A Uyghur Christian in China’s troubled Xinjiang region was released earlier this month after serving two years in a labor camp for alleged “illegal proselytizing” and “leaking state secrets,” according to Compass Direct News sources.

House church leader Osman Imin (Wusiman Yaming in Chinese) was freed Nov. 18, sources said. Authorities had called for a 10- to 15-year prison sentence for Osman but significantly reduced the term following international media attention.

(Photo: China Aid Association)

An outspoken leader of the Uyghur church in the northwestern region of China, Osman was first arrested in 2004 and kept at a detention center in Hotan, southern Xinjiang. Local sources said his arrest was almost certainly related to his church work.

There he was chained to a metal bed in winter and frequently beaten while interrogated. Osman was released on bail on Nov. 18, 2004, but bail was canceled in October 2006. On July 26, 2007, he was again placed under supervised house arrest and finally detained by police on Nov. 19 of that year on the charge of “revealing state secrets.”

Authorities denied him access to a lawyer, and in June 2008 a court rejected his appeal without explanation.

Authorities eventually moved him to the labor camp outside Kashgar. While in prison Osman was forced to work 12 to 15 hours a day, and his health quickly deteriorated. He was reportedly suffering malnutrition throughout his confinement.

Osman and his wife, Nurgul, have two young daughters.

Still in arbitrary detention in the region is another Uyghur Christian, Alimjan Yimit (Alimujiang Yimiti in Chinese). Officials initially closed the foreign-owned business Alimjan worked for in September 2007 and accused him of using it as a cover for “preaching Christianity.” He was then detained in January 2008 on charges of endangering state security and was formally arrested on Feb. 20, 2008, on charges of “inciting secession” and leaking state secrets.

Court officials returned Alimjan’s case to state prosecutors in May 2008, citing lack of evidence. Last May 21, government sources told Alimjan’s mother that the Public Security Bureau (PSB) in Kashgar planned to quietly sentence him to three years of re-education through labor, thereby circumventing the court system.

Under Chinese law the PSB, which originally filed the case against Alimjan, may authorize such sentences without approval from the court or other state agencies.

Court authorities have returned Alimjan’s case to state prosecutors, citing lack of evidence for charges of “leaking state secrets” and “inciting secession.” Family, friends and work colleagues have insisted that Alimjan is a loyal citizen with no access to state secrets, and that his arrest was due largely to his Christian faith and association with foreign Christians.

In Xinjiang’s politically charged environment, Alimjan’s family and friends fear he could face execution if he were wrongly linked with alleged Uyghur separatists.

Sources said there appears to be a concerted effort to shut down the leadership of the Uyghur church in a restive region where authorities fear anything they cannot control. The region of ethnic Uyghurs has come under a government crackdown the past two years as long-simmering tensions erupted.

Disputes over ownership of Xinjiang’s land and rich mineral resources have led to resentment between Uyghurs— native to Xinjiang—and Han Chinese. Religious differences are also an issue, with a vast majority of Uyghurs practicing Islam, while most Chinese are officially atheists or follow Buddhism or syncretistic folk religions. Only a handful of China’s estimated 10 million Uyghurs are known to be Christians.

As part of authorities’ apparent effort to clamp down on Christianity, they have disbarred several lawyers involved in the defense of Uyghur Christians, including Alimjan’s attorney, Li Dunyong. He was effectively disbarred at the end of May when Chinese authorities turned down an annual application to renew his law license.

Zhang Kai, another Beijing lawyer who had defended Alimjan, suffered the same fate.

Authorities failed to renew licenses for at least 15 other lawyers who had defended civil rights cases, religious and ethnic minorities and political dissidents, according to watch group Human Rights in China.

This past weekend millions ate turkey, traveled hundreds of miles to spend time with their families and showed up at major retailers as early as 5 a.m. As Americans did these things men of the cloth, sociologists and demographers wondered what was on the mind of the average American. Getting the latest, best deal on consumer products certainly got 197 million of us moving through stores, but we ogled and did not buy much. Black Friday sales were only up only .5 percent as Americans went on their traditional day-after-Thanksgiving shopping spree. We know that Wall Street aficionados were worried about the news of the Dubai debt crisis because it is inexplicable and it seems like a harbinger of future problems.

Against this fluid backdrop of concern and financial worry, many people would ask, What’s there to be thankful about? Although I am a minister, I avoid preaching in this column; nonetheless the season and the circumstances beg another question in response to the hypothetical question I just posed, How many of us really celebrated the holiday in proper fashion?

Undoubtedly very few people did. Let me explain.

Long before European settlers landed on American shores, Native Americans hosted harvest festivals. What makes our current holiday special is that the Pilgrim colonists, who landed at Plymouth in 1620, and settlers like Captain John Woodlief, who landed at the Berkeley Plantation in Virginia in 1619, gave thanks to the Christian God.

In both cases these weary travelers’ celebrations were heartfelt declarations of their Christian faith. At the core of their ritual was an acknowledgement of the faithfulness of their God. Perhaps the two most important aspects of the day were the spirit of racial reconciliation (between the settlers and the Native Americans) and sincere worship (giving of thanks to God). At Plymouth the cooperation of the Pilgrim governor and King Massasoit of the Native Americans to hold a spiritual, three-day long festival was truly remarkable.

Today both racial reconciliation and worship are desperately needed in this intrinsically American Kennedy-like, glow is fading from the Obama administration. As the mystique of having the first black president is lifting, many Americans seem more skeptical, caustic and accusatory than ever. The race card is being played by both major political parties and fears of racially based reprisals is a major concern of blacks, Hispanics and Muslims.

To make things worse, there seems to be reluctance in the nation to give thanks to God and claim His blessings for the next year. Atheism is celebrated on the New York Times best seller’s list, along with a judgmental attack on traditional Christian faith. Ironically while all of this is going on, each American, regardless of his religious upbringing, knows that the kind of wisdom needed to right the American ship is not taught at Princeton, Yale or Harvard. Further neither Wall Street nor Capital Hill have men wise enough to solve the economic and social conundrums of our day.

