5 Gold-Medal Olympians Use Colossians 3:23-24 to Achieve Glory - BETHANY BLANKLEY CHARISMA NEWS

Michael Phelps (USA) of USA reacts after winning. (REUTERS/David Gray)

5 Gold-Medal Olympians Use Colossians 3:23-24 to Achieve Glory

8/12/2016 BETHANY BLANKLEY  CHARISMA NEWS

Following Part One, here are the next five of 10 young American Christian Olympic athletes competing in the 2016 Olympics.

They are remarkable as athletes alone. But it's their faith that makes them stand out even more—beyond the world recognition for record-breaking accomplishments.

Allyson Felix, 30, Team USA Track and Field

Allyson Felix is already an accomplished Olympic Gold medalist. She told Beyond the Ultimate, an organization dedicated to sharing Christian athletes' testimonies, that she accepted Jesus Christ into her life at a young age, but "is still a work in progress." She says:

"I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior at a very young age. Ever since then, I have continually been striving to grow in my relationship with God. I was nowhere close to the perfect child. I had my share of difficult times along with some disappointing choices that I made, but thankfully God never stops loving me."

If she's not running on the track, she says:

"My goal is to be more Christlike each and every day and that is not an easy task. I know that I'm trying to be something different from [other Olympic runners] and after I run I hope that people can distinguish [Christlike] character in the way I present myself."

Missy Franklin, 21, Team USA Swimming

Missy Franklin qualified for the 2008 Olympic trials at the age of 13.

Then, when she tried out for the 2012 Olympic games, Franklin became the first woman in history to qualify for seven Olympic events.

Franklin told Charisma magazine that "God is present at the Olympic games." She explains:

"Once every four years, athletes, families, friends and fans come together from all over the world. I know God will be there and I hope many of the people there will also feel His presence. He will offer us the opportunity to appreciate and love our similarities and differences."

Tobin Heath, 28, Team USA Soccer

The leader of the U.S. Women's Soccer team is a rock star. Two-time gold medalist Tobin Heath is a midfielder who loves playing soccer. But she loves something else even more—expressing the love of Jesus Christ to others. She told Beliefnet:

"If you see being a role model as a platform where you can pour into others for Jesus with love, that's where I want to be. Becoming known or noticed in my sport isn't what's drives me to work hard and want to be the best I can be. It's Jesus. That's why I play. I play to glorify Him."

Heath adds that her faith helps her stay motivated both on and off the field. She says:

"I try to keep that as my motivation when I step out on the field every day whether it's practice or a game. It's to work as hard as I can in thankfulness for what He's given me and hopefully some of that can come back to Him."

Michael Phelps, 31, Team USA Swimming

No one needs an introduction to Michael Phelps who has broken every world record and Olympic record in swimming, even his own. He is the most decorated Olympian in the history of the games. What many people may not know is that Michael Phelps is a Christian who credits God with saving him from committing suicide.

After achieving international fame that comes with winning more gold medals than anyone else in history, Phelps struggled with substance abuse. He also struggled with the emotional fallout of family issues in 2014. All of the pressure and success and personal struggle avalanched to a point where he thought dying would be better than living.

But God had other plans. Phelps' Christian friend and athlete Ray Lewis gave him Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life. He expressed his gratitude in an ESPN broadcast for his newfound faith. He says:

"It's turned me into believing that there is a power greater than myself and there is a purpose for me on this planet ... I think it helped me when I was in a place that I needed the most help."

Bubba Watson, 37, Team USA Golf

Bubba Watson's Twitter bio simply states: "Christian. Husband. Daddy. Pro Golfer."

This is putting it modestly. Watson is the only pro-golfer to have won two Masters Tournaments in three years, "becoming the fastest golfer in history to win his second green jacket. He bested Horton Smith, who won his second Masters on his third attempt in 1936, and Jimmy Demaret (1947) and Arnold Palmer (1960), each of whom needed six starts."

Despite this, however, Watson says, golf comes after his Christian faith.

According to The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, since getting baptized in 2004, Watson is "getting more in the Word and realizing that golf is just an avenue for Jesus to use me to reach as many people as I can."

