If you read the Bible in English, you owe a debt of gratitude to William Tyndale. This week marked the anniversary of Tyndale’s execution at the stake for the “crime” of translating the Bible into English:

Last Wednesday's post explains this video diary project and the nature of our trip to Iraq, and includes the first entry in this video diary. You can watch Day 2 here, and Day 3 here.

Wednesday's post explains this video diary project and the nature of our trip to Iraq, and includes the first entry in this video diary. You can watch Day 2 here.

Yesterday's post explains this video diary project and the nature of our trip to Iraq, and includes the first entry in this video diary.

What’s it like when you travel to restricted nations for VOM? That question is one of the most common as I meet people at VOM conferences and as I talk with Christian friends. I hope that in the coming days on the blog you’ll get a little bit of an answer to that question.

God used my recent visit to Enid, Oklahoma, to remind me of a deep spiritual truth.

There is no authority except that which God has established. Romans 13:1

If you've been to a VOM regional conference this year, you may have heard one of the members of the Hovsepian family speak or sing. This family is an amazing part of the legacy of Pastor Haik Hovsepian, the leader of the Assembly of God church in Iran who was martyred for his faith and his outspoken call for religious freedom in his country. It's now been more than 20 years since Pastor Haik was killed, yet the ministry of his family into Iran continues each week via satellite television.

The age old question of “Why suffering?” cannot be adequately answered for anyone facing pain. However, the Bible and the Christian faith are full of the testament that as believers we can do more than just get through suffering, we can actually exploit evil for our benefit. Romans 8:28 says that “We are MORE than conquerors through him who loved us.” This is not an exhaustive list, but below are five ways that you can exploit evil in your own life:

How can Saul, one earthly creature armed only with a letter from another, be said to “persecute” Jesus of Nazereth who sits at the Father’s right hand? The Lord did not say, “Why do you persecute my people?” Instead he asked, “Why do you persecute me?” Christ was certainly in the glory, but the Christ whom Saul persecuted was somehow also on earth.