Historian James W. Baker addresses the reason that many folks cannot grasp the spirit of the holiday. He writes, “The reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an invented tradition. It doesn’t originate in any one event. It is based on the New England Puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving.”

As I pondered how badly the nation needs guidance and a spiritual touch from God, I could not help but think that the story of Jonah had a special lesson in it for our nation. Most former Sunday School students recall that Jonah was called to deliver a tough message to a very ungodly city, Ninevah. Evidently, the city would make any of America’s modern cities look like Sunday School classrooms compared to the debauchery and disregard for its fellow man. Their external sins must have been obvious to the prophet who, first of all, did not believe that they could be reached. Second he did not believe that they would ever turn to God. Third he did not believe that they deserved a second chance.

The judgmental prophet Jonah ran from God’s call and from an opportunity to turn the spiritually lawless city around. Therefore, the Lord sent a giant fish (which most people believe was a whale) to swallow him. In this incredible story, Jonah remained trapped in a watery prison inside the belly of the fish until he made a vow to give thanksgiving to God and return to his cross-cultural calling as a minister of peace and reconciliation. Like many Christians today, Jonah was afraid to cross the cultural barriers of his day and take the Word of God to a dysfunctional culture. Yet God, ever the persuasive Father, convinced the prophet to respond to Him by allowing the whale to swallow him alive.

Today the nation has been swallowed up by war, economic problems, terrorism, the climate change scare and a host of other concerns that we can describe but cannot solve. Like Jonah, American Christians must decide to humble themselves with true repentance and contrition. We must decide to return to our mission of thankfully serving the living God and faithfully declaring His Word.

Consider these words from the prophet, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.”

If the Christian church will return to God by holding to the truth revealed in scripture, then God can save the rest of the nation. A critical mass of Bible-believing Christians can restore God’s blessings upon this nation—just by the quality of our lifestyles reverberating throughout the culture. If you are a Christian, will you bring God a song of Thanksgiving today? The Pilgrims had it right – the faithfulness of God is worth a song, a shout, or fasting and prayer followed by a feast within every American homes in the land. Take time to cultivate a thankful heart today… it can truly make a difference!

Harry R. Jackson Jr. is senior pastor of 3,000-member Hope
Christian Church in the nation’s capital. Jackson, who earned an MBA
from Harvard, is a best-selling author and popular conference speaker.
He leads the High-Impact Leadership Coalition.

Jesus used many analogies to teach us the truths of the
kingdom. One of these was the lesson of the seed-grain, in which He
compared the life of the believer to the process of development of a
grain of wheat. 

“‘Unless a grain of wheat falls into the gound and
dies,’” He said, “‘it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much
grain’” (John 12:24, NKJV). This process is the same one we must go
through if we are to bear fruit as we are called to do.

Let us turn to the seed-grain and see the picture lesson,
that in these last days we may intelligently yield to the pierced hand
of God and permit His fullest purposes to be fulfilled in us.

Joined to the Lord, the grain of wheat awakens to the law
of its being and yields itself to the Son of God for sowing in the
earth. It cries to God to make it fruitful at any cost. The purpose of
its life begins to dawn upon it. It sees that there is an element of
selfishness in being absorbed in its “own” advancement and its “own”
growth.

The heavenly Husbandman hears the cry of the grain of
wheat, prompted by the Holy Spirit, and silently begins to prepare it
for the answer to its prayers. He prepares it for sowing in the ground
by gently detaching it from the bands that bind it to its stalk.

It may appear as if He has not heeded the cry, and the
little grain wonders why He does not answer; but the air and sunshine
are doing their silent work. The grain is ripening, unconsciously to
itself, until suddenly it finds itself loosened from its old ties. A
hand takes hold of it, and it is dropped down into the dark earth.

Separation

What has happened? The little grain of wheat asked for
fruit, not this strange path. Where are the sunshine, the old
companions, the former happy experiences?

“Where am I?” cries the lonely grain. “Where is my cozy
stalk? This dark spot of earth, so repulsive, seems to be injuring my
nice coat; it was so beautiful in my little nest on the top of the
stalk. I was so far away from earth, so far above all.” So the little
grain speaks within itself.

Presently it is shocked to find its covering beginning to
deteriorate. So long as it could retain its exterior beauty it did not
mind the isolation, the darkness, the apparent uselessness. But this is
too much.

Moreover it seems to be “giving way” to its surroundings.
It is broken by them and is not able to guard itself and remain “far
above all” as before. It thought it would never be moved by earthly
things again.

However, in spite of these strange dealings, the little
grain rests on the faithfulness of God. It knows He will lead it safely
by a way that it knows not. It cries with the psalmist, “I shall yet
praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God” (Ps. 42:11).

Loss of Identity

Poor little grain! Now trampled upon in the dark earth,
buried out of sight, ignored, forgotten, this little grain of wheat was
once greatly admired. How the other grains looked up to it and listened
with reverence to its counsels!

Now it feels forgotten as it passes into solitude,
crying, “I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for
comforters, but I found none” (Ps. 69:20). It longs for other children
of God who may “tell of the sorrow of those whom Thou hast wounded.”
But these seem to have no anguish of heart for suffering with others.

Buried grain, say “yes” to God. He is answering your prayers to become fruitful!

Maybe you were occupied with your successful service and
with your happy experience in those old days. How little you were able
to understand the temptations and the difficulties of the little blades
of wheat. How stern you were with those who fell, not “considering
yourself lest you also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1).

How you talked to the tiny blades of green just peeping
through the ground, stating that they “ought” to be much older and more
mature! How “weak” you thought them because they were bowed to the
ground as soon as some heavy foot trod upon them.

How you discouraged them when they were weak in the faith
and did not “receive them” nor bear lovingly with their weaknesses! How
you tried to make them see what you saw in your greater maturity. You
did not understand how to wait and to encourage them and to give them
time to grow!

