that left you cleaner . . . cleaner than the competition, that is.
But tell me, how to we call something we’ve simply wiped with dry paper “clean”? Does that really make sense? When you wash your hands, do you simply rub them with a dry paper towel until nothing shows on the paper? Would you call that CLEAN?
All this leads me to another thought, one that might not be the safest to contemplate. How did our societies develop such different ways of summing up number two? Europe and Japan are far closer to this way of cleaning one’s rear end than America is. Why? Is there a toilet paper cabal? A cardboard tube syndicate?
So, what’s the moral of this story? How can we benefit from what we’ve learned?
Don’t assume your way is the always the best way. Somebody may nozzle more than you. See what I did there? Know/nozzle … HA! I crack myself up! Ahh! I did it again!
Steve Martin wrote a bluegrass song (well, he sang it on stage with the Steep Canyon Rangers, at least) about atheists not having any songs. It was funny. I even saw him sing it live a few years ago.
On the other hand, Christians have multiple holidays! There is Easter (just around the corner), Christmas, St. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Lent, Boxing Day, All Saint’s Day, Good Friday, and a few others.
What do atheists have? They have April 1st, April Fool’s Day!
But wait! Don’t atheists celebrate other days as well? Sure, they do!
Besides celebrating Christmas and Easter in their own godless ways, atheists are said to observe at least ten (10) other holidays when they’re not trying to ban crosses from roadsides or mangers from public lawns.
Earth Day – This is the day when atheists can pretend to have a god, name it Maya, and celebrate its existence as they try to preserve it.
Solstice – When the planets all line up, or when the days and nights get long, atheists can celebrate the complexity of an intergalactic machine that made itself.
Arbor Day – When even the loneliest atheist needs love, they can hug a tree.
Mothers and Father’s Day – Hey, even atheist have parents. They didn’t come from monkeys, you know.
July 4th – The perfect holiday for the American atheist who is happy his ignorant, bigoted, racist, religious Forefathers (along with a couple of intellectual agnostics) decided to start a new country founded on free speech and the freedom of religion. It gives him something he can fight against, which is practically everything they stood for.
World Health Day – Because even atheists hate getting the flu, AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis, and Covid-19. And don’t forget their mental health, either.
International Talk Like a Pirate Day –Arrrg! Who doesn’t enjoy talking like a mythical version of a murderous criminal of the sea, right?
El Día de los Muertos – This is a Latin holiday, the Day of the Dead. Atheists love to reminisce about those who have gone on before, keeping their memory alive…because that’s all they’ll ever have.
International Coming Out Day – Because closets are for clothes, old video tapes of NOVA, and apprehensions.
Richard Dawkins’ Birthday – It’s sorta like Christmas, but without the virgin birth, nasty mangers, hope, and angels. There’s plenty of worshiping, however.
But seriously, no holiday is more fitting for the atheist than April Fool’s Day. After all, isn’t it the fool who says in his heart there is “no God” (Psalm 53:1)?
So, HAPPY ATHEIST DAY! …within reason, of course. 😉
So much has already been said about the Oscar incident. You know, the one where Will Smith slapped the poop out of Chris Rock? Therefore, I’m not going to pretend that anything I write is going to be new or unique.
But who knows?
First, had it not been for the slap, I would have never even known the Acadamy Awards show was happening. Gone are the days when I had any interest at all. That was probably back when there were only 3 channels and the only other things on were re-runs of Gunsmoke or a variety show.
Second, people literally get naked and commit adultery right on the screen in front of us, yet THIS shocked people! Seriously? Like, oh, it’s OK for elitist egomaniacs to titillate us with their vulgarity and blasphemy, but did you see that??!! He just slapped him!
Third, Will and Jada Smith openly brag about their “open marriage.” In other words, the only part of being faithful to each other that they observe as husband and wife is staying together even when the other is regularly committing adultery. Instead of exhibiting the faithful love of Hosea, it’s Ho-say-us. Yet, instead of getting upset that his wife defiles his marriage bed, he goes ballistic over an ill-advised joke.
Fourth, what kind of pansy faker slaps another man, anyway? You’d think that all the action movies Will Smith had acted in would have taught him what a MAN would do in this instance. Sure, it was wrong and immature to do what he did, but once the line had been crossed, who defends his wife in front of millions of people by slapping somebody? Ever heard of using your fist, Will? Weirdo.
