Battle in Christ

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By Hedieh Mirahmadi Falco

Between the riots, looting, and closed churches, many Christians are frightened about “battle.” I often get this surprised look on people’s faces when they see how outspoken I am since becoming a Christ-follower, after 20+ years as a devout Muslim. I know they are wondering why I am not afraid? Throughout my professional career, I survived being shot at on the streets of Damascus, the outbreak of civil war in Lebanon, the Tsunami in Southeast Asia, and direct confrontation with more than a few suspected terrorists. Yet, being “battle-tested” is not where I draw my strength. It is the Holy Spirit’s power within me that gives me the strength and courage I never experienced before salvation. Most importantly, that power is available to ALL those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Alongside strength and courage, I am learning that a warrior for Christ must have the fruit of the Spirit, namely forbearance and self-control. Sometimes, the Lord signals us to stay quiet and let the storm pass. This concept was entirely new to me. Before my salvation, I was the first to retaliate for an offense, real or perceived. Now, I am waiting for a prompting from the Holy Spirit of how to respond. In this season of social and political unrest, the ability to hold my tongue has been incredibly valuable. So many people are reacting to world events based on their trauma, myself included. The Lord is teaching me not to react out of emotions. He is showing me through prayer and reading His Word, the reality of my situation, and how to respond with wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

With spiritual discernment, we can also determine who comes at us as an enemy and when its time to stand and fight. In Mathew 10, Jesus Christ said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” He warned us that we would face battles and hardships in our lives to prepare us, not scare us. We have many verses of the Bible that tell us how to protect ourselves when the enemy does come to attack. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds”1. We learn to draw on the spirit realm for strength and defense in the battle against evil forces.

However, Christ also made it clear that physical trials may come to us as well. Starting with the disciples’ gruesome fate to the persecution of Christians today throughout China, Iran, and the Middle East, the Church has faced physical trials. Jesus continues in Mathew:

“For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” 10:34-39

I often worry that the American Christians who have enjoyed being the majority for centuries are not prepared for persecution and hardship. Those of us from the Middle East or Africa have lived through bloody civil wars and lawlessness. Surviving persecution is a way of life. It is fascinating that the Lord in His infinite wisdom is calling so many of us into salvation for such a time as this. I strongly believe they will help strengthen the brethren through their experiences.

Jesus warned often enough about the difficulty that would come from confessing His name so it is unlikely that the American church would never face physical battles. So, He says in Luke 22, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.”

Think of it like an earthly battlefield. There are soldiers on the ground fighting in hand-to-hand combat, but that doesn’t mean we stop diplomacy and negotiations, or that the military won’t use drones from the air. It is a multi-prong defense or offense in the theater in battle. The same goes for the individual. Though many of us would never battle physically, we should always be battle-ready in the Spirit. Every one of us should be praying for the hedge of protection, the full armor of God, and God’s warring angels2 to guide and protect you, including protecting you from dangerous places or people.

In my career, I listened to many potential terrorists who had one thing in common–how they described Christians. They would say Christians are “weak in spirit and discipline”, or “Christians don’t know what it means to die for God”. Now as a believer, I see how those words should NEVER be used to describe a follower of Christ!

Our courage comes from knowing that we have the Holy Spirit’s power3 and that Christ lives within us to overcome any kind of obstacle. Every man dies but very few really live. That’s the choice we have because Jesus Christ died for us to have life, and life more abundantly. We must choose to stand in the power of the Lord.

‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11

Whether it’s marching around Jericho seven times or Gideon defeating an army of 10,000 with 300 men, God’s people can and will be victorious if they have faith in Him and the courage to stand. Throughout time, God delivers the believers; but someone had to stand. The victory is ours if some show up.

God always defends His people when they uphold His commandments and stand for His truth. He didn’t promise it would be without suffering, but He did always promise victory. We have a righteous cause to advance the Kingdom against demonic forces, which are the enemy of souls.

As a Christian, the next time you are frightened by the news reports or wonder whether you should defend our freedom to gather for worship and defend the Gospel, remember the words of Jesus in Mathew 10.