Buried grain, you were “truly guilty concerning [your]
brother” (Gen. 42:21) in your lack of “anguish of heart and many tears”
over the temptations and sorrows of others. How you guarded yourself
and feared to stoop down to earth—to become as weak to the weak, that
you might gain the more!

Brokenness

Now learn the mystery of the kingdom unfolded in the
picture lesson of the grain of wheat: The life of God in you could not
break forth into fruitfulness until you had been broken by God’s own
hand. The earthly surroundings and testings, the loneliness and
humiliation, were permitted by Him so that He might release into life
abundant the life that had come from God.

At each stage of growth there must be the casting off of
much that was necessary before if there is to be fuller development. At
the beginning, the germ of life is hidden within the outward form of
the written word; the shell may pass away (that is, from our memories)
but the life—the Living Word—remains. Under favorable conditions for
growth, in “an honest and good heart,” cleansed from all that would
choke the seed, the life progresses, showing itself in varied outward
forms that may be described as the blade, the stalk, the ear, the full
corn in the ear.

In the fullness of time the knife must be used, for there
must come the severing from old supports, the parting with old
experiences, the passing away of outward things that once helped us.
The blades of green, the stalk, the ear of wheat—these were only
outward coverings for a life that was pressing through them to full
maturity.

Severed from old supports, detached from old
surroundings, again the life within the matured grain cannot break
forth into the hundredfold without a further stripping—a breaking of an
outward shell that would prevent the fruitfulness.

In honest hearts crying out to God for His fullest
purposes to be fulfilled in them, the Holy Spirit works even when they
do not understand His working. The danger lies in their clinging to old
experiences, old helps and old supports when the Spirit-life within is
pressing them on to another stage—especially if that stage seems
“downward” instead of “upward.” Our picture lesson shows us that
“downward” means fruitfulness and is the sequence to the “upward” path
of the full development of the grain of wheat.

What all this means in practical experience the Holy
Spirit alone can make us understand. It is sufficient for us to know
enough of the principles of His working that we may learn to yield
trustfully to all His dealings.

Bearing Fruit

At last the grain of wheat is willing to be hidden away
from the eyes of men. Willing to be trampled upon and lie in silence in
some lonely corner chosen of God. Willing to appear what others would
call a “failure.” Willing to live in the will of God apart from
glorious experiences. Willing to dwell in solitude and isolation, away
from happy fellowship with other grains of wheat.

The little grain has learned something of the meaning of
fellowship with Christ in His death, and now comes to pass the saying:
“‘Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it’” (Matt. 16:25).

Silently, surely, the divine life breaks forth into
fruitfulness. The grain has given itself, it has parted with its “own
life”; yet it still lives—lives now in the life of its Lord.

A buried seed-grain, it is content to be forgotten! For
who thinks of the grain and of all the sorrow and suffering it
underwent in the dark when they see the harvest field?

But the grain of wheat is satisfied because the law of
its being is fulfilled. It has sunk itself and its own getting and now
lives in others, not even desiring to have it known that from it the
hundredfold has sprung.

So Christ Himself poured out His soul unto death that He
might “see His seed” (Is. 53:10, KJV), see the travail of His soul and
be satisfied (see v. 11) as He lives again in His redeemed ones. Thus
in God’s wondrous law—the law of nature repeated in the spiritual
world—the first Grain of wheat, sown by God Himself, is reproduced in
other grains, having the same characteristics and law of being:
“‘Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by
itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit’” (John 12:24, NASB).

Life Out of Death

We have followed the little grain in its downward path
into the ground to die. It has “hated its life in this world,” and now
its life is hid with Christ in God. While it has been consenting to the
breaking and stripping in its lonely, hidden path, the divine life
within it has been breaking forth in life to others and silently
springing up into stronger, fuller, purer union with the ascended Lord.

This is not an easy path. Even the Lord Christ was
troubled as He drew near the hour of desolation and suffering
foreshadowed in Psalm 22. “‘Now My soul has become troubled; and what
shall I say? “Father, save Me from this hour?” But for this purpose I
came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy Name’” (John 12:27-28).

The hiding of the Father’s face was more than broken
heart, nails and spear. Jesus knew what was to come, and He could have
saved Himself—He could have spoken to His Father and had legions of
angels fulfill His requests—but where then would have been the first
fruits unto God and the Lamb? Nay, the Master’s only prayer could be,
“‘Father, glorify Thy Name.’”

If we follow the Lamb where He went, if we are willing to
die in order to bring forth life, there will surely come to us, as to
Him, the assurance from the Father: “‘I have both glorified it, and
will glorify it again’” (v. 28). And in the end a great reward will be
given us: “‘To Him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My
throne’” (Rev. 3:21, NKJV).

Jessie Penn-Lewis (1861-1927) was a frequent Keswick
speaker whose messages proclaimed the centrality of the cross in the
life and experience of the Christian. She regularly contributed to The Overcomer, a worldwide quarterly, which she founded in 1908. Adapted from All Things New by Jessie Penn-Lewis, copyright © 1997. Published by Christian Literature Crusade. Used by permission.

It is said that this is a man’s world. It is not a man’s
world. Men may be occupying many seats of authority, but God is in
control. 

If God blesses you, do not fear. A blessed woman can
survive—even in a man’s world. The challenge is to receive what is
yours without becoming bitter about the times it was withheld from you.

In Numbers 27 a story is told concerning the daughters of
Zelophehad who went to Moses to challenge the fairness of the “good ol’
boys” policy that would deny them the right to inherit their father’s
wealth. Their actions suggested, “We are women, but we are blessed
women.”

They challenged the system at a time when women were
considered second-class citizens. In spite of public opinion, they
chose to speak up for their rights, and they got what they fought to
attain (see vv. 5-8).

The daughters of Zelophehad were not disrespectful or rude. They went through proper channels, but bless God, they went through.

God is a good Father. It is His will to bless you. Don’t
worry about who is against you; just keep thinking about who is for you.

The story of the daughters of Zelophehad outlines the
first case of gender discrimination mentioned in the Scriptures. And
the court of heaven ruled in favor of these women who knew how to go
after what their father had in his estate.