Becoming a Christian has helped him curb his temper and to be a stronger witness for Christ. Citing Christian rapper Lecrae, Watson says:

"Lecrae said it the best. He doesn't want to be a celebrity. He doesn't want to be a superstar. He just wants to be the middle man for you to see God through him."

Bethany Blankley worked in politics for over 10 years, on Capitol Hill for four U.S. Senators and one U.S. Congressman, and in New York for a former governor. She also previously taught at the New York School of the Bible and worked with several nonprofits. She earned her master's degree in theology from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and her bachelor's degree in politics from the University of Maryland. She is a political analyst for Fox News Radio, and she has appeared on television and radio programs nationwide. Follow her: @BethanyBlankley,bethanyblankley.com.

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!

Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.

Togolese President to Rivlin: “Nations of Africa Admire Israel’s Achievements” - Jonathan Benedek BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

President Reuven Rivlin hosted President of Togo Faure Gnassingbé at his residence in Jerusalem, on August 10, 2016. (Photo: Mark Nayman/GPO)

Togolese President to Rivlin: “Nations of Africa Admire Israel’s Achievements”

By Jonathan Benedek August 12, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“A man void of understanding is he that striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his neighbour.” Proverbs 17:18 (The Israel Bible™)

In a display of the high value that Israel has placed on advancing and expanding its ties with African countries, President Reuven Rivlin celebrated Israel’s bilateral relationship with Togo at a meeting in Jerusalem with Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé.

“We, together with many European nations, see that Africa is the future, and therefore I am proud and greatly appreciate the opportunity to welcome you here, with the hope that your visit will represent another step up in the relationship between our two countries,” the Israeli president told his Togolese counterpart.

President Rivlin also expressed appreciation for the Israeli entrepreneurs who have contributed to the development of Africa and of Togo in particular.

“Our ability in agriculture, together with our technological capabilities have led us to many achievements,” Rivlin continued. “I know the great efforts you are making in these fields and we are proud of the many Israelis who are investing in your country.”

President Gnassingbé’s visit to Israel follows that of Marcel Alain De Souza, president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Togo is a member. While in Israel two weeks ago, De Sousa sought Israel’s assistance in leading the next generation of the organization’s member states.

“We need development and wish to weave more and more ties with Israel,” De Souza had told Rivlin. “We have an abundance of raw materials and wonderful youth who need training and guidance.”

As he did with De Souza, Rivlin committed to lending more assistance to Africa.

“Israel is interested in being involved in assisting with the humanitarian issues, initiatives, and the rebuilding taking place in Africa,” stressed Rivlin.

President Gnassingbé acknowledged that Israel’s contributions throughout Africa are much appreciated.

“The people of Togo admire what Israel has achieved, an admiration shared by many nations in Africa and around the world,” Gnassingbé told Rivlin. “I am moved and inspired anew by your infrastructure and by the growth that I have seen, and I know that this is not to be taken for granted.”

Common English Words That Are Actually Hebrew - Tsivya Fox BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Common English Words That Are Actually Hebrew

By Tsivya Fox August 12, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.” Genesis 11:1 (The Israel Bible™)

As the Bible testifies, the world was originally populated by people all speaking one language: “And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.” (Genesis 11:1). In Jewish tradition, that language was Hebrew, as the sages state that God “looked into the Torah [written in Hebrew] and created the world”.

However, after the Great Flood, pride got the better of the new generation. The people used their unified speech to turn against God. They strove to build a tower in order to reach heaven and make them “equal to God”.

One characteristic of man which God most abhors is arrogance. Therefore, He destroyed their ability to understand one another by splitting them into seventy different nations with seventy different languages.

Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. (Genesis 11:7)

It is interesting that there are many words in English whose roots lie in Hebrew. This is a possible throwback to the time of the Tower of Babel story when everyone spoke Hebrew.

Here are just a few examples:

Abracadabra

Commonly used by magicians to make things appear or disappear, the word is likely derived from Hebrew or Aramaic (a Semitic language related to Hebrew). It is comprised of abra (אברא) and c’dabra (כדברא) which loosely translates as, “I create as I speak.”

Babble

When a baby speaks indiscernible gibberish, we say that he is babbling. The source of this word is the Biblical Tower of Babel story, as is says in Genesis 11:9, “That is why it was called Babel (בבל)—because there the Lord confused [bavel] the language of the whole world.”