“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

____________________

1 2 Corinthians 10:4
2 Psalm 34:7, Psalm 91:11
3 2 Timothy 1:14

Why Did I Leave Islam to Become a Christ Follower?

1 John 4:10
1 John 4:10
By Hedieh Mirahmadi Falco

I am so excited to share my transformation in Christ with you! I know the question on everyone’s mind is HOW?? I have described it in 3 main principles that set faith in Christ apart from Islam.

Salvation is a FREE gift!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– Ephesians 2:8

In Islam, you never really know if your good deeds are enough to enter God’s Heaven. On the Day of Judgement, God will decide if we were “good enough” and that terrified me. What if there was one big sin He could not forgive despite my hundred acts of obedience? It was very unsettling to live every day, wondering whether I would spend eternity in hellfire. 

Then I learned that God would guarantee a place in His eternal Heaven if I put my trust in Christ as God incarnate. I needed to accept that Jesus was God wrapped in flesh, who came to earth and died on the cross, then rose again from the grave to pay for MY sins. As my daughter says, “well that’s a no brainer!” How could I not accept that free gift of salvation? All Muslims believe Jesus was born of a virgin birth, ascended to Heaven, and returns in the Last Days. It was actually quite logical that He was God incarnate when He has those miraculous qualities. It was so comforting to believe God loved me so completely that He would give His only Son for me to be saved. 

The one true God is LOVE. 

He does not hate us nor has vengeance, but He is also just. That means the price of every sin must be paid. Solution? He gave his only Son to pay the price for all of our sins so we can be forgiven and have eternal life. The rest is about unconditional love. 

In over 20 years of being a devout Muslim, I NEVER heard God referred to as being love or commanding us to love others. We are taught that God was merciful [arabic word “rahman”] and benevolent [arabic word “rahim”]. Though that could be stretched to be extremely merciful or nurturing like a parent, it is still not the word love. So I was worshipping and sacrificing for a God that did not tell me He loved me? It was depressing. 

Compare that to the Bible, God’s infallible living Word. He says He is love. 

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is Love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16 

He is the originator and fulfiller of everything we know and experience of love. Jesus also teaches us that the MOST important commandment for us as believers is to love God and love other people!  

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

The foundation of our faith is love. How beautiful and enriching that is. Being loved unconditionally and loving others the same way has brought me extraordinary joy. Unconditional love has improved my relationships beyond my wildest expectations.   

Receiving the Holy Spirit

In Islam, God is said to be closer to you than the veins on your neck, but he will not speak directly to you. In fact, it is said that it is not befitting of God to do so. This meant that prayer was a one-way communication. I had no way of knowing whether he heard me or even accepted my prayers and repentance. There was no conversation between us. 

So when I first was saved and got baptized, I was excited for what would happen next. I kept asking my mentor, so now what? She would lovingly but persistently keep saying, “wait to hear from the Lord”. I had NO idea what she meant by that. I did not know how to talk with God, and I surely did not expect Him to talk back! It wasn’t until I studied what it meant to receive the Holy Spirit that it made sense. 

If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. John 14:15-18 

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13

What an amazing and exciting reality. Jesus tells the believers that the Holy Spirit, the third member of the triune [the third reality of God], would be inside each of us!  I no longer needed to ask another person’s advice about God’s plan for me or be wandering aimlessly not knowing God’s plan for my life. God would tell me directly. The Holy Spirit inside of me would direct my path. If I listened well enough, I could avoid making misguided choices that I would make if left to my own desires or thoughts. Receiving the Holy Spirit and communion with Him has radically transformed how I make decisions and has led to the most awe-inspiring experiences of my life. 

I could go on endlessly describing how these three principles have changed my life forever; but, I will save that for another day. I hope this information has helped my Muslim friends appreciate why I have so boldly and wholeheartedly become a Christ-follower. I pray that you will consider these principles and will ask God to reveal His reality to you. I firmly believe He will meet you where you are! 

For my Christian brothers and sisters, please educate Muslims about the Gospel with love so that it will plant seeds of faith. Focus on the real power within all three manifestations of God– the loving Father, the redeeming Son, and the support of the Holy Spirit. We trust God will do the rest.   