Perhaps there are some things your Father has for you. Do not be intimidated.  In
spite of what you don’t have, look at what you do have and keep on
walking. By God’s grace and power you can receive your inheritance.

As a father, I need to know that I have prepared for my
children’s today and their tomorrow. I would be angry to think that
although I had left an inheritance for my daughters, they were living
in poverty.

God is a better father than I am. Why don’t you as a woman of God go after what the Father has willed to you?

If you have been walking around with a drab spirit and a broken heart, I am talking to you.

Don’t spend another day wasted in regret, sleeping away your mercy and losing your chance to achieve. Get up and get busy.

You may have to work it out. You may have to push and
shove. But life is worth the struggle. Your Father has blessed you with
good things!

To a woman, whether single or married, what matters most is knowing her worth in the eyes of God.

What do you think of yourself? How would you describe
yourself to someone if you were being objective? Would you want to get
to know you if you met yourself walking down the street? Well, it’s
time to get under the skin you’re in.

I’ve told the story of the time I was deeply hurt in a
relationship—so deeply I had a party with the devil who served me
Unbelief Tea and Resignation Pie topped with “Why Me?” sauce. Well, the
man got married and divorced. He became a Christian. He came back to
me. I was thrilled.

Then we had a major disagreement. He married someone else
without telling me. (Can you believe he got married on me twice? What
was I thinking?)

Though it took a while, we resolved the past, and today
we’re friends. One day when we were having a discussion I jokingly
said, “Oh, no one wants to marry me.”

“Why wouldn’t anyone want to marry you?” he asked.

I replied, “I don’t know.”

He came back with: “Yes, you do. Why wouldn’t anybody want to marry you?”

That’s when the light came on in my head. I couldn’t think of any reason why a man with good sense wouldn’t want to marry me!

“Actually,” I said, “I think I am absolutely fabulous! I
wasn’t always fabulous, but I am now, so the reality is that a man
would be a fool not to want to marry me because I am a complete
package.”

My friend replied: “Well, there you have it. I thought
you knew that. You would be quite a catch for someone, but if you don’t
know it, no one else will either. And men will treat you accordingly.”

His comments caused me to pause and reflect. I realized
that lately I had been attracting a different kind of man. I had broken
the cycle of disappointing relationships. I had changed.

That’s when it clicked: We attract people who feed off what we think of ourselves. Did you know that?

When I thought I wasn’t a great prize, I attracted people
who reinforced that idea in my mind. I didn’t feel beautiful inside or
out, so I allowed them to make me feel unattractive.

I didn’t feel as if I had any purpose, so I would lose
myself in their pursuits and neglect the call God had placed on my own
life.

I gave my heart away to the undeserving because I didn’t
know how much it was worth. I was empty, spent by my efforts to find
fulfillment in external things that would never satisfy.

Scripture says, “He who is full loathes honey, but to the
hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet” (Prov. 27:7, NIV). I don’t
think I had any concept of what honey tasted like. It wasn’t real to me.

For me the bitter was as good as it got. It was what I
was used to; therefore, I decided I should settle for it. After all,
some man was better than no man at all, right?

Looking back, I see myself as a woman running around with
her heart in her hand offering it to anyone who would have it: “Here,
take my heart. Try it, you’ll like it!” Well, who would consider a
giveaway valuable?

Girl, it’s time to come to know your worth and make no apologies for it.

Knowing Your Value
How do we get to the place in which our self-worth is intact? And how do we master confidence with grace?

When I address self-confidence and self-worth, please
understand that I’m talking about getting a healthy perspective of your
worth as a woman through Christ.

You are a pearl of great price. If Jesus thought you were
worth dying for, there is no reason for you to believe others have the
right to abuse the life He went through so much to save.

It is important for us to see ourselves as the King sees
us. This can be difficult when we are bombarded by so-called perfect
images via the media. According to them we should all be a streamlined
size 6 or 8. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t hit those numbers
since high school.

In the Song of Songs, the Shulammite woman speaks with
confidence to her friends in defense of her looks, but she tends to
lose that confidence when addressing the man of her dreams (see Song
1:5-7). Nevertheless, King Solomon sings her praises and pays tribute
to her beauty (see vv. 8-10). Despite what she felt, he saw perfection.

As a result of reading Solomon’s dissertation, I have
come to believe the media has misled us. It’s not about being
model-thin with waist-length hair and chiseled cheekbones. It’s about
being a complete package. This requires giving attention to both the
outside and the inside of our beings.

Cultivate external beauty. The first thing that
arrested the king was the Shulammite’s eyes (see Song 4:1). He said
that they were like doves, which signifies that she did not boldly come
on to him. She made a louder statement with her silence by displaying
modesty and humility.

It has been said the eyes are the windows to the soul.
This statement is not from Scripture, but it is true. If you are
harboring any pain, any anger, any distrust, it will come to light in
your eyes.

It is important to clear your heart’s deck with God so
these negative things don’t become deflectors when you look at others.
Your lips may smile, but your eyes will give your bitter heart away
every time, and no amount of eye makeup can camouflage a wounded heart.

The king also liked his beloved’s hair. Women today have
so many options that there is no excuse for not having beautifully
groomed hair.

Don’t be above doing whatever it takes to get your head
together—in more ways than one. Hair occasionally had significance in
Scripture. For example, a Nazirite priest’s uncut hair was a sign of
his commitment to God. What does your hair say about you?

Solomon mentions the Shulammite’s teeth, mouth and
speech. She spoke things that were inviting, that caused him to want to
spend time with her. Though she did not reach out to him, her
mannerisms drew him to her.

Acquire internal grace. In mentioning the
Shulammite’s inner qualities, Solomon revealed his heart to her. He
called her his sister, his bride. He treasured her completely, granting
her the same consideration and protection he would give to a sister.

The Shulammite woman was beautiful to the king because
everything about her character was good. The fruits of her life were
things that he valued because they mirrored the fruit of the Spirit
(see vv. 13-16).