Fifth, Will’s son, 23-year-old Jaden, commented about the event later on Twitter. He said, “And That’s How We Do It.” Way to go, Will. Or should I say, way to be teaching your son about life, dude. Obviously, this wasn’t a shock to Jaden.
Sixth, every penguin-clad hypocrite in that room was a coward. Not one person got up and walked out in protest. Not one person went over to Will Smith and demanded he apologize to Chris Rock. Not one person objected to Smith receiving an Oscar only moments later. No, everybody knew who the “star” was, and nobody dared unhitch from him.
Remember this the next time Hollywood releases another video telling the rest of us how immoral we are when our values don’t align with theirs.
I love to drive, and I love to drive fast. As a matter of fact, every automobile I’ve owned (with only a few exceptions) has been taken up to 100mph at least once. It’s just a thing I do.
Have you ever driven on a freshly paved road? Remember when in the movie “Cars” they drove around on a freshly re-paved road and loved it? That’s the kind of driving surface that cries out for speed! I love it.
And then there was Pakistan.
Rough Roads
Honestly, the roads in Pakistan were not as bad as some others on which I’ve driven (or ridden). The roads in Zimbabwe were pretty darn rough. They were so rough that guys would sit on the side of the road with air compressors and offer to air up your tires for a dollar. The roads were so bad that your tires would lose pressure!
Then there are also the roads where I live in middle Georgia. The paved roads are just fine; it’s the DIRT roads that are sometimes a challenge. There are a lot of dirt roads in middle Georgia.
However, in Pakistan the roads, on average, were not capable of sustaining any kind of speed. The only time that was possible was when one traveled on the main highway between major cities. That was as nice as a modern American highway.
Rule-less Roads
But it wasn’t the roughness or the smoothness of the Pakistani roads that stuck in my mind. No, what contributed to my PTSD was the fact that there are NO RULES!
Oh, I know what you are probably thinking. You think that I’m overreacting. You think that it’s only because I’m used to the rules of the road in my own country, that there are rules, but I was not culturally sensitive to them.
And you would be wrong. Sorry.
Look, the only – and I mean ONLY – rule I observed over the many hours my life was put in danger was that there were two directions. In other words, when you want to go somewhere in Pakistan, you go in that direction. When you are going in that direction, you and all the other people traveling in that direction are to use only one side of the road. All the people going in a different direction are to use the other side of the road. That’s it!
Oh, wait… I just thought of another one. My bad.
The only other rule has to do with who has the right of way. It’s pretty simple, though. The bigger the vehicle is the more right of way it has. It’s called the “Get out of the way or die!” rule.
Only Guidelines
Now, remind me … did I say that there were essentially only two rules of the road in Pakistan? I’m sorry for misleading you. Actually, there are no rules – they are only guidelines.
Remember how I said that you only need to stay on one side of the road? That’s not entirely true. You know those lines we have in the middle of roads that separate lanes? Not in Pakistan. No, all you have is a road. YOU decide where it is on the road you want to be, depending on who is in front of you.
Here in America, we have rules regarding when it is safe to pass another vehicle. One of the rules of which you might be familiar is “never pass when there is a double yellow line.” Not in Pakistan. When someone is slowing you down, just pass them … even if traffic is coming in the opposite direction. I mean, they will move over into the dirt when they see you coming, so do what you need to do!
Something Strange
But there is something strange about the differences between Pakistani driving and, let’s say, the way people drive in a large American city.
For example, when I drive through cities like Nashville, Chattanooga, Augusta, and Atlanta, what I see are multiple lanes of organized and heavily regulated traffic. Here there are clearly delineated lanes, traffic lights and signs, and even plenty of law enforcement to keep a watch on things.
Pakistan vs. Atlanta, GA
When I traveled on the roads of Pakistan, there were no lines, no regulations, very little law enforcement, and hardly any street/traffic lights or signs.
Yet, the whole time I was in Pakistan – no joke – I never witnessed a single accident. Not one!
THAT should make a person question a lot of things, right?