God Bless You! 

Jesus is the Solution to Islamic Terrorism – Book of Romans 4 & 5

Jesus-in-sky-2-optimized
By Hedieh Mirahmadi Falco

Before my salvation through Christ, I spent over two decades trying to defeat Islamic radicalization. I built evidence based programs across the US and around the world, partnering with law enforcement and communities, to “hopefully” prevent young men or women from committing ideologically motivated violence. I used to be proud of all that I had accomplished but obviously, I never solved the problem. No matter what any of us “experts” did, the terrorists multiplied. After awhile, it was exhausting and felt worthless. I kept doing the same things over again and expecting different results. So I simply stopped doing it. 

This week, I reconnected with a dear friend and colleague who heard of my acceptance of Christ. Though she was happy for me personally, she was disappointed I was no longer “fighting the good fight”. When I thought and prayed about what she said, I decided the truth was quite the opposite! I AM still in the fight, but now with a REAL solution. It is the power of Christ Jesus that can save, transform, and redeem all of humanity, even lost Muslims.

In Romans, Paul appeals to God’s promises to Abraham as evidence that there never has been a distinction amongst people who believe His message. God’s plan all along has been that this message would bless all nations through Israel’s proclamation of it. It doesn’t matter whether you come from the law of the Jews, Paganism or Islam. Once you put your faith in Christ, we are all the same. We are all reborn as children of God. 

It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. Romans 4:13-16 

My duty now is to spread the good news of the Gospel and offer Muslims the ONLY solution to a life filled with anger, vengefulness and hatred. Accept the grace that abounds through a simple yet powerful profession of faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Watch your life go from darkness to light, bondage to the freedom, and hatred to love. 

Adam brought trespass into the world, but Jesus brought a gift. With Adam, death multiplied because all have sinned; with Jesus, grace multiplied as God’s gift of forgiveness was offered to everyone.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19

Book of Romans Chapter 2

By Hedieh Mirahmadi Falco

In Romans 2, Paul tackles the dangers of hypocrisy. He teaches us the dangers of relying on good works while having bad character and bad intent. This will only lead to affliction and distress. It’s quite common sensical if you think about it. You can’t trick God by outwardly following commandments if inwardly, in your heart, you are doing it for lust, power, or fame. God does not reward that kind of behavior. 

….8 but to those who act from selfish ambition and who disobey the truth, but who obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger. 9 There will be affliction and distress. 

Paul accuses the preachers of blasphemy for engaging in the exact behavior they preach to others NOT to do. In Romans 1, he goes after the Gentiles/Romans for ungodly behavior without the law, and then in 2, he goes after the Jews who have the law and don’t behave morally or justly in accordance with the law. Though Paul is talking to the Jewish leaders at the time, the universality of it is ANY believer who manipulates the truth of God for selfish ambition or who engages in “unrighteousness” will earn God’s wrath and anger. Think about how many believers are turned off of by Church and thereby distanced from faith in Christ because the preachers behaved in a way that dishonored God. Though we must have grace for those who transgress and quickly repent, ultimately there is a higher standard placed on those who preach than those who are just personally guilty of sin.  

21 Therefore, the one who teaches someone else, do you not teach yourself? The one who preaches not to steal, do you steal? 22 The one who says not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? The one who abhors idols, do you rob temples? 23 Who boast in the law, by the transgression of the law you dishonor God!d 24 For just as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” – Romans 2: 21-24 (NIV)

All of this leads to Paul’s ultimate point: it doesn’t matter how many laws we follow, whether we do them sincerely or as hypocrites, if we do not have the spirit of God within us. The reward is in abiding with the Spirit, not the letter of the law. In seeking God’s pleasure, not people’s. He’s not saying there is no value to the law; rather, on its own, it’s not enough. The law without spiritual obedience is worthless. 

