News from Pastor Tiews

Sharing the Gospel in Germany

Latest posts from on 11/26/2024

Dear friends and supporters of our ministry to Germany and across Eurasia!

By Rev. Tiews on 25/11/24

The old church year has concluded and so, in the past few weeks, our lectionary readings have dealt with the End Times. The Lord could return thousands of years from now—or perhaps even tomorrow. This reminds me of one of our Iranian converts who has converted to Christianity, as I report this month, while his wife wants to still be able to visit her folks back home and so chooses to remain Muslim. At first glance, her plan seems to be clever. But what if He returns tomorrow? Would she be locked out of heaven like the five foolish virgins? *** Thank you for your continued love and support for Lula and me, which allows us to ready our Persian immigrant friends for the return of our Lord and Savior, and lets me help form men from all over the world to become pastors at Riga Luther Academy. God willing, they will someday gird their own flocks for our Lord’s Second Coming. And may the Lord richly bless you during this Advent season, as we look forward to the anniversary of the birth of our Savior—while being equipped for His return in Word and Sacrament!

Three Lutherans at the barber shop in Hamburg

An Unbelieving Spouse

By Rev. Tiews on 22/11/24

“For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:14). Years ago, I met a Christian man whose wife did not believe in Jesus. He thought that she would be saved merely by clinging to him, and not by believing in Christ. His faulty assumption was based on a misunderstanding of the above Bible verse. This is what can happen when Christians are poorly catechized, pull a Bible verse out of context, and don’t bother to learn more about their own faith. *** I was recently talking to an Iranian expat here in Germany who shared his situation. A new Christian, he proudly wears a cross around his neck—a bold move since he regularly interacts with people from Muslim countries. He also explained that his wife is still Muslim. Although she has many issues with Islam—as do most Iranians—she doesn’t wish to convert so she can still visit family back home. I told him that I understand where she’s coming from and that it’s tough for people from Muslim countries to convert to Christianity. Indeed, in many cases, they are no longer allowed to return to their homeland. “But,” I noted, “fast-forward forty or fifty years. Would your wife really want to forego eternity in heaven with Christ so she could visit Iran during her lifetime? Not to mention, what if her time on earth ends suddenly—due to an accident or illness? She would be locked out, like the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25. Your wife is taking a risk…” Having said that, this lady is married to a man who now believes in Jesus Christ. I had to think of that Bible verse. Let us pray that, as he grows in his faith, he would be a patient and encouraging witness, demonstrating to his bride the peace that all Christians have since the Lord has covered all our sins, and walks alongside us every day–wherever we are.

Symbols of Dark Forces

By Rev. Tiews on 15/11/24

“If we say we have fellowship with [the Father] while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:6-7). A while back, I was reminded that the spiritual muscles of at least some of our Persian Christians here in Germany are still underdeveloped. As I was serving Holy Communion that Sunday, I noticed that one of them was wearing a silver ring embossed with a menacing skull. It disturbed me to see his hand—adorned with an image of death—grasp the chalice containing the Lord’s true blood. I spotted the young man after the service and walked toward him. Seeing me coming, he quickly pulled off the ring and stuck it in his pocket. I could not help but chuckle. “Tell me about that ring of yours,” I asked with a smile. “Does it have any special meaning for you?” I asked. “Uhh, I just think it looks cool,” he replied. “Did you know that on the cross of Calvary and on Easter morning Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil?” I asked. “Your ring symbolizes what Jesus defeated…” “I know…” he replied somewhat sheepishly. “I won’t wear it in church again.” I also thought about mentioning that it is inappropriate for Christians to wear any kind of clothing or jewelry that celebrates the dark forces—at any time—but I let it go. Our young friend intuitively knew that wearing that ring was wrong—especially during Holy Communion—and reacted well when confronted about it. In the photograph, you can see him preparing snacks for our baptismal class that was held a few minutes later. No ring… There are many even lifelong Christians in the U.S., too, who seem to have no problem wearing clothing or jewelry that glorify evil. Maybe 1 John 1:6-7 would be helpful for them to read. At the same time, praise God that for those who repent of such behavior, that same blood of Jesus cleanses them from all sin, including even inadvertently celebrating what Jesus defeated.

