Dying for his faith

This is a portion of a letter to believers around the world that was written from a prison in Kabul. Sayed Mossa is a Red Cross worker from Afghanistan that has been condemned to death by the Afghan courts for converting to Christianity. In spite of the fact that Afghanistan is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its religious freedom clause (Clause 18) and the Afghan constitution that promises to uphold this right, Sayed has been condemned to death without legal counsel and in spite of pleas from governments around the world. His only crime is accepting Christ as his savior.

Please pray for Sayed and his family. May this be a reminder that across our globe there are believers who die for their faith weekly and as Sayed says in his letter - are willing to make a public testimony for their faith! This is also a reminder of the stakes in the current upheaval in the Middle East. Afghanistan claims to be a democracy yet it does not uphold the rights of the minority - in this case believers in Jesus. This scenario has already been played out in Gaza under Hamas, Iraq where Christians have been driven out in droves and numerous countries where it is a crime to convert from Islam to Christianity.

As believers in the west who have amazing religious freedom, we ought to pray daily for those around the world whose life is in danger daily because of their faith.

You can read Sayed's story on these sites:

International Christian Concern

World Magazine

National Review Online

The Middle East

There is no doubt that we are watching history in the making in the Middle East and North Africa. If there was ever a time to pray that God would protect his people there and build his church it is now. This is both a time of opportunity and peril for the church in this part of the world.

There are many unknowns as to how political change will impact the church. In many cases the regimes that have been in power have kept more radical elements of Islam at bay. With regime change, these groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt will seek to assert themselves. Radical Islam has no place for Christianity or freedom of religion which could mean huge pressure for Christ followers. In some cases, "democracy" could mean radical Islam!

The winner in this upheaval could prove to be Iran as it spreads its version of Islam and anti west, anti Christianity and hatred of Israel throughout the region. They believe that these events could herald the return of their great prophet who will usher in a pure world wide Islamic rule. And, there are elements in Iran who will do anything to help make this happen.

If the new order in the Middle East proves to be a more radical Islamic order, this will increase tensions with Israel. Today, two of its immediate neighbors, Egypt and Jordan have peaceful relations with Israel but that could change with regime changes. In that case, the Middle East will become more of a tinderbox than it currently is.


Hidden from view in all of these events is the fact that there are many Christ followers in each of these countries that are today under pressure - including Iran. There are believers in Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. God has quietly been building His church even in the most radical areas of the Middle East and will continue to do so. And, God uses the events of history to spread the good news (Acts 17:26-27). We need to stand with these believers in prayer as they walk through very uncertain times. 


As you watch the news of the Middle East, let it be a constant reminder to pray for God's people there, for their protection, for opportunities to share the good news and that God would continue to build his church. Pray also, that God would protect the many church planters and missionaries who work in this part of the world. Their work is hard in times of peace. It is harder in these current circumstances. Now is the time to pray.

Pray for God's people in Egypt

The world is watching with fascination the turmoil in Egypt. As believers we need to be praying for our fellow believers in Egypt who will be impacted by whatever outcome there is. Many do not realize that there is a vibrant evangelical community in Egypt that works closely together for the evangelization of the nation. While the ministry context there is difficult – especially in evangelism of Muslims, the church exists legally and has enjoyed protections that are often absent in the Middle East.

Many Christians (evangelicals, Catholic and Coptic) fear that instability in the nation could give the Muslim Brotherhood the opportunity to seize power and move the nation toward an Islamic state. If that were to happen, the Christian community in Egypt would come under severe pressure, lose the protections it has enjoyed and face significant persecution. In addition, instability gives radical Muslims the opportunity to persecute believers with impunity.

Here is something to think about. The west, particularly the United States, has made “democracy” one of its highest goals for nations around the world. The problem with that goal is that in many places in our world, the majority does not protect the rights of the minority. For instance, India is the world’s largest democracy but the rights of believers are often violated. Ironically, under Saddam, the church was protected in Iraq. Under the current “democracy” believers have been killed, churches closed and believers by the tens of thousands driven out of the country.

The Apostle Paul encouraged us to pray for peace and stability so that the church could flourish. We don’t know what will happen in Egypt but we do know that we have a responsibility to pray for our brothers and sisters there and for a context where the church can have an impact on society.

One of my Christian friends in Egypt wrote this yesterday. “All in all we are strengthened and encouraged by the Lord and we know that He is in control of it all and nothing passes His eyesight. We believe the future of Egypt is being shaped and molded for a nationwide movement for the spread of the Gospel.”