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

Reading this had a profound impact on me, because in Islam there’s a strong emphasis on following the law. The more we did, the better our chances of being forgiven. There was no mention or concept of the “spirit of God.” Consequently, it felt like abiding by the law was no more than a set of rituals. God was nowhere in them. Though Paul directs his comments to the Jews, it speaks to me about my experience in Islam. The Bible is a living and breathing revelation that can speak to all of us differently. 

I pray you read the Scripture and allow the words to speak into your Spirit what God is trying to tell you—not only about the past, but about your present and future. 

1 –  The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 2:28–29). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Book of Romans – Introduction

By Hedieh Mirahmadi Falco

Background: The book of Romans in the Bible was written by the Apostle Paul, also known as Saul. He was such a devout believer in Judaism that he severely persecuted the followers of Christ. 

When he was on the way to Damascus to arrest believers there, God got his attention, as recorded in Acts 9:1-6. Supernatural light blinded him, and as he lay on the ground, he heard the voice of Jesus.

A lot of people didn’t believe in the power of seeing Jesus after he had ascended. Many don’t believe that he appears to people today even if he did so for Paul back then. 

But others do believe in the power of God to do anything, and that Jesus is the same as before, today and forever. If you are one of them, then you accept that these things are still possible. 

In my own conversion experience, I heard Jesus’s voice, then saw a vision of him. He made it abundantly clear to me that He called me for a distinct purpose, just as He called Paul. I, too, was a believer in another faith: born of a sacred lineage and a devout Muslim. Christ revealed Himself to me, and therefore I cannot deny the calling He has placed on my life. It may involve pain and suffering, as it did for Paul.

In Romans, Paul expresses his deep desire to promote unity between believers in Jesus who were originally Jewish and those who were Gentiles.  

Since everyone who was not Jewish was considered a Gentile, that term encompasses nearly all of humanity who accept and are born again in Christ, including atheists and Muslims. 

Paul wrote passionately and convincingly, with love and respect for the Jewish people. He wanted them to realize the immense gift of grace that comes through the acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Savior. He also plainly described the dangers of not doing so. 

I found his arguments brilliantly articulated, with grace, divine power, and conviction. His words spoke to me so clearly about why faith in Jesus is so irrefutable and necessary.—We all need faith. Not only for our salvation but for joy and transformation in this life as well. 

I want to share with you some inspiration I received from the Holy Spirit about how the Book of Romans relates to my own experience. 

General Themes in Romans

  1. Paul begins his argument by describing God’s wrath against all mankind. In case his Jewish readers thought that their heritage somehow made them better, Paul shows otherwise in the second chapter. In fact, a Jew who judges a Gentile stands condemned by the same standard. All sin. All must repent. No one has the right to point accusing fingers at anyone else. The people who confidently believe they have measured up to God’s righteous standard may be in the most danger. 
  2. Only through acceptance of Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of the one true God can we achieve reconciliation and unity. Christ represents the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to humanity. These go all the way back to Abraham, the father of all monotheistic religions, including Judaism and Islam.   
  3. Paul sought the reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles but also wanted to be clear and convincing about the consequences of not accepting the one true God alone is worthy of worship. 
  4. God’s very first commandment is that his people worship no other gods. But Paul recognizes that all of us are slaves to temptation and sin, because we put our other desires such as wealth, sex, and fame as idols. Our idolatry of our desires rather than God can only lead to sin and death. God reveals his wrath on our unrighteousness both individually and as a society. Proper fear of God entails fearing both his wrath and his grief. 
  5. In the seventh chapter, Paul eloquently describes how even the most devout adherents to religious law can be the worst perpetrators of sin. The law reveals what sin is, and our flesh then desires it. It’s a vicious cycle. We agree with the law and want to follow it. But the sin that still lives in us impels us to live otherwise. Only the risen Christ and the Holy Spirit can rescue us from this body of death.  
  6. Though Paul wrote to Jews and Roman Gentiles, the universality and eternal nature of the word of God applies to all humanity at all times. So it is a warning to any learned believer that they should avoid self-righteous thinking or the condemnation of others as if their sins are somehow less than the sin of those less versed in the law. The other great monotheistic religions should take heed. Jews don’t accept the divinity of Christ or even acknowledge he was a prophet. In the Islamic tradition, Jesus was born of an immaculate conception, ascended to Heaven without death, and is believed to return in the last days to defeat the anti-Christ. However, it only assigns him the title of prophet and absolutely denies his divinity. If Muslims can consider this objectively, without the lens of politics, they can take heed of the Scripture as the infallible word of God for humanity and not just a “holy book.”