Travel down any American highway and you will see accidents all the time. Even in the most orderly and regulated settings, somebody is going to do something stupid and crash. And even if you don’t witness cars having a wreck, let somebody cut another person off and you WILL see fingers raised and maybe a little road rage.
Travel in Pakistan and you will see people weaving in and out, cutting others off, driving aggressively and pushing themselves into flow, yet you will never see anyone flipping another off or hear anyone yelling obscenities. No, what you will see is mutual respect, acceptance, understanding, and this attitude of “it’s just the way things are, so don’t get your panties in a wad.”
With all our rules, American drivers are less mature than those with no rules or regulations. Strange.
A Powerful Lesson
So, I think there is a powerful lesson to learn from all this talk about traffic. It has to do with the rules and regulations that are constantly pushed upon us and down our throats.
It’s not only America, but in most all Western nations there is this idea that the government knows best. They treat all us citizens as children, not adults, who need to have our hands held through every facet of life, especially when driving.
One of the greatest examples of this is the traffic camera. Because the government (local and otherwise) cannot trust us to drive responsibly, they put of cameras that check our speed, watch us at intersections, and generally track us wherever we go. It’s like, “I’m giving you rules to show you what you’re allowed to do, but I’m not going to trust you to make the right decisions.”
People who are treated like children will act like children.
But in Pakistan, where there are literally no lines, no lanes, no signs, no lights, and no cameras, the ones treated like responsible adults act like responsible adults – and even in the most dangerous traffic don’t have wrecks.
So, consider the following scriptures. One is from the Old Testament, while the other is from the New Testament (quoting the one from the OT).
But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. – Jeremiah 31:33 For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: – Hebrews 8:10
Where legalism exists, the one subject to the rules and regulations rarely makes the issues of right and wrong a matter of the heart. No, the primary response to legalism is the temptation to push the limits and/or rebel against the authority. This is why so many people who grow up in overly strict religious environments go hog wild when they get out on their own.
Yet, when people are taught what is right and wrong and eventually trusted to make the right decisions as responsible, mature adults, the “law in the heart” guides even when the cameras are missing.
DATELINE: Warthen, Georgia, USA March 26, 2022 Subject: Victor’s Birthday and Needed Books
Greetings in the Name of Jesus!
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Dr. Anthony C. Baker, the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Warthen, Georgia. However, you can just call me Brother Anthony, or “preacher,” or whatever. I’m just a regular guy.
The reason I am writing is to ask of you something very important, and it’s something that I can testify without any reservation to its validity – Brother Victor Samuel is becoming an older man … and he needs a birthday gift.
Now, when I say, “he needs a birthday gift,” I’m not asking that you send him a new tie or a gift card to Cracker Barrell (which he needs to experience one day). No, Victor has asked me to make it very clear that he has enough clothes, and he rarely wears ties, anyway. And as for gift certificates to restaurants, well, they don’t sell bacon in Pakistan, so don’t bother.
Seriously, though, Victor has only one request for his birthday tomorrow (the 27th), and that is for donations toward purchasing the desperately needed schoolbooks for this year. As it is right now, classes at Grace Charity Schools are having to be held back because they don’t have the needed materials.
What kind of cost are we talking about? Well, the total is around $7,000. WHAT! Yes, around $7k. I know that’s a lot for a birthday gift, but it’s not like he’s asking for a second-hand Rolex or a used Toyota. No, in celebration of Victor Sammuel’s birthday, and the fact that, somehow, he has survived another year of Pakistani traffic (which is certifiably insane), all he is asking – along with me – is that you would consider giving generously to help buy these books.
As you may know by now, I have made the trip to Pakistan to see with my own eyes the works in Toba Tek Singh and Kamalia. Folks, all joking aside, these schools are saving not only souls, but also the lives of hundreds of children. I’ve been there. I’ve seen it. The need is real.
Victor and I speaking at the Kamalia CampusMyself and Victor inspecting a brick kiln.I gave each one an American penny as a keepsake.
I know Victor is notorious for asking for money. What? Did I just type that out loud? Yeah, I did. It’s like every time we turn around or click on Facebook, there he is asking, “Hey brother! How are you?” But honestly, if you were in his position, one in which 98% of your funding came from outside donations, what would you do? Part of it has to do with the culture in which he lives, but most of it comes from a sincere heart for reaching the families working in the brick kilns. He is their voice, too.
