This week's persecuted church: Pakistan
Most of the 200,000 Christians in North West Frontier Province are poorly educated and are locked in a cycle of poverty. Most are servants for wealthy Muslims, doing the gardening, cleaning out the toilets and other menial jobs. Rubecca Pervez Bhatti, a 55-year-old Christian mother of four, however, works shifts at a Christian mission hospital while conquering fear of Islamist bombs and kidnappings. She said, "It's ok if my patients ask me every day 'why don't you convert as a Muslim' but the peak was when my son was threatened to convert...People stopped him, asked various questions and then threw a stone at him when he ran off home. Christians are oppressed in this country...When extremists attack Christians, I always consider myself a second-class citizen and practically all Christians feel the same."

Today's OT Bible Study was so good. I really love learning about all those small details that nobody pays attention to (i.e. Goliath's skull relating to "Golgotha"). Different people have told me that I could be pretty nerdy sometimes, but I guess I never thought that could apply to theology. The way I see it, everyone ought to be interested in all those fine details regarding history and culture. Cause if you're not, you're just an ignorant sinner who doesn't love God's Word, right? Hehe. But it's also times like these where I wonder if I should go to seminary too. I guess I've always had this fear that going to seminary = becoming a pastor. And even if I don't become a pastor, the church would probably ask me to lead more Bible studies or give presentations because I'm seminary-educated. Whatever the case, I know what my calling is right now, and seminary is not in the picture. Regardless, let's all have a hunger for God's Word in our minds and lives. Our real daily bread.

Thought of the Day: Shawn
Song of the Day: Chris Tomlin-How Great Is Our God