Woman at the Well

By Hedieh Mirahmadi Falco

Looking back, I can see now how all of my life has led me to my relationship with Jesus. All of the mistakes, the misunderstandings, the heartache. He was calling me all along. It sure didn’t feel like it at the time. For years, I strode full speed in the wrong direction. Then in another wrong direction. Rinse, repeat. Professionally, I was recognized as one of the best in my field. I worked through 4 Presidential administrations and my advice was sought out by decision makers at the highest levels of government. My work has probably prevented acts of terrorism. Saved lives. But do you want to know the truth? I was never at peace or felt real joy, not even at the height of my professional success. I felt empty and often said to myself, “How did I get here?” I won’t bore you with the details of my professional successes, since that’s not really the point. It’s enough to say that I exceeded even my family’s wildest dreams.  But it wasn’t enough. I knew, deep down, it would never be enough.

When it finally snapped in me that the religious life of a Muslim wasn’t the answer, I returned to all of the same bad habits from way back when, filling the empty spaces with things that would never bring the peace I so desperately sought. 

Maybe you can relate to this. Have you ever had one of those moments where you just can’t do it anymore? You’ve given all you have. Tried everything. And you’re just done? Lost. Falling. I prayed to God, please help me. I’m lost. That was the moment. In that moment, without even realizing I was doing it, I invited Jesus Christ into my heart, into my life. And He welcomed me with open arms. Immediately, I knew I wasn’t going to fall any more, ever again. I could feel Him supporting me. The weight in my chest felt as light as a feather. My fears were gone. My heart was free, filled with peace, love, joy. Jesus was there with me, by my side, providing everything I needed. He is still there with me, every moment of every day. The wonderful thing? He’s there for you too. He’s here for all of us. There is a story in the Bible, that speaks directly to my heart. Perhaps you have heard it. John recounts the day Jesus arrived in the town of Samaria. He was thirsty from his long journey, so the first thing He did upon entering the town was to go to a well. A woman was there, and Jesus asked her for a drink. She was shocked. She was not Jewish. Jews and Samaritans had no dealings with one another. And she was a woman. John tells us that even Jesus’s disciples were surprised that He was speaking with her.

He proceeds to tell her about her life and how she’s looking for love in all the wrong places. He promises her the water of life, which would forever quench her thirst for acceptance and love, when she instantly realizes He must be the Messiah because He knew her deepest secrets and needs. Though she knew nothing about what He was preaching, the miracles He performed elsewhere, or even about the Old Testament, she became one of the first evangelists for Christ. It was her faith and passion for the message of freedom that made her whole village run after Christ.

I love her story because her message of Jesus is simple. Come meet the Messiah–have faith in Him and He will set you free. 

I come to you in much the same way. I am not a Bible scholar, I haven’t been a Believer my whole life, and none of my extended family members are even Christians. However, I have encountered the Son of the One living God that has changed my life forever. All of my past experiences were divinely engineered for such a time as this.

Very simply, Jesus has transformed my life. I was a broken woman, lost, afraid. But now? All of that is in the past. I was born again in Christ, the One who gave His life for me to be free, a priceless gift I didn’t earn and surely didn’t deserve. He placed in my heart the purpose to spread this message to anyone who would listen in hopes that it would inspire you to embark on a similar journey of liberation that comes simply by faith and Love Of Christ. 

I want the same for you. I pray that my story touches your heart, just like the woman at the well’s story touched the hearts of those in her town. May you be like the people of Samaria and have your own encounter with Jesus. Then you, too, may know. He is here, right now. He is ready to help you. All you have to do is ask. Think of it as a personal invitation for A Jesus Encounter.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” Jn 4:39, NIV

Who knows? Perhaps you have come to a royal position for a time such as this.