Dear brothers and sisters, greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to share a very important message with you all. By the grace of God, many people in our ministry are accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. They have accepted Jesus with their hearts and they sincerely want to move forward in faith. But these new believers do not have their own personal Holy Bible. They are longing to read the Word of God, but due to poverty, they cannot buy a Bible. We are in dire need of the Bible. We need your help. Our heart desires that we can bring the living Word of God to all these new believers, so that they may be strong in the Word and grow in their faith. Will you help us? With your small help, we can bring the Bible to these believers. May the Lord bless you abundantly. Amen

“A Call for 85 Holy Bibles”* 📖❤️ *Dear brother and sister in Jesus Christ,* *We come before you with a burden and a hope.* *There are 85 new believers in Jesus Christ* *whose hands are empty, though their hearts are full.* _Acts 2:41_ *They toil daily at the brick kilns,* *with no means to own the Holy Bible.* *Yet they hunger for the Bread of Life.* _John 6:35_ *We need 85 Holy Bibles,* *so we can place the Word of God* *into the hands of each new believer.* _Psalm 119:105_ *Please help us in this holy work.* *Together we will strengthen them in the Scriptures,* *that they may stand firm in all God has promised.* _Romans 15:4_ *For His glory alone. Amen.*

A note before we begin: today’s artwork depicts the severed head of John the Baptist, whose beheading is the focus of today’s Scripture reading (Matthew 14:1–12). Today we’re trying something new in Christ-in-Kundalini: ekphrastic writing, or writing in conversation with a work of art. Begin by looking at Aelbert Bouts’s "Head of Saint John the Baptist on a Charger." Painted around 1500, the round panel resembles the platter on which John’s head was carried. The rest of the story has disappeared—the prison, the banquet, the executioner, the disciples who came for his body. We’re left with the part of John his killers demanded. But beheading isn’t relegated to ancient times. We metaphorically behead people today, striking at the source of identity. We can say we are not our heads, we are not our bodies, we are not the roles we play—we are bodies of light and love. And yet, we are not. Not when we strike out of revenge, bitterness, or fear. Not when we steal away someone’s joy out of jealousy or our own suffering, striking at their sense of wholeness in an attempt to ease something within ourselves. Yoga Sutra II.30 places "ahiṃsā," non-harming, beside "satya," truthfulness. John’s body is divided, but the truth he spoke survives the attempt to silence him. His voice remains. And those esponsible for his death may remain physically intact, but are really are divided from love. What do you think? WRITE: Spend a few minutes looking at the painting before you begin. Describe the shape, color, light, texture, and expression without explaining what they mean. Allow yourself to write from stream of consciousness. Not judging what you write or the process. What has this frame cut away from the story? What has this frame cut away from the whole of you? Where are you being asked to restore wholeness—to yourself or to someone you’ve reduced to a single story? Let me know how you did with this one. Love, Jackie Here's a link to more information on the painting: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435759

Dear brother and sister in Jesus Christ *I have wonderful news to share with you today!* I went to serve God at the brick kiln, and *many people believed in Jesus Christ*. They accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. *Praise God!* *But these new brothers and sisters don’t have Bibles.* They are like newborns — hungry for the Word, but with no spiritual food in their hands. *I want us to place the Holy Bible in their hands.* *Because the Bible is their daily bread.* It will teach them God’s promises, strengthen their weak faith, and help them stand firm in trials. _“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”_ — *Psalm 119:105* _“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”_ — *Romans 10:17* 📖 *Will you join me in this great work?* Together, we can give these new believers the Word of God so they grow strong in the Lord. *Every Bible is a seed that will bear fruit for eternity.* *To God alone be the glory. Amen