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And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). This Thanksgiving weekend, indeed, this whole month, Lula and I give great thanks to our Lord for calling us to serve in Eurasia—but also to you, dear friends, for supporting us … Continue reading A Blessed Thanksgiving

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). *** “Pastor, should I tell my father that I am getting baptized?” one of my Iranian catechumens, 18 years old, asked me last week in class. “My mother is fine about me becoming a Christian. But my father is a strict … Continue reading Breaking Free

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). God willing, on December 3 I will have the privilege of baptizing another class of Iranian catechumens after … Continue reading From Death to Life

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the beard…” (Ps 133:1). These are my awesome Persian ministry colleagues in Hamburg, of whom only one has a beard . From L to R: Rev. Marko Turunen, his wife Siiri (a gifted linguist, musician, and … Continue reading Brothers in Unity

“The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:16). I recently checked up on an Iranian parishioner whom I had not seen in church for a while. I asked him if he was alright. He replied: “I am not doing well. My spirit is sick or … Continue reading Like a Zombie

When I think of October 31st, the first thing that comes to mind is not Halloween but Reformation Day. October 31, 1531, was the day on which Martin Luther—upset that the medieval Church had turned Christianity into something quite different from how the New Testament describes it—wanted to raise an in-house discussion among his fellow … Continue reading The Balm of the Pure Gospel

“Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil” and “when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away” (Mt 13:5-6; 20-21). *** A while back, Lula and I were on Usedom, a Baltic island off northeastern Germany—part of what was once Pomerania. I … Continue reading The Plow of the Gospel

In last week’s baptismal preparation class, a young Iranian said, “Pastor, I recently watched an exorcism movie. Do demons really exist?” “Actually, they do,” I replied. “In extremely rare cases, they can haunt buildings and even possess people.” The room fell silent. “I’ll tell you what…for next week, please read the Gospel of Mark.” The … Continue reading Do Demons Really Exist?

Last Sunday, “Mohammad” and I were talking about how Riga Luther Academy is looking for men wishing to become pastors. “I *do* want to become a pastor and teach people about Jesus,” he replied. “But I can’t go to seminary…I’m a sinner.” Riga Luther Academy—the online English-language Lutheran seminary where several of LCMS missionary colleagues … Continue reading We Are All Beggars

“And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph 4:11-12). Earlier this week, Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens from Berlin, the pastor of the largest Persian Lutheran congregation in Europe (over 1,400 Iranians and Afghans), … Continue reading Persians On Church Field Trip to Hamburg