Cling to Him

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July 15, 2021

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Cling to Him
by Impact Middle East leader

I used to see Rae’d, his wife and their three children as they went to the Anglican church each Sunday. But when the church people there disappointed Rae'd, he stopped attending.

Four years later, I happened to be visiting his neighbors when he and his father came to visit at the same time. Rae’d and his father greeted me kindly. I asked Rae’d how he was doing. He said, “I only go from home to work and from work to home.” Then I asked him a second question, “How is your relationship with the Lord nowadays?”

He answered, “I am far from the Lord.” Then he said, “Not all those who go to church are true believers.” I said to myself, “I understand that people leave the church, but I cannot imagine leaving God.”

Then I said to Rae’d, “It is not the will of God for us to forsake Him. He will never abandon us. He has promised, ‘I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ There is great lack of love among people. Brothers, neighbors, and family members fight for trivial reasons. But this is not the will of God. He wants us to love each other and cling to Him no matter the circumstances.”

Rae’d did not say anything. He kept looking at me. Then, I asked him, “What is on your mind?” He said, “What you are saying is true. I believe it deep in my heart. But I do not want to have anything to do with that church.”

“Rae’d, Rae’d,” I replied. “It is very wrong to be away from the Lord. Jesus died to bring you to Him. The church is only a group of people, but God is the Savior. You are not losing only the church but your soul.”

His eyes watered, and he said, “I feel emptiness deep in my heart.” Then we prayed together for reconciliation with God.

Pray Rae’d and his young family will grow strong in their faith, even when they are disappointed by people. Pray the Lord will lead them to a place where they can truly worship Him.

New Children's Resources

Five short videos and reproducible handouts
Perfect for VBS or Children's Ministries

Meet Nisaf, a winsome twelve-year-old girl in Kurdistan (northern Iraq). She lives with her family in a refugee camp, along with 8,000 other children and their families, after they fled from ISIS terrorists. Through five short videos Nisaf shows us where she lives and other special places in the camp, including the Noor Center. Established by Impact Middle East, the Noor Center creates ways for children to laugh, play, and feel safe again after all the trauma they have experienced in their lives. Reproducible handouts provide activities and additional information for each of the videos. Project options provide ways for children’s groups to help children like Nisaf.

Click here to access "Children Like These" materials and Agreement of Use form.

Sample video - "Children Like These: Meet Nisaf"

Sample Reproducible Handout Page

Other Children's Resources

Great for VBS or other children's missions studies

Click here for Missions Alive! Middle East and other downloads (missions curriculum for grades 1-6)
Password: 20MEeJiI20

Video Resources

We encourage churches to use these resources. Due to security concerns regarding these materials, please follow these guidelines:

Videos are for live broadcast only.
Videos or reproducible handouts may not be stored for public viewing on any web or social media platforms.
These materials are the property of Impact Middle East (IME). Any use beyond those stipulated above requires written permissions by IME.
IME reserves the right to revoke authorization of use any of the materials.

Click here for Agreement of Use form. After review of your form, you may receive the link to these password protected pages.

To view videos of Impact Middle East Ministry in EGYPT, click here.

To view videos of Impact Middle East Ministry in IRAQ, click here.

To view videos of Impact Middle East Ministry in ISRAEL, click here.

To view videos of Impact Middle East Ministry in JORDAN, click here.

Opportunities

Impact Middle East is looking for local churches interested in helping refugee children in Jordan and Iraq attend school where they will receive biblical and academic instruction. Connected Communities, through International Child Care Ministries (ICCM), makes a way for churches to come alongside specific schools in the Middle East.
Connected Community: dale@impactmiddleeast.org

Heavenly Treasures - an Impact Middle East partner organization - offers online access to hand-crafted products made by Iraqi refugee artisans. Heavenly Treasures can also provide a “pop-up” store for your church or organization.
Shop: shopwithamission.com
Pop-up Store: christina@heavenlytreasures.org

SEED has tote bags for your business ... journals for your church's volunteer appreciation gifts ... and many more products helping our churches be more sustainable as they work with refugees in the Middle East. Click here for products made by refugees.

AmazonSmile has donated over $200 million to charities worldwide! You can help increase AmazonSmile donations to Impact Middle East by shopping at
smile.amazon.com/ch/26-4657639

or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon Shopping app.