You might feel that the Shulammite’s standard of beauty
is impossible to attain, but it isn’t. It’s not about being thin or
about having perfect teeth or great hair! It’s about your being the
best woman you can be, inside and out. Work with what you’ve got.

Dressed for Success
When you’ve achieved your own personal best, you’re going
to feel good about yourself. Your different attitude will attract a
different type of attention. When you’re comfortable with you, others
will be too.

When Queen Esther was being prepared as a candi-date for
the king’s bride, she, along with the other women, went through a
beauty treatment that lasted for 12 months. They were entering a
different lifestyle. Nothing of their old life was to remain. So they
were treated with scents that delighted the king.

The day came when Esther and the others were ready to be
presented to the king. On this occasion, the candidate for bride was
given her choice of attire.

Esther asked the eunuch, who had been in the king’s
employ for quite some time, what he thought she should wear. The other
girls probably picked what to wear based on what had worked for them in
the past. But it didn’t work for the king.

Seek wise counsel about what looks good on you—inside and
out. Don’t get defensive when others offer constructive criticism; use
it to your advantage, and get free. Don’t be afraid to let go of some
old habits and embrace a new line of thought.

Esther listened when the eunuch told her how to dress for
the king. More than enhancing your physical appearance, dressing
reflects the countenance of your spirit.

All the fruit that Solomon raved about with the
Shulammite woman should be evident in your life as the fruit of the
Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit what you should wear daily in terms of
attitude as well as what you should put on your body.

The bottom line is that we can all stand to improve ourselves. Change should be viewed as a positive adventure.

Pleasing the King
Don’t consider losing weight, changing your hair or even
finding trendier clothes in order to get a man. Instead, take on each
of these challenges as self-improvement steps toward being the best you
can be for you and for the one who loves you most: the Lord Himself.

Being in good physical shape pleases God because you are
taking care of your temple, His creation. You represent Him every time
you walk out your door.

Trust me, God has great taste. So if you aim for catching His eye, the right man will be unable to resist you.

Beauty is hard work because it comes from within. Too
many of us paint the outside without dealing with the inside, and it
mars the finish every time.

God wants the man He places in your life to love you
inside and out. But as long as your focus remains on you and your
attributes, you will miss it.

The beauty in all of us is not our own. It is only as we
release the beauty of the Lord that we are transformed from ugly
ducklings into exquisite creatures who capture the hearts of those
looking for a safe haven in which to rest.

“From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth” (Ps.
50:2). God is the finisher of our beauty regimen. Without Him we are
mere mannequins standing in the window of life.

No man wants to touch a mannequin, but a godly
woman—that’s another story. A man knows that this is a woman he can
trust with his heart. And a safe haven for all he holds dear will
always be the most beautiful sight of all.

Michelle McKinney Hammond, founder of Heartwing
Ministries, speaks at churches and conferences across the nation. Her
newest release is What Becomes of the Brokenhearted (Harvest House). Adapted from If Men Are Like Buses, Then How Do I Catch One? by Michelle McKinney Hammond, copyright © 2000. Published by Multnomah Publishers. Used by permission.

Dear Laurie,

I’m grieving the loss of my young womanhood and the
countless nights I went to bed wounded in heart and frustrated
sexually. It’s hard to look at my face in mid-life and wonder how my
husband rejected me when I was at my best—I was really pretty.

I went through the stages you did. I was obedient,
submitting even over tiny issues. I ministered to his needs and enjoyed
it, even when he was oblivious to mine. For years, I’ve suffered from
exhaustion—afraid that if I went to bed before my husband, I’d be
neglecting his sexual or emotional needs.

In the process, I was punished by his lack of involvement
in our home and our children’s lives. Worse, he’d spend days picking at
me until I exploded. Looking back, I realize that I was so hungry for
an emotional connection with him that I was willing to get it through
anger if that was the only way he would hear me.

Meanwhile, I suffered terrible guilt from the increasing
breakdowns I was having due to exhaustion. When I fell apart because I
was overly exhausted or confused by lies, I was viewed as “the problem.”

Once, when I ran out of a Bible time he was having
because I was upset that he was demeaning me, my husband shoved me,
tore the keys out of my hand and swore at me. I was afraid to tell him
how I felt. I thought that would be unsubmissive since a good wife
should like everything her husband does and not suggest any changes.

Afterward, I ran to all his counseling books. Not a
single Christian source I checked told me these “minor” abuses not only
weren’t minor but were repugnant to God. I had to go to a secular book
to find information on abuse.

It seems Christians assume the wounded must be under some
sort of judgment or discipline from the Lord. It’s almost a Hindu
approach to life—fatalistic, instead of a good, clean anger after a
wrong done.

I constantly wonder what I could have done differently. The question absolutely hounds me!

I was living within the context of a lie. I wasn’t
responsible for that lie. The false data gave me wrong clues as well as
wrong ideas about myself, the Lord and my husband. Looking back, the
one thing I should have done is pray more for truth.

Hurting

Are you as moved by that letter as I am? It came from a
woman who eschewed the feminist philosophy of self-fulfillment. She
“came home” from the workplace to give herself to her husband and
children.

Highly respected by both their church and their
community, her family appeared to have it all together. Her husband, a
well-known speaker on family issues, seemed to be a godly man.

But the truth was, the husband was hiding a secret life
filled with pornography and sexual betrayal. The guilt accompanying his
deceit showed up in the form of mind games that he played on his wife.

The Truth About Pornography

Hurting’s letter is only one of many hundreds of letters
that poured in after the publication of my book, An Affair of the Mind,
which explores the devastating impact pornography has on marriages. I
am saddened to discover that so many others have experienced the
betrayal that pornography brings to a marriage.

My letter writers and I are not alone. Studies show that
40 percent to 50 percent of Christian men are involved in pornography.
Wondering if your husband is one of them is scary.

But, some of you already know. Some of you have friends
who are suffering through this. Some of you are wondering what you
should tell your teens about why they should avoid X-rated Web sites.