Brouhaha

This word most likely stems from the Hebrew baruch ha’ba (ברוך הבא), which means “blessed is he who comes” as a brouhaha is an excited public situation usually caused by someone attending a sensational event.

Maven

A maven is someone who understands or is an expert in something. The word stems from the Hebrew mevin (מבין) which means “understanding”.

Messiah

The one who we all wait for to anoint the world with peace. The word comes from the Hebrew mashiach (משיח) which means “anointed”.

Sabbatical

In this overly busy day and age, we all crave a sabbatical, a time of rest. The word stems from Shabbat (שׁבת) which is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible, the first being in Genesis 2:3, “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested (Shabbat) from all his work that he had done in creation.”

“With today’s technical advancements, people all over the world are able to communicate in the same language,” noted Roni Segal, academic adviser for eTeacher Online Language Academy, to Breaking Israel News.

A new way to learn, eTeacher provides online lessons in languages via a virtual classroom made up of students from all over the world.

“People are particularly keen on learning the language of the Bible from a native Hebrew speaker. It’s kind of like returning to our ancient roots, only this time we’ll learn from our past mistakes,” she said with a smile.

Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire – Focusing on the Jewish Revolution that Led to the Destruction of the Second Temple - video

Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire – Focusing on the Jewish Revolution that Led to the Destruction of the Second Temple

ISRAEL VIDEO NETWORK

Share on Facebook

The Youtube video below only works in some countries, not all. If it does not work for you, you can watch the video clips below with this very important movie.

Part 1

Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Israeli-Arab Conflict Rears Ugly Head at Olympics - JONATHAN FELDSTEIN CHARISMA NEWS

Maria Bernabeu of Spain and Linda Bolder of Israel (in blue) compete in Judo during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Toru Hanai/Reuters )

Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Israeli-Arab Conflict Rears Ugly Head at Olympics

8/12/2016 JONATHAN FELDSTEIN  CHARISMA NEWS

I hosted a Christian journalist recently. She wanted to visit a "settlement" to see for herself what life is like—to understand better the Jewish connection to biblical Judea and Samaria and actual life on the ground here in Israel.

What she learned, witnessed and took away is very different from that which is portrayed in the world media, and among those with anti-Israel agendas that delegitimize Israel's very existence. 

At the top of a hill overlooking the adjacent Arab village next to my neighborhood, so close that someone with a good arm could throw a baseball from one to the other, I noted how there was no wall, no fence, and that relations are good. This is because it's in their interest and because they know that, together, we both thrive. They don't want a barrier. If there were to be one, they'd want to be on our side of it.

I shared how until the beginning of the second intifada in 2000, Palestinian Arab kids used to walk across the rock strewn hill between our communities to play soccer with the Jewish Israeli kids of our town. (Full disclosure: I never witnessed that, but was told first hand by numerous others who did.) But I did witness my oldest son playing soccer in Jerusalem against other teams, including a really good Arab team, coached by a legendary former member of Israel's national soccer team. Maybe Israeli Jews and Arabs don't get along all the time, and more so for our Palestinian Arab neighbors, but we do get along much of the time. Sometimes sports can be a means through which to do so.

Sadly, at the global sporting event that's so significant it's only held every four years and supposed to be the penultimate model of sportsmanlike conduct, a code of behavior that extends beyond the field, any sense of Arabs and Jews getting along is the exception to the rule. While most famous was the 1972 slaying of 11 Israeli athletes in Munich, recognized by the International Olympic Committee for the first time this year in Rio, this year's Olympics have been tarred with Arab unsportsmanlike conduct that we've grown to expect. When it comes to Israel and sports, for most Arab neighbors it's still no holds barred.

As the festivities were about to begin this year, literally with athletes on the way to the opening ceremony, members of the Lebanese team refused to travel on the same bus as Israeli athletes, with some physically attempting to block the Israelis from boarding the vehicle.

"I kept on insisting that we board the bus and said that the Lebanese ... are welcome to leave," Udi Gal, Israel's sailing trainer, reported on Facebook. "The driver opened the door, but ... the head of the Lebanese delegation blocked the aisle and entrance. The organizers wanted to avoid an international and physical incident and sent us away to a different bus."

