“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). I recently told you about the lady in Afghanistan to whom I minister daily. I invite her to read one chapter of the New Testament and add a very short devotion. We are now near the end of the Gospel of John. We initially communicated via WhatsApp, a popular messaging tool. But our Persian friends here pointed out that this approach was extremely dangerous for her: if the Taliban got hold of her phone and saw her daily interactions with a Christian from abroad, they would stone her (!). So, I switched to using the trilingual website that my wife Lula designed, with which we offer various Christian resources for the Lutheran Persian community here in Germany—and beyond. I post my daily devotions on this website, and the lady in Afghanistan reads them every day (as she recently confirmed). This greatly reduces the risk for her. We have no idea who else is discovering this website. These daily devotions are somewhat like messages in a bottle. The latest devotion (for the link, see below): “Today we read John 16. Do not be surprised if life is difficult, even though you now believe in Jesus Christ. In verse 33, Jesus teaches that we will have difficulties in life. But He also explains that He has overcome the world, in which Satan has so much power. He also gives you the ability to believe in Him—even if you are being persecuted for your faith.” While believing in Jesus Christ might not put you at risk in the U.S. or Europe, you are probably experiencing troubles in some way or another. How fantastic to know that Jesus overcame your trials, too, because they were nailed to the cross in His body and because He defeated death in the empty tomb. Every day He sends out millions of messages in bottles, reminding you that He has overcome your troubles—whether you live in Alaska or in Afghanistan.
The Tiews in Germany 