Whatever your situation, the truth will set you free to
be a healthy wife, supportive friend and loving mother. So let’s look
at some of the truths about pornography.

Pornography is addictive. Dr. Mary Ann Layden,
Director for the Center for Cognitive Therapy, says that an addiction
to pornography is harder to break than a cocaine addiction and that
recovery from it is more likely to result in relapse than any other
addiction. Why?

When you view pornography, a powerful mix of hormones is
released in the brain. Two hundred times more potent than morphine and
more addictive than cocaine, endorphins and enkephalins bring on a
“rush.” The brain is just as driven to want this “rush” as a drug
addict’s body is driven to want drugs.

Pornography causes sexual dysfunction. Many people
believe that pornography, especially “soft-core” erotica, is simply a
depiction of normal, healthy heterosexuality. Nothing could be further
from the truth. Pornography contains much false, misleading and
scientifically inaccurate information about sexuality, especially
female sexual nature and response.

For example, pornography portrays an endless round of
thrilling sexual escapades with an endless bevy of breathless,
hot-blooded babes and stud-muffins. The not-so-subtle message is that
these babes and stud-muffins are more breathless and hot-blooded if
you’re not married to them. This is more fantasy than fact.

“Couples not involved [sexually] before their marriage
and faithful during marriage are more satisfied with their current sex
life and also with their marriage, compared to those who were involved
sexually before marriage,” says Dr. David Larson of the National
Institutes of Health in an unpublished manuscript entitled “Behind
Closed Doors.” Dr. Larson and his associates also found that women who
feel secure and loved and who trust that their man is around to stay
are twice as fulfilled as women who are promiscuous.

There are physiological reasons why this is so. In
healthy sexuality, two special parts of our nervous system, the
sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system
(PNS) work together in harmony to bring about sexual arousal and
release. If you give a fearful, guilty or embarrassed meaning to a
sexual experience, the SNS will over-react, blocking normal sexual
arousal.

Recently, I held a sobbing woman I’ll call Jane. Jane
stammered out her shame over things she had done in her marriage bed.
Her husband stood nearby, hanging his head, saying he had asked her to
perform those acts.

He thought they were OK—after all, the women in
pornography enjoyed them. But in real life, those sexual practices
cause pain. Jane’s nervous system overloaded on the shame, fear and
pain she was experiencing. As a result, she became sexually
dysfunctional.

Pornography can cause sexual dysfunction in other ways.
Those who use pornography often develop “sexual anorexia.” This means
they are unable or unwilling to enter into a sexual relationship with
their spouses.

Sometimes this is because shame about the things they
have done in secret make them want to hide from their spouses. Other
times it’s because they are angry with their spouses for not agreeing
to act out a pornographic fantasy. Either way, sex is infrequent, and
the innocent spouse wonders why he or she is no longer desirable.

Finally, pornography usage can lead to sexual
dissatisfaction. Being compared to some unrealistic standard is a real
turn-off. Women who clean bathrooms, make lunches and kiss boo-boos
can’t compete with women who are pumped up, tucked up and air-brushed.

Pornography leads to abuse. The myth that women
secretly want to be raped is a big part of pornography. Many of our
young people believe this myth. A study of 1,700 junior high teens
found that 65 percent of the boys and 57 percent of the girls believe
it’s OK for a male to force a female to have sex if they have been
dating for six months.

Pornography also causes more subtle forms of abuse. In
pornography, a woman does whatever a man wants her to do. For example,
there’s one interactive CD on which it’s possible to have over a
million virtual sex experiences with a woman—you simply program in what
you want her to do.

The normal needs of a live woman anger a man who has been
used to being in total control of fantasy women. That may be why the
states that have the highest readership of pornography also have the
highest rates of domestic violence.

Recently, I heard a talk show host tell a caller that as
long as no body fluids were exchanged, she needn’t worry about her
husband’s exploration of Internet porn. The talk show host was
wrong—pornography kills love.

Has pornography hurt your life or the life of someone you
love? Don’t despair. There are steps you can take to restore what the
enemy has stolen (see p. 37).

And you can take solace in God’s word to you: “Your Maker
is Your Husband—and I’m not just any husband. I’m the God of the whole
earth, the Lord of Hosts, and your Redeemer. I’m calling to you.

“I know you feel forsaken. I know you’re heartbroken. You
were wooed and won in your youth. Now you’ve been rejected and scorned.
Listen to Me. I’ll tenderly gather you into My arms, and I will have
compassion on you” (Is. 54:5-7, paraphased).

Laurie Hall learned of her husband’s addiction to
pornography after 18 years of marriage. Since then, she has supported
countless women in similar situations. She is the author of An Affair of the Mind (Tyndale) and The Cleavers Don’t Live Here Anymore (Vine Books).

In Hebrew, the sacred, divine name of God is spelled with four Hebrew letters: yod, hei, vav, and hei, or, in English, YHVH. This four-lettered name is called the tetragrammaton, which means “four letters.”

This name, YHVH, is found 6,823 times in the Hebrew Bible. Hebrew scholars and rabbis all agree that the exact pronunciation of these four letters has been lost throughout the centuries. Some suggest the name is pronounced Yehovah or Yahweh, while westerners say Jehovah, replacing the first letter Y (yud in Hebrew) with the English letter J, which does not exist in the Hebrew alphabet.

It is Jewish practice never to write this sacred name, but to replace it with the name Adonai, meaning, “the Lord.” There is also a rabbinical tradition of saying God’s name simply as Ha-Shem, meaning “the Name.”

The Jewish Mishna teaches that the high priest would pronounce the tetragrammaton when pronouncing the priestly blessing (Num. 6:24-27). However, outside of the temple, the name was replaced with Adonai.

The Mishna also teaches that on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the sacred name was spoken, causing the people to fall upon their faces and begin blessing the name of the Lord.

If you have ever read a Jewish religious book, you will notice something that appears odd to non-Jewish readers. When writing the name GOD, the Jewish writer will leave out the O and write it G-D. One reason is because if the paper gets lost, erased, or placed in the garbage, God’s name has not been fully written; therefore, it is not defiled. The same is true if it were written fully on paper; they do not wish to erase or defile God’s name.