While reported in June when it happened, in the spotlight of Rio and in the context of overall Arab unsportsmanlike conduct there, Syrian boxer Ala Ghasoun quit the world boxing championship, which was a precondition to qualify for the Olympics for refusing to compete against an Israeli. "I quit because my rival was Israeli, and I cannot shake his hand or compete against him while he represents a Zionist regime that kills the Syrian people," Ghasoun crowed. "If I fight against him, it would mean that I, as an athlete, and Syria, as a state, recognize the state of Israel."

Ghasoun added, "The decision to quit was not mine. It was made by the Syrian Sports Federation and by senior Syrian officials. It was a very difficult decision, because I have worked hard to participate in the championship. But I serve my homeland—my honor and my loyalty belong to Syria." He may not have gotten to fight as he trained, but he did deal a knock out to any sense of peaceful coexistence.

Early in the games, a Saudi athlete, Joud Fahmy, similarly forfeited her first-round judo match, in what Israeli media noted was a maneuver to avoid facing an Israeli judo fighter in the next round.

The Saudi team at least tried to mask their intent and not whitewash it in nationalistic pride or anti-Israel rhetoric. They tweeted that Fahmy had sustained injuries while training and was advised by medical staff not to compete was refuted by Israeli TV which reported that Fahmy was not hurt, but simply dropped out to avoid competing against the Israeli.

Though Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel, an ex-Saudi general led a delegation to Jerusalem recently. Conciliatory moves like this create hope that normal ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia might not be far off. But in this case, the judoka cold have been a sharp shooter because all she did was shoot herself in the foot.

Another foul, but surely not the last, came from a tennis player from Tunis. Malek Jaziri was set to play Israeli Amir Weintraub in the Quarterfinal of ATP Challenger Tennis tournament in Tashkent. But he was sent an email barring him from playing. Tunisia's state news agency boasted that Jaziri received an official email stating, "you are ordered not to play against the Israeli player."

While Israel sported its largest delegation ever, with 47 athletes competing in 17 sports, the Palestinian Authority also fielded its largest delegation with six athletes. Controversy began early with one of their athletes making a series of slanderous claims that she couldn't train because of Israel. Claims of "immense training difficulties" by Palestinian Olympian Mary al-Atrash have rippled across the media over her apparent stretching of the truth.

In June, Reuters reported that the 22-year-old swimmer from Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem, didn't have an adequate pool in which to train. The truth is that she had several places near her hometown where she could have trained. For example, the Murad resort near Bethlehem boasts four Olympic-sized pools.

She could have trained in Jerusalem, but never applied for a permit to do so, as other Palestinian athletes have refused to do in the past. This made her specious claims all the more invalid, that rather than looking to Israel for help or using pools near her home, she chose to blame Israel for something that was a lie anyway, before even dipping her toe in the water.

Lest one think that bad behavior was limited to our Arab neighbors, let me share some "good" news. On opening night a friend in the U.S. noted NBC's lack of coverage of Israel in the opening ceremony. She wrote, "Was I the only one who noticed that almost every country had some combination of intro, map, population, number of athletes, flag bearer's name, and any exciting potential medalists ... oh yeah, every country but Israel! For Israel there was nothing. Israel enters the stadium ... followed by nothing ... less than four seconds and immediately the next country."

The Olympics are still going on, so if you missed these, stay tuned, there's still time for more. However, if an athlete from another country cannot even compete in the same sport as an Israeli without it creating an international incident, there's little hope that we'll be able to reach any kind of long term peaceful coexistence where the pattern of blaming and isolating Israel for all their problems won't just continue. We pray that it will change, but I am not holding my breath, underwater or not. 

Jonathan Feldstein was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six. Throughout his life and career, he has been blessed by the calling to fellowship with Christian supporters of Israel and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel. He writes a regular column for charismanews.com's Standing With Israel. He can be reached at firstpersonisrael@gmail.com.

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!

Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

Shabbat Before the Destruction ✡ "The Lord Your God, Who Goes Before You" - ISRAEL 365

Then I said to you, "Do not be broken and do not fear them! The Lord your God, Who goes before you, He shall make war for you, like everything He did for your in Egypt, before your eyes." Deuteronomy 1:29-30 (The Israel Bible™)   וָאֹמַר אֲלֵכֶם  לֹא תַעַרְצוּן וְלֹא תִירְאוּן מֵהֶם  יְ-הוָה אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶםהוּא יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אִתְּכֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם לְעֵינֵיכֶם דְּבָרִים כט:ל va-yo-mer a-lay-khem lo ta-ar-tzun v'-lo teer-un may-hem a-do-nai e-lo-hay-khem ha-ho-laykh lif-nay-khem hu yi-la-khaym la-khem a-sher a-sa it-khem b'-mitz-rai-yim l'-ay-nay-khem

Shabbat Inspiration This Shabbat occurs right before the 9th of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. On that day, the First Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians some 2,500 years ago and the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans close to 2,000 years ago. Throughout Jewish history, this day has been marked by suffering and anti-Semitism. On the 9th of Av, we fast and pray, we remember our terrible history and ask God to bring the Messiah and rebuild the Temple as quickly as possible. Help rebuild the Land by planting your very own tree.   Plant a tree to rebuild the Land of Israel » Meaning Behind the Tears Gain deeper insight into the 9th of Av, along with practical life lessons derived from Biblical verses in this engaging video.   Watch here » Will Biblical Mystery Site Gilgal Reveal its Secrets Before Palestinian Dump Destroys It? The true nature of Gilgal, a site that figures prominently throughout the Bible, remains a mystery. Its possible site exists, but in danger of being destroyed before it can reveal its secrets.   Read more » Everyone Has a Hebrew Name!   Names are of utmost importance in the Jewish tradition. Find out your Hebrew Name and its Biblical significance and receive your own personalized certificate.   Learn the Essence of Your Hebrew Name »   Today's Israel Photo Zev Rothkoff's stunning photo of hikers in the Golan Heights of northern Israel. See more photos by Zev Rothkoff » Thank You Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by John Paul Barnes in honor of his wife, Jill Barnes.   Sponsor a day and receive a free devotional book » “These beautiful photos of Israel always bless me” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!   Stay in Touch » Good Morning, Rabbi Tuly,  I lived in Jaffa and area for a few years and that was a photo from the port. I used to hang out there and also, went out on the fishing boats. These beautiful photos of Israel always bless me. Thank you for your blessed 365 ministry. Am Yisreal Chai, Diane, sunny Arizona, USA Praise God, every day I enjoy the inspiring messages and am touched and blessed. Papua New Guinea stands with Israel for we are serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.- Trisa Moka Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

Copyright © 2016 Israel365, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for daily Israel Scenes and Inspiration on our website,www.israel365.com. Our mailing address is: Israel365 34 Nahal Ein Gedi Apt #17 Beit Shemesh 9909875 Israel

Beyond Jesus Dreams: The Matthew 11 Verse That's Turning Muslim Hearts to Christ - LYNDSEY KOH/MISSION NETWORK NEWS CHARISMA NEWS

Displaced Iraqi people, who fled from Qayyara because of Islamic State violence, gather at a refugee camp. (REUTERS/Azad Lashkari )

Beyond Jesus Dreams: The Matthew 11 Verse That's Turning Muslim Hearts to Christ

8/11/2016 LYNDSEY KOH/MISSION NETWORK NEWS  CHARISMA NEWS

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

---

We've kept you updated on the situation in Fallujah, Iraq, the town under ISIS control that was recently reclaimed by Iraqi troops. Thousands of people from Fallujah had fled to a nearby refugee town dubbed the City of Refuge.

Frontiers USA tells us in the last 18 months, through the work of indigenous missionaries, over 140 of those people in the City of Refuge have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.

As Iraqi forces now work to secure Fallujah and resume public sanitation, Frontiers' President Bob Blincoe says some of these new Christians want to go back to their homes and share the hope they've found through Christ for the first time in Fallujah!

"They are attracted to go home because that is the place they knew as where they lived their lives. And there's no future for them in the refugee tents in the City of Refuge. But now they have a mission, and they feel jubilant in the Lord. They have been baptized, most of these groups that they're working with have been baptized, which is the real step of faith in the Muslim world."

