Acts 16:30-31 “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
“Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story)” by Daniel Nayeri is a true narrative written from the perspective of a 12-year-old refugee boy from Iran living in Oklahoma. It was recognized as a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR. Those periodicals rated it so highly because it is a stunning book about humanity. But, it is also a powerful book about Christianity.
Daniel’s family were forced to become refugees from Iran because his sister and his mom accepted Christ as their Saviour. Doing so was a capital crime, punishable by death after a guilty verdict in a religious court. And so, before they could be slaughtered for their faith, they left their wealthy lifestyle in Iran to live a humble lifestyle in Oklahoma.
Daniel describes the conversion in this way:
“Sima, my mom, read about him [Christ] and became a Christian too. Not just a regular one, who keeps it in their pocket. She fell in love. She wanted everybody to have what she had, to be free, to realize that in other religions you have rules and codes and obligations to follow to earn good things, but all you had to do with Jesus was believe he was the one who died for you. And she believed.”
He then goes on to describe the ramifications of her relationships with Christ:
“It’s true and it’s more valuable than seven million dollars in gold coins, and thousands of acres of Persian countryside, and ten years of education to get a medical degree, and all your family, and a home, and the best cream puffs of Jolfa, and even maybe your life … If you believe it’s true, that there is a God and He wants you to believe in Him and He sent His Son to die for you – then it has to take over your life. It has to be worth more than everything else, because heaven’s waiting on the other side.”
Young Daniel goes on to say this: “What you believe about the future will change how you live in the present.”
As American Christians today, may we not just keep Christ in our pockets, but instead fall in love with Him. May we want everybody to have what we have. May we value our relationship with Him more than everything else. And, may we allow His truths to truly take over our lives.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO INVEST OURSELVES FULLY IN THE CAUSE OF CHRIST IN OUR LAND. After all, what we believe about the future must change how we live in the present.