The events of history are not as random as they often appear. Paul indicated this in Acts 17:26-27 where he says that God uses all the events of our world to build His church and bring people to Himself. Let’s pray that His purposes for the church in Egypt will be fulfilled at this time in their history.

American Evangelicals, Israel and the rest of the Middle East

For a number of years now I have had the privilege of travelling in the Middle East and working with believers and ministries in that region of the world. When I ask Arab Christian leaders how we can help them, one of the consistent answers relates to Israel. When American evangelicals give cart blanch support to Israel at the exclusion of caring about and serving our Christian Arab brothers and sisters - we send a message that God cares more about those in Israel than he does in the surrounding states of the Middle East.

Indeed, in our desire to support Israel’s right to exist (which many of us would have theological reasons for) we often overlook inequities, injustices and practices by Israel that negatively impact other people whom God loves. Israel’s government is not God’s government. In fact, much of it is highly secular with a strong bias against Christianity and Christians. There have been and continue to be injustices imposed by Israel on members of the Palestinian community whose rights (like for many Jews) have been violated, whose homes were taken without recompense and who long for a homeland as the Jews did.

Without getting into politics there are several convictions that ought to inform our attitude toward the Middle East, Arabs and Jews.

God loves all people equally. For God so loved the World that he sent His one and only Son ….. Politically, America faces a real threat from radical Islam. And, there are nations in the Middle East who would like to eradicate Israel (some not all). However, none of this changes God’s love for men and women from every tribe, every nation, and every language that will one day make up the crowd in heaven.

Whatever our political convictions, as Christians, we ought to be equally concerned for the salvation of Jews and Arabs. And our Arab brothers and sisters need to know that we love, value, cherish them as much as we do others. God is doing remarkable things in almost every country of the Middle East and there are many Christ followers who live under tremendous pressure and need the prayers and support of believers in the west.

It is fascinating how God describes the nations around Israel in Isaiah 19 – looking forward to the day when He returns. He uses the same language for them that He uses so often for Israel. “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day, Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance’ (Isaiah 19:23-25).”

If that is God’s heart for both Israel and its neighbors, we ought to have the same heart. And the same concern for the populations that make up Israel and its Arab neighbors.  For all of the challenges for believers in these nations, God is up to something significant and many more Muslims are coming to Christ than we often hear of. In addition, believers in these countries are sharing their faith sometimes at the cost of their lives since they know that Jesus is the only way to the father.

My understanding of prophecy leads me to believe that God brought the Jews back to Israel. At the same time, I believe we must be even handed when responding to actions of the Israeli state or any state (including our own). If we expect justice and fairness from her Arab neighbors, we should expect them from her as well – and from our own government.

Most importantly, I want my fellow Christians in Arab nations to know that I value them, pray for the difficulties they face, want to support them in the spread of the gospel (as with believers in Israel) and that I will show no favoritism for God does not play favorites in salvation history and God has a heart for all people. Nor will I allow the politics of either Israel or her neighbors take away from my desire for all people to hear the good news of Jesus and for many to come to a saving knowledge of Him.

On that note, God needs some courageous churches, men and women who will get involved in the Arab world. Plenty of evangelicals are involved with Israel. My question is who will come alongside believers in the rest of the Middle East for the cause of the gospel? Those who are willing to take a trip to the Middle East quickly discover that God is up to something – and that they have much less to fear than they think they do. I invite you to pray for believers in the Middle East, and to consider engaging in some way there.

What is the Gospel worth?

What is the gospel worth?



Ten Christian workers answered that question by giving their lives this week in Afghanistan – shot one by one by the Taliban. They made the ultimate sacrifice as they ministered to the “least of these,” the poorest of the poor in rural villages accessible only on foot.


Tom Little along with his wife and daughters had lived in Afghanistan since 1979, even staying during the years of the Russian invasion and the rule of the Taliban. Tom and his wife, Libby, raised three daughters in Afghanistan. Tom was the program director at the National Organization for Ophthalmic Rehabilitation, NOOR, in Kabul and his wife teaches at an international school in Kabul.


Each of these servants of God knew the risks of serving in war torn Afghanistan. They went where others would not go because it was too dangerous. They ministered to people that many would not minister too because they were too poor. They went places most would not go to because it is too remote and the conditions too harsh. They understood that there is nothing more important in this world than sharing the good news of the Gospel – Emmanuel – God with us with those who have never heard that there is good news.