The Purpose of the Name

In the Old Testament God revealed Himself, His nature, and His character by His names. In fact, there are sixteen important names for God revealed throughout the Old Testament. Below is a list of those titles or special names, which reveal the nature of God.

I am using the English transliteration of God’s sacred name for the purposes of our English readers. The actual Hebrew name for Jehovah is Yahweh or Yehovah.

Ancient Hebrews would often approach God saying, “In the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Exod. 3:6, 15-16).

Christians approach the heavenly throne through the name of Christ, as the New Testament says: “Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you” (John 16:23). “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9).

Whether we approach God using Ha Shem, Adonai, Lord, Father, or, as Christians, approach the Creator using the name of Christ, we must always remember the sacredness and holiness attached to His name. It is a commandment to do so.

There are many unique aspects and layers of prophetic mysteries linked to the Hebrew alphabet. Since it originated in heaven, we may one day speak it in heaven.

Perry Stone is the author of numerous books, including Breaking the Jewish Code (Charisma House), from which this article is excerpted. To purchase a copy, click on the book.

A Uyghur Christian in China’s troubled Xinjiang region was released earlier this month after serving two years in a labor camp for alleged “illegal proselytizing”
and “leaking state secrets,” according to Compass Direct News sources.

House church
leader Osman Imin (Wusiman Yaming in Chinese) was freed Nov. 18,
sources said. Authorities had called for a 10- to 15-year prison sentence for Osman
but significantly reduced the term following international media attention.

(Photo: China Aid Association)

An outspoken
leader of the Uyghur church in the northwestern region of China, Osman was first
arrested in 2004 and kept at a detention center in Hotan, southern Xinjiang.
Local sources
said his arrest was almost certainly related to his church
work.

There he was
chained to a metal bed in winter and frequently beaten while interrogated. Osman
was released on bail on Nov. 18, 2004, but bail was canceled in October 2006. On
July 26, 2007, he was again placed under supervised house arrest and finally
detained by police on Nov. 19 of that year on the charge of “revealing state
secrets.”

Authorities
denied him access to a lawyer, and in June 2008 a court rejected his appeal
without explanation.

Authorities
eventually moved him to the labor camp outside Kashgar. While in prison
Osman was forced to work 12 to 15 hours a day, and his health quickly
deteriorated. He was reportedly suffering malnutrition throughout his
confinement.

Osman and his
wife, Nurgul, have two young daughters.

Still in
arbitrary detention in the region is another Uyghur Christian, Alimjan Yimit
(Alimujiang Yimiti in Chinese). Officials initially closed the foreign-owned
business Alimjan worked for in September 2007 and accused him of using it as a
cover for “preaching Christianity.” He was then detained in January 2008 on
charges of endangering state security and was formally arrested on Feb. 20, 2008,
on charges of “inciting secession” and leaking state
secrets.

Court officials
returned Alimjan’s case to state prosecutors in May 2008, citing lack of
evidence. Last May 21, government sources told Alimjan’s mother that the Public
Security Bureau (PSB) in Kashgar planned to quietly sentence him to three years
of re-education through labor, thereby circumventing the court
system.

Under Chinese
law the PSB, which originally filed the case against Alimjan, may authorize such
sentences without approval from the court or other state agencies.

Court authorities have returned Alimjan’s case to
state prosecutors, citing lack of evidence for charges of “leaking state
secrets” and “inciting secession.” Family, friends and work colleagues have
insisted that Alimjan is a loyal citizen with no access to state secrets, and
that his arrest was due largely to his Christian faith and association with
foreign Christians.

In Xinjiang’s politically charged environment,
Alimjan’s family and friends fear he could face execution if he were wrongly
linked with alleged Uyghur separatists.

Sources said
there appears to be a concerted effort to shut down the leadership of the Uyghur
church in a restive region where authorities fear anything they cannot control.
The
region of ethnic Uyghurs has come under a government crackdown the past two
years as long-simmering tensions erupted.

Disputes over
ownership of Xinjiang’s land and rich mineral resources have led to resentment
between Uyghurs— native to Xinjiang—and Han Chinese. Religious differences
are also an issue, with a vast majority of Uyghurs practicing Islam, while most
Chinese are officially atheists or follow Buddhism or syncretistic folk
religions. Only a handful of China’s estimated 10 million Uyghurs are known to
be Christians.

As part of
authorities’ apparent effort to clamp down on Christianity, they have disbarred
several lawyers involved in the defense of Uyghur Christians, including
Alimjan’s attorney, Li Dunyong. He was effectively disbarred at the end of May
when Chinese authorities turned down an annual application to renew his law
license.

Zhang Kai,
another Beijing lawyer who had defended Alimjan, suffered the same
fate.

Authorities
failed to renew licenses for at least 15 other lawyers who had defended civil
rights cases, religious and ethnic minorities and political dissidents,
according to watch group Human Rights in China.

“Integrity”
is a word that is widely used—and widely misunderstood. If you were to
ask the average person for a definition of integrity you’d probably
hear a lot of hemming and hawing. The origin of the word makes its
meaning very clear. “Integrity” comes from the Latin adjective integer,
which means “whole” or “complete.” In mathematics, an integer is a
positive or negative whole number or zero—a number without any
fractional part.

A person of integrity is honest and upright. His soul is not divided or compartmentalized.

One synonym for integrity is “sincerity”—the state of being truthful,
genuine and free of deception or duplicity. The word sincerity comes from the Latin sincerus, meaning “clean and pure through and through.” The Latin sincerus comes from two Latin root words, sine (“without”) and cera (“wax”).

Tradition tells us that dishonest Roman sculptors would cover up nicks
and flaws in their statues with a wax filler. The deception would last
only until a hot summer sun melted the wax and exposed the flaws. A
sculpture that was pure and flawless was said to be sine cera, or “without wax.”