So, would you help? Would you kindly and gently twist the arm of a loved one or friend? Is there a crack in your child’s piggy bank? Is there any way you could help get these books purchased so 400 plus children can go to school, learn, and not have to stay in the fields making bricks?
You can contact me directly by calling my cell phone, texting me, messaging me on Facebook, or emailing me. You can send money yourself, or you can forward it to me using Venmo, PayPal, etc. Whatever you send and however you send it, when I receive it I will then send it via Western Union. I will pay the sending fees.
Am I the only one, or does it seem that Russia is not as formidable as we thought?
Oh, don’t get me wrong – I still believe Russia is a powerful force with which to be reckoned. If nothing else, they possess a massive nuclear arsenal which still poses a threat to all nations.
But how many of you remember the movie Red Dawn (not the remake, but the original)? Remember how Russia and Cuba were thought of, at least in Hollywood, as capable of mounting an invasion of the USA, splitting the nation in two? Scary stuff when I was young.
As a matter of fact, what is NATO but a reaction to the fear of conflict with Russia? NATO was created in order to solidify a unified defense against a monolithic existential threat which seemed unopposable on one’s own.
Yet, what do we see happening right now in Ukraine? What was supposed to be a cake walk for Putin and the well-equipped, numerically superior, immensely intimidating Russian military has turned into a classic example of “pride cometh before a fall.”
Recent stats released by Ukraine detailing Russian losses so far.
Years ago, shortly after the fall of the communist part in Romania, I visited there for about a month. One of the things I was able to do was explore much of the country via automobile, stay in Romanian homes, and talk candidly with those who had once served in the military, both Romanian and Russian.
Even then, all the way back in the early 1990’s, what became evident by what I saw and heard was that propaganda had built a much scarier enemy than what actually existed. I can still remember the exact words that came to mind as so many truths began to be exposed: “We were afraid of this?”
What Putin as done, and what the people of Ukraine have shown, is that Russia is not only completely incapable, but inherently unmotivated to conquer the West through conventional military means. In other words, despite what we have been led to believe, the Russian military is no more capable of rolling over Europe than a high school bully is able to stand up against a scrappy kid who’s decided not to run.
You know, there are spiritual parallels to this story. There are even stories in the Bible which teach us that numerically and technologically superior foes are often given more credit than deserved, especially in the face of indignant, defiant, and Spirit-led resistance.
So often the Church stands by and cowers, never moving forward and never making a stand, for fear that the Enemy is too powerful and the cost for victory is too high. Yet, even in the face of seemingly overwhelming military strength, the average citizens of Ukraine have taken up arms with a will to fight and have exposed the internal corruption already eating away at the gut of the Red Bear.
Remember what a ragtag group of rebels accomplished against what was then the most powerful military in the world, the “redcoats”? It took a change in tactics and was fueled by an undying hunger for freedom, but the American colonies eventually won their freedom from England.
My question to you is this: Is the struggle you face worth fighting for? Many times, the biggest enemy of freedom is our faulty perception of the foe.
There were two main objectives that needed to be accomplished when I went to Pakistan. Those two objectives were:
To verify all that I had been told about the work and ministry of Grace Charity Schools and Pastor Victor Sammuel was true.
To encourage local pastors and fellow believers with biblical teaching and preaching.
For several years I’ve been the funnel through which many people have given lots of money to support Brother Victor and the ministry in Pakistan. People send me money via PayPal or check, then I send it to Victor via MoneyGram or Western Union. And as you can imagine, each time I would do this there would be someone wondering in what fashion I was being scammed.
Let’s be honest, funding an overseas ministry you’ve never seen in person is risky enough. However, in this day and age when people are losing their life’s savings to scammers every day, it’s no wonder I’ve been thought of as naive, to say the least.
On a side note, we are still trying to get an updated “Memorandum of Understanding” from the Pakistani government, and that is all that remains before Grace Charity Schools can be vetted by an organization called CAFAmerica.org. Once that is done, no more Western Union transfers will be necessary. But until then, I’m stuck with the hand I’ve been dealt.
But, again, that is the main reason why I felt it necessary to travel to Toba Tek Singh for myself. I needed to see what was going on so that I could show everyone else. As the photos below will show, I made it to the school (both campuses) and can testify that the work is legitimate.
