A New Kingdom for Abu Dhabi- and the World

"زیرا خدا جهان را چنان محبت کرد که پسر یگانه خود (عیسی) را داد تا هر که به او ایمان آورد هلاک نشود، بلکه حیات جاودانی داشته باشد. نه به این دلیل که خدا پسرش را به دنیا فرستاد تا جهان را محکوم کند، بلکه به این دلیل که جهان ممکن است از طریق او نجات یابد. (کتاب مقدس یوحنا)

آنگاه مردی تحت ستم دیو که نابینا و لال بود نزد او (عیسی) آوردند و او را شفا داد، به طوری که آن مرد سخن گفت و دید. و همه مردم متحیر شدند و گفتند: "آیا این می تواند پسر داوود باشد؟" اما چون فریسیان آن را شنیدند، گفتند: «فقط به وسیلهٔ بعلزبول، رئیس ارواح پلید، این مرد دیوها را بیرون می کند.» دانستن افکار خود را, او به آنها گفت, "هر پادشاهی تقسیم شده در برابر خود ویران گذاشته شده است, و هیچ شهرستان و یا خانه تقسیم در برابر خود ایستاده خواهد شد. و اگر شیطان شیطان را بیرون کند، علیه خود تقسیم می شود. پس پادشاهی او چگونه خواهد ایستاد؟ و اگر دیوها را به وسیلۀ بعلزبول بیرون کنم، پسران تو به وسیلهٔ چه کسی آنها را بیرون میکنند؟ بنابراین آنها داوران شما خواهند بود. اما اگر به وسیلهٔ روح خدا است که دیوها را بیرون میکنم، آنگاه ملکوت خدا بر شما آمده است. (کتاب متی در کتاب مقدس)

(یوحنای رسول گفت) آنگاه آسمان جدید و زمین جدیدی دیدم، زیرا آسمان اول و زمین اول از بین رفته بودند و دریا دیگر نبود. و من شهر مقدس را دیدم, اورشلیم جدید, آمدن از آسمان از خدا, آماده برای شوهرش مانند یک عروسی به خوبی آراسته. و من صدای بلندی از تخت شنیدم, گفت: ببین, مسکن خدا با انسان است. او با آنها ساکن خواهد شد و آنها قوم او خواهند بود و خود خدا به عنوان خدای آنها با آنها خواهد بود. او هر اشکی را از چشمان آنها پاک خواهد کرد، و دیگر مرگ، ماتم و گریه، و درد دیگر وجود نخواهد داشت: زیرا پیشینیان از دنیا رفته اند.» (کتاب مکاشفه کتاب مقدس)

An Amazing Story!

Today's incredible post will make the rumored Dubai Disneyland pale in comparison! It's not about MOTIONGATE Dubai, Universal's plans in China, or even expansion Disneyland Paris. Instead, it's an amazing true story of a young man who encountered God in a truly miraculous and very personal way. It's a true story passed down I written form from person to person to person and eventually reached people I know.

----

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. All over the world, believers in Jesus Christ pat the price for their faith in Him- some with the lives. In fact, more believers have died for their faith in the last 20 years than decades before. (You can read all about it here.)

What to know how personal God is and how much He cares for you? Read on.

------------

My journey with Jesus has started from a childhood. 

In 1992, my parents moved from one Muslim nation to another, when I was only 3 months old. After years, someone in market shared gospel with my father and he started following Jesus, followed by taking me and my brother to the service of a house church. I began to understand that God so loves the whole world that He sent Jesus- God in the flesh- to earth to redeem man and pay the price for their sins. And I gave Him my life.

In 2004, tragically we lost our father and that’s when my world turned upside down. I was so devastated and angry at God, started questioning Him and stopped reading the Bible or going to house church. When I was in 9th grade, depression hit me and I decided to take my life. I had a great plan, skipped class, prepared myself and as I was going into garage to fulfil my plan, someone knocked the door. 

In our culture, if someone knocks at your door, even unknown person you would show him hospitality and invite inside. There were an international couple knocking, whom I never met in my village, they came inside and started conversation with me. The man asked me, all of a sudden: “Ahmad, why you are rejecting God?” And that moment something inside me changed and I knew it was God who sent these people to me to prevent me from taking my life away. Because how in the world, at that particular moment, people would knock at my door and ask me why I left Jesus? It was Him. 

Since then I surrendered my life to Him. In 2009, I moved to the city, which is a megapolis started studying at university. 

After 2 years of being here miraculously I was invited to the student conference where people encouraged to share the Good News with everyone around us, especially with student because they believed that it’s the future of our country. I was inspired to do so, but something held me back in sharing the good news with my group mates. 

In summer of 2011, I heard really bad news, that one of my closest friend from the university got into a car accident and died. Only one through came to my mind, that he is not going to heaven, because he hasn’t heard the gospel, which should’ve shared with him. It was the second time when something in my mind switched. Now I sincerely believe that we have to share the good news with everyone. 

I'm now happily married to a Christian woman. I cannot wait to see what God holds for us as I continue to love and serve Jesus!

------

What about YOU? What will you do with the incredible gift offered you through Jesus Christ? That bad news is we've all fallen short of God's perfection and are doomed for eternal death and separation from Him. The good news is God has given us a way through Jesus Christ. The choice is yours.

Dubai Disneyland Surfaces Again

This is not an April Fools joke. Could Dubai Disneyland be back on? Certainly, the theme park oasis in that part of the world needs all the help it can get! Three parks so far and each only receiving less than a million guests in attendance. Something is seriously wrong, no matter how many people promote its excellence. The MOTIONGATE Dubai and Bollywood parks are not the draw they need to be. Six Flags dropped out of the game. Will Disney come to the rescue?

These honest-to-goodness Dubai Disneyland images are just astounding! Why? Favilli Studios, a long time firm where the principals used to be part of Imagineering, was contracted to do the work. If you take a good look at these pieces by enlarging them, you'll notice there's certainly a bit of Star Wars Land present in Tomorrowland as well as a not so subtle inclusion of California Adventure's incredible Cars Land.

Here's the now requisite hotel at the entrance or a series of uber expensive suites in Fantasyland at the castle itself. Perfect for fleecing those well-heeled guests of the Middle East. 

There's also a shiny, brand new version of Main Street U.S.A., and we thought Shanghai Disneyland was the first one to propose a changeout from the old standby "Vintage America" feeling park entrance. Was this another version of Mickey Avenue?

I was the first one to publicize this Dubai Disneyland concept art. But I was personally telephoned by the owners of the studios that produced it and asked to take it down. Apparently this series was created for a potential investment project of which Disney may or may not have been a partner. Now 5 years later, it is all over the internet, so here it is again- a small selection of many, many images I still hold onto.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company / Favilli Studios.)