Christianity is Much Bigger

By Rev. Tiews on 08/11/24

“For our sake [the Father] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Last Sunday we baptized another six Persian adults at Zion Lutheran Church (SELK) in Hamburg. We started our next 12-week Baptism class an hour later, immediately after the Divine Service. My Finnish missionary friend Rev. Pasi Palmu joined us, as did an interpreter. After an opening prayer, I asked the new candidates how much they knew about Christianity. Answers ranged from “I’ve heard a bit about it and am curious” to “On my way to Germany, I lived in Turkey for ten months and attended a Christian church there.” We opened our Farsi Bibles and read John 3:16. I next explained how Christ took all our sins upon Himself and gave us His righteousness in return, but from their expressions, I could tell I wasn’t quite getting through to them. Hmmm. “Imagine Jesus gave you a brand-new Porsche… with all the bells and whistles,” I offered. All the guys grinned. “That would be great,” one of them replied, “but would I have to give Him anything in return?” “No,” I answered, “because there is nothing you have or can do to pay for His salvation. But He would *take* something from you…” “Take?” he asked. “Yes. In exchange for the Porsche, He will take your broken bicycle that doesn’t work and maybe has only one wheel and no handlebars. A complete piece of junk… those are your sins that Jesus will remove from you and place upon Himself.“ I pointed to a wooden crucifix hanging on the wall. “Why would Jesus want to do that?” one of them asked. “Because He loves you. In fact, He loves the whole world, as we just saw in John 3:16.” “Wow, Christianity is much bigger than I assumed. I thought it was just about leading a better life or finding inner peace…” The next day I sent them some basic texts to read and included a link to a powerful movie, which has been translated into multiple languages, including Farsi. Maybe you know someone who needs to watch it. May the Lord bless the people to whom you send it—and everyone in our new Baptism class!

Something Strange

By Rev. Tiews on 29/10/24

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day…” (Ephesians 6:12-13). Last Saturday I gave a missionary presentation. Afterwards, a man came up to me and said, “I was very encouraged to hear what God is doing among Persian refugees here in Germany. But I would like to talk to you about something else… I’m only a simple farmer, but I feel that something strange is going on in our village. It has bad vibes. Many farms have gone bankrupt. Marriages have fallen apart. A few years ago, a young girl drowned in a manure pit. These strange things have been happening for a long time. About 25 years ago there was even a horrible train wreck just outside our village. A high-speed train derailed and over 100 people were killed. How do I protect my family and myself from these evil forces?” I replied: “I don’t know what is going on in your village, but Satan and his demons are very real, and they are quite active in the world. But Satan is terrified of Jesus and His Word. Whenever you drive through your village, pray the Lord’s Prayer—out loud. Satan will run. He has no other choice.” The man’s eyes welled up. “Thank you for believing me and thank you for your wonderful advice.” He even gave me a bear hug. *** October 31 is best observed by remembering that it is Reformation Day when Dr. Martin Luther in 1517 paved the way for the return of the Gospel—the very Good News that on the cross and in the empty tomb Jesus Christ defeated not only your sins and mine, but also conquered over sin, death, and the devil. Satan and his demons may still win a battle here or there, but they have lost the War against Jesus. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God to protect yourself from Satan who is quite real—by actively using the Word, by reading your Bible every day, and by taking the Lord’s Holy Supper every week. (Image: Cranach the Younger: “Christ Overcoming the Devil”).

Recent Articles:

Dear friends and supporters of our ministry to Germany and across Eurasia!
Let My People Go!
Living in Exile
Workers in His Kingdom
How Are They to Believe…

Thank you to all who have already signed up to support this wonderful mission work that is being done by our many LCMS missionaries in Eurasia and around the world. Thank you also for partnering directly with us—the Tiews family. If you are interested in joining us on this path, you can do so in various ways as listed below.

Praise the LORD that
Jesus took a sinful agnostic guy, forgave him, and is now using him to bring the Gospel to a land in which so many people do not know Jesus Christ.

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