Walking with Victor Sammuel outside of classrooms.
The second objective, that being to encourage local pastors and believers, was met in a huge way! Not only did I get to speak at two separate pastor conferences, but I got to speak at several other places, including to a small congregation of believers in a tent right next to a brick kiln.
There are so many other things, but I don’t have the time at this moment to share them with you. However, keep coming back for more insight into this part of the world. What I have to say may surprise you 😉
God Bless!
Stay tuned for more. There’s a lot left to discuss 🙂
The following is an outline for a sermon I have preached a few times. It starts off with some arguments against the “once-saved-always-saved” position. The next part lists six basic arguments in favor of the eternal security of the believer.
Please keep something in mind as you consider the outline: evidence is cumulative. In the legal world it is called the “preponderance of evidence.” In other words, one bit of evidence might not convict, but the collection of evidence pointing in that direction, when overwhelming, leaves little other choice.
Of course, this is only an outline, not the sermon. However, take what I am giving you and print it off, do your own study, and then let me know your thoughts.
“Eternal Security”
Arguments Against “Once Saved, Always Saved”
Observational – How people live that believe it.
Free Will – We are created with a will; we’re not slaves.
Scriptural* (Hebrews 6; 1 John 3:9; 5:18) *These passages, when used against the doctrine of eternal security, are most often themselves misunderstood or taken out of context.
Arguments FOR “Eternal Security”
Creational Argument: We are New Creations (2 Cor. 5:17)
It took a supernatural act to change us
We can’t act supernaturally to change us back
New Birth Argument: We are Born Again (John 3:7,16)
By the Spirit – Jn 3:6
By the Word of God – 1 Peter 1:23
We are not God, so we must remain “born again”
Children of God ArgumentBorn that way – 1 John 5:1; 1 Peter 1:23
Adopted – Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5
Abba – Gal. 4:1-7
The Possession Argument – We belong to Christ
Purchased – 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 7:23 (Bought with a Price)
Given by the Father – Jn. 6:37-40; 10:28-30
Will never be separated – Rom. 8:35-39
Romans 14:8 – For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
He can keep what is His – 2 Tim. 1:12 “…for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” See also:2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The Marriage ArgumentEphesians 5:25-28, 31-32 – Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church…This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
He is faithful, even when we are not.
2 Timothy 2:11-13 “…if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful…”
He is God, not man! – Hosea 11:7-9
It’s a Gift2:8-9 Gift of God, by grace
Romans 11:29 KJV – For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance (irrevocable)
There are always going to be people who question your plans. Not even the Apostle Paul was immune from the naysaying that came not from enemies, but from his most trusted companions. That’s not saying I’m anything like Paul, but I can sympathize with him.
When I made known my desire to go to Pakistan, as I said before, not one single person within my circle of friends and family approved. No, it was more like, “Yeah, riiiight.” And when they were not laughingly questioning my sanity, they were outright warning me that I would probably be killed or kidnapped – then killed.
But like when Paul knew that it was God’s will for him to go to Jerusalem, even though everyone advised against it (Acts 21:12-14), I knew that it was God who was opening the door for me to make this trip.
But how did I know? This is a question that deserves discussing.
How was I so sure that God was leading me to visit Pakistan? How could I be sure that it wasn’t my own desires, my thirst for adventure, or some deep-seated need to prove myself? Granted, the adventure was compelling and there was certainly a need to prove something about myself, but I also wanted to “prove” God!
As a pastor, people look to me for spiritual guidance. They look to me for answers regarding the Bible and how one’s faith can be applicable to life. Yet, when the rubber meets the hot asphalt, most Christians forget from where I power comes. The average Christian keeps the battle-winning Captain of the Lord of Hosts relegated to the cute stories told in Sunday School and forgets that He is still the Conquering King. Therefore, it’s no wonder they were worried for me – they were forgetting Whom they served!