What is it about the gospel message that strikes such a chord with Muslim refugees?

Blincoe shares, "For the first time, there are enough Muslims who have come to faith to actually do the kind of surveying to understand from their perspective what was the attractive thing about the gospel. More than any other answer, they refer to Jesus' words, 'Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden. Learn of me, I will give you rest for your souls, for I am meek and humble.' This way of the Lord, this unexpected hope for miserable people, for desperate people, is the No. 1 reason."

The possibility for a growing and flourishing Church in Fallujah and the City of Refuge is having a domino effect. What started as a handful of local missionaries sharing Christ with their neighbors in the City of Refuge now has those new believers turning and doing the same with their family and friends as well.

"This is driven by Muslims who have come to faith themselves, which is the thing that of course must happen. ... Frontiers works directly with the leaders of this movement. There are five or six essential church-starters, all of them from a Muslim background. So we don't know hardly any of the people that have come to faith. We only know the people that are making disciples, which is really how it should be," says Blincoe.

"We have to set in place the kind of disciple making that does not depend on the missionaries for the extension and the creation of new groups. We have to set in place the idea that once you come to faith, you are born again to make other people come to faith as well."

Testimony From Fallujah Refugees

Blincoe shares one of the testimonies of a new family of believers who escaped Fallujah:

"In Kurdistan, Iraq where many refugees have fled to for safety, I heard one story that tells the whole story, and that's about Layla and her husband and children who fled on foot from ISIS in the city of Fallujah.

"They fled on foot, losing ground to the upcoming cloud of the enemy cars and trucks heading their way when, to their great surprise, a pickup truck slowed down and stopped and [the driver] said, 'Get in the back.' They scrambled into the pickup truck and off they zoomed to the nearby city, which we call the City of Refuge where we are working.

"Once they were safe and in a blue tarp tent on the edge of town like thousands of other refugees, they closed the chapter on their lives [and] couldn't go back for now. [They] lost everything but the shoes on their feet and the clothes on their back.

"Then God gave this woman, Layla, this vision of a man who would tell her about Jesus. That happens, I'm not going to say 'often,' but it's often the entry into people hearing from the Lord. That fellow ... was distributing goods and he came to her house the next day and offered to open up the Bible with them.

"This was not a single occurrence, but over several weeks of reading the Bible, the death and resurrection of Christ is finally what caused them to accept the message of the Lord and soften their hearts.

"So over a year ago, they came to faith and since that time they have started a whole network of about 20 groups of Muslim-background believers, mainly families, who are now studying the Word of the Lord through them, through these Muslims who have come to faith. And what she says is, 'God has now given us the pickup truck.' That is, we were saved by others, now He's given us the chance to save others.

"In fact, she is planning to go back to their city of Fallujah, a city that no westerners could possibly show up in, and bring the hope of Jesus Christ to that war-torn city."

The Soul of Iraq

Looking ahead, the church in Iraq is poised for something big. The harvest is so ready, and individuals and families are hungry for a deep and satisfying spiritual hope that can be found only through God's Holy Spirit and His Word.

"Now the real contest for the soul of Iraq begins," says Blincoe.

"We have a sense that we are on the frontlines of the free world. That everything depends on winning the people that have been displaced by ISIS, them going back to their homes, and winning those parts of Iraq where no missionaries can set foot.

"So pray for the extension of the gospel into these places, to the Fallujahs of Iraq, and that would be the beginning of what our children may very well say was, 'When did this all begin? The conversion of the Muslim peoples of Iraq?' We may be seeing it in our time."

It's time for believers and churches all over the world to answer God's call to make disciples of all nations, and to respond to the deep needs for the gospel within the 10/40 window.

One of the best ways you can help is by equipping and supporting the local missionaries in Middle Eastern countries like Iraq to spread God's message to their own hometowns and communities. Frontiers USA is doing just that.

"We can help churches get to the frontlines where there are no campfires, no pushpins, to use that analogy, and start original work among Muslims who are prepared by God through what the Bible calls the man of peace, the person of peace, who God has prepared—as it seems that God has prepared Layla and her husband," challenges Blincoe.

"There are more like that out there still beyond the reach of any missionary. Let's go to those places." 

This article originally appeared on Mission Network News. 

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!

Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.