In the same way, a human life that is pure and whole is sine cera.
The person who lacks integrity has hidden flaws in his character that
will inevitably be exposed by the heat of trial and adversity.

Only those who are honest and sincere in their character can stand the
heat of a thorough examination of their lives. As the Bible tells us, ”
He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his
ways will become known” (Prov. 10:9, NKJV).

People of integrity don’t abandon their values and principles under
pressure. They know that times of adversity and temptation are
precisely when values and principles matter most. They keep promises.
They fulfill obligations. They maintain their honor even when it is
costly to do so.

Your integrity is the most profound expression of who you are.
Integrity is the ultimate expression of your relationship with
yourself, of a vow that you make to yourself about the kind of person
you choose to be. If you compromise your integrity, you may get away
with it for a while, but no one gets away with it forever. People who
lack integrity are eventually exposed.

To be a person of integrity, you must stand for truth and righteousness
at all times—even when you are under fire, in extreme temptation, in
times of loneliness and solitude, and great need, suffering and want.
If your integrity is something you can put on and take off like a suit
of clothes, it’s not integrity at all. It’s just a disguise to hide the
person you really are.

Optimize magazine published this succinct description of integrity in its May 2005 issue:

The 10 Universal Characteristics of Integrity:

1. You know that little things count.

2. You find the white when others see gray.

3. You mess up, you fess up.

4. You create a culture of trust.

5. You keep your word.

6. You care about the greater good.

7. You’re honest but modest.

8. You act like you’re being watched.

9. You hire integrity.

10. You stay the course.

“‘Integrity’ is the word for our times,” says James Dobson, founder of
Focus on the Family. “It means keeping our promises, doing what we said
we would do, choosing to be accountable, and taking as our motto semper fidelis—the promise to be always faithful.”

Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, told me about
a conversation he had with a Marine. He was speaking to the 2nd Marine
Division in Camp LeJeune, N.C. After he spoke, a sergeant major asked
him a question: “Mr. Colson, we’re Marines. We live by the creed semper fidelis—always faithful. Which is more important, loyalty or integrity?'”

Colson was impressed. “Wow! That gets to the heart of it, doesn’t it?”
he said to me. “Most of us can think of times when our loyalty to
someone may bring us into conflict with our integrity. What then?”

Colson answered the sergeant major: “Loyalty is a virtue if you are
loyal to that which is true. If you give your life and your loyalty to
a lie, you’ll be destroyed. So integrity is the prime character quality
that every individual needs above all. If we keep our integrity, then
all the other character traits, including loyalty, will fall right into
line.”

Pat Williams
is senior vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic and one of
America’s best-known sports executives. He drafted Charles Barkley and
Shaquille O’Neal, and 12 of his former players have become NBA head
coaches. He is the author of more than 50 books. As one of America’s
top motivational speakers, he travels the U.S. speaking to companies,
associations, churches and schools. For information about scheduling
Pat, click here.

Did you feel guilty on Thanksgiving-the day of all days to express heartfelt gratitude to God—because you aren’t TOTALLY content? Perhaps you offered up the obligatory thanks for family, home, job, health and the hearty meal as you sat around the holiday feast, but inside, you were aware that your heart is not quite full to the brim with satisfaction—and you aren’t sure what to do about it.

What could possibly be wrong?

There are many natural reasons for discontent, of course. Perhaps the most common is setting our eyes on something other than God—allowing our fleshly desires to take the place of hunger for Him. The solution for this is simply repenting and refocusing our priorities, putting God first and trusting Him to provide all we need.

But I believe that discontent is sometimes part of God’s plan for bringing us more fully into our destinies. He creates within us a “holy dissatisfaction” regarding our circumstances to cause us to question where we are in our spiritual journeys, where we are going and how He wants us to get there.

I experienced this type of dissatisfaction several years ago when I was a homeschooling mother of two grade-school-age boys. My roles as wife, mom and teacher certainly kept me busy—and were fulfilling to a point. But as my relationship with God grew more intense, I became aware that I was created for an additional purpose beyond what I was doing, and restlessness developed in my heart. A longing I could not explain gnawed at me throughout the day, causing me to feel frustrated and unfulfilled.

On the surface, it seemed as if I had much to be grateful for; but deep down I hungered for more. I wanted God to activate more of the gifts He had given me than I was currently employing and to use me in a wider sphere of influence to make a difference for His kingdom. I wasn’t sure what the answer to my heart’s cry would look like, but I knew God had one.

When He revealed it to me in the form of freelance writing and editing and ultimately a full-time position as an editor for a national Christian magazine, I was elated! Suddenly, the discontentment and restlessness waned, and I was filled with a sense of purpose such as I had never experienced before.

I think the early disciples must have felt the same way I did when Jesus first called them. They had spent their lives as fishermen, catching and selling fish to feed their families and earn a living. It was necessary work and served an important purpose; but it had few eternal implications.

Then one day Jesus came along and said to them, “‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men'” (Matt. 4:19, NKJV). Wow! What a proposition! He didn’t offer them simply a job; He offered them the opportunity to partner with Him in bringing God’s kingdom to Earth.

Peter and Andrew didn’t hesitate for even a second to respond to Jesus’ call. The Bible says “they IMMEDIATELY left their nets and followed Him” (v. 20, emphasis added).

James and John had the same response. When Jesus saw these two brothers in a boat with Zebedee their father, “He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (v. 22).

Unlike the disciples, I do not have the liberty to forsake ALL to follow Jesus. Undoubtedly that is why God has not asked me to. My roles with my husband and children are still a priority, and I try to use every opportunity I have to love them, care for them and influence them for Him.

Now, however, I do it as a part of the call on my life, not the entirety of it. As a result, the holy dissatisfaction I once felt has been greatly reduced. I don’t believe it will ever go away completely—nor do I want it to—for it is the sign to me of God’s continuing to compel me along the path of destiny.

Today, if you have been struggling with a similar dissatisfaction, don’t beat yourself up over it; thank God for it! Ask Him to show you how He is using it to take you a step further into purpose. When He answers, do as the disciples did: Immediately follow Him!