I’ve been forced to put my God to the test in the past, and He was faithful as He promised. I’ve also witnessed Him supernaturally deliver me from a would-be killer who had planned to put a bullet in my head (while I was delivering pizza in Hopkinsville, KY). And, honestly, it’s because of these things, and others, that I kind of felt like young David when he was questioned about going up against Goliath (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
Friends, do you serve the living God that delivered David from the lion, the bear, and Goliath? Do you serve the God who delivered His people out of Egypt? Do you serve the God who opens prison doors? Do you serve the Mighty God who told Joshua, “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest (Joshua 1:9)”?
If you do – if you serve the God of David, Daniel, Moses, Joshua, etc. – then maybe you can understand the frustration and indignation I felt. If this trip was being orchestrated by the true and living God, then I believed without a doubt that He would take care of me.
But once again, was this trip put on my heart by God, or was I just seeking a thrill?
I guess the answer is simple to me, but unless you know what it’s like to walk with the Lord for a while it might sound crazy. What it amounts to is a legal term I learned when my youngest daughter competed in mock trial – “preponderance of evidence.” In other words, knowing the will of God for one’s life rarely comes down to one thing or another, but a combination of things, even a culmination of affirmations.
Consider the following points:
There was definitely a need in Pakistan
I have been supporting a ministry for years, even risking my own reputation
A plea was made for me to come
There was a clear and distinct objective my going would accomplish
There had been much prayer
My original feelings were a big “NO!”, but my heart became burdened over time
A sense of urgency existed
Not going would only serve to relieve me of danger, but the ministry abroad would only suffer
Now, more than ever before, my position and reputation could prove invaluable to others in need
People were willing to give generously when they knew I was actually going.
My going would have a direct impact on life and death circumstances involving hundreds of children.
I was never, ever, not once afraid or intimidated, nor did I doubt that God would provide the means to do everything that needed to be done.
I wanted people to see the God we serve is still the God of the Bible and Joshua 1:9 still applies!
It wasn’t one thing; it was multiple things! And on top of all that, when we seek to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh, His desires become our desires.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. – Psalm 37:4-5 KJV
But there’s one more thing. God could have stopped this trip many times. I even asked Him to stop me from moving forward with it if it was against His will. Yet, doors kept opening and I could do nothing less than walk forward till they closed.
Stay tuned! Next time I will address the actual objectives this trip to Pakistan was meant to accomplish.
The looks on the faces were not encouraging. When I told my wife and family, including my friends and church family, that I felt God wanted me to visit Pakistan, no one – not one – smiled with approval.
As a matter of fact, it was at least four or five years ago that Pastor Victor Sammuel of Grace Charity Schools asked me to come see the work there in Toba Tek Singh, a small town in the Punjab district. But when he first asked me to visit, the reflection of my face in a mirror would have mirrored the ones I was now seeing. You know, the kind with raised eyebrows and a slightly tilted head?
“I’ll pray about it,” was my typical response. But the actual prayers were more like: “God, did you hear what Victor asked me to do? Can you believe him? That would be crazy! I have NO desire to go there, and I don’t think YOU want me to go, either.”
However, time and association have a way of replacing apprehensions with burdens. As the Lord allowed me to be in a unique situation which caused me to become more and more involved with the work there in Pakistan, the more familiar I became with the needs. Yet, as I would share what I learned with others, skepticism remained. Honestly, I couldn’t blame them.
Even when I told the deacons in the church where I pastor that I wanted to go, their skepticism became evident when they immediately began discussing the possibility I was walking into a trap! “How do we know Victor Sammuel is who he really says he is?” one asked. “How do we know you’re not being set up?”
I didn’t. But I trusted God.
And that’s one of the main reasons I wanted – I needed – to go to Pakistan! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to defend myself for giving to a ministry I’ve never seen in person and a man that continually asked for money. If for no other reason, going to Pakistan would either clear Victor Sammuel’s name and my reputation for discernment, or it would confirm the skeptics were right all along and I had been snookered.
Hopefully, finding out I was being scammed would be the worst that would happen. But as everyone knows, Pakistan isn’t known for its Christian-loving hospitality. A lot worse could happen, especially since I would be going it alone.
Stay tuned for the next post! I will continue to unpack the story of my once-in-a-lifetime trip to the land of “killer busses.”
The following is an outline for a sermon I have preached a few times. It starts off with some arguments against the “once-saved-always-saved” position. The next part lists six basic arguments in favor of the eternal security of the believer.
The Recovering Legalist 