They followed the call of God – a call higher and more sacred than any other call. They understood God’s love for the “least of these” and that in ministering to those who don’t know Jesus, they became the hands and feet and voice of a God who loves every man, woman and child on this hurting globe. In staying even during torturous years of war and Taliban rule, Tom and Libby fully identified with those they served.


There are heroes in this world. They are not those who the world usually identifies as important. They are men and women who follow God’s call on their lives no matter what the cost.

Please pray for the families of these ten men and women who paid the ultimate price. Pray also that their sacrifice would move those they ministered too to look to Christ. From the blood of martyrs comes the growth of the church. May their example and lives raise up a new generation of missionaries who will follow Christ wherever He may lead. 

Tragedy and Eternal Hope

The news from Haiti continues to get worse with estimates this morning that the death toll will rise above 200,000 and lawlessness in the streets is on the increase. A country that hangs by a thread on a good day is challenged beyond belief in the wake of the horrific earthquake.

Along with the various aid groups, governments and United Nations bringing initial aid are hundreds of Christian organizations. If history is any predictor, after the initial aid is delivered the governmental organizations will fade into the background and it will be faith based organizations who will be in Haiti for years to come rebuilding lives and homes and ministries. This was true in Asia in the wake of the Tsunami and is still true in New Orleans and Texas in the wake of Katrina and Ike.

I believe the generosity of the church will exceed even the great outpouring in the wake of the Asian Tsunami. Tens of thousands of volunteers will step forward in short term teams. And, like the aftermath of Tsunami, Katrina and Ike, many lives will be changed forever as they experience the love of God's people. In fact, in the wake of the earthquake, Haiti, a country in desperate need of spiritual awakening may have the greatest opportunity in its history to turn to the only source of eternal hope - Jesus Christ.

It is in times of tragedy that the church is at its best and the opportunity for evangelism at its highest. The compassion of God's people in times of great suffering is a model of the incarnation of Jesus who came to a world without hope, entered into our situation and brought eternal hope.

We ought to be praying that out of this horrific event, many would find eternal hope as they encounter the love of God's people who become His hands, feet, words, compassion and help. Human tragedy always becomes a divine opportunity and I know that the church will rise to the occasion in an amazing way. Governments can bring food and water. God's people will be bringing living water for years to come.

Understanding Sharia Law

To understand Islam and the threat that Islam poses to the world one must understand Sharia (the body of Islamic law) which deals with every aspect of a Muslim's life: marriage; business; sexuality; politics; how one raises their children; the rights of women; punishment for crimes and multitudes of other issues. Unlike the west, in Islam, there is no distinction between civil law and religious law: there is simply Sharia.

Many do not understand that the goal of Islam is to become the religion of the world and under Islam, there is no freedom of religion. Take Egypt for instance. It is legal and easy to convert from Christianity to Islam but it is illegal to convert from Islam to Christianity and such a move can be punishable by jail or death.

Under Sharia, all non Muslims are second rate citizens. There is one set of rules for Muslims and another set of rules for non-Muslims. Under Sharia, women are denied even the most basic rights. Under Sharia it is forbidden to question any part of the Koran so there is little discussion about controversial issues.

Sharia is extrapolated from the Koran which is exceedingly unfriendly to non-Muslims. Consider these statistics from the book Cruel and Usual Punishment:

"There are 35,213 Qur'an verses, hadiths, Sharia laws, and various Muslim scriptures commanding and encouraging killing, violence, war, annihilation, corporal punishment, hatred, boycott, humiliation and subjugation aimed mainly against non-Muslims. The majority population of non-Muslims in democratic nations must be concerned about such scriptures, and they must be protected from those who will act upon such commandments."

As Muslim populations grow in our own country, it pays to understand the system that comes with it if we are going to minister to and share the freedom of the gospel with them. Unlike other populations who come to our shores, there is little integration into an American way of life or thinking. Islam is insular and seeks to keep its populations insular as well.

For an insightful and disturbing overview of Islam I highly recommend the book Cruel and Usual Punishment by Nonie Darwish who grew up as a Muslim in Egypt and now lives in the United States. The book reveals much that Islam wishes we did not know and it will help you understand the dynamics that Islam brings with it as it seeks to expand across the globe - including our own country.

If you or your church is interested in learning how to reach out to Muslims in your area, check out The Crescent Project which has training and materials that both explain Islam and help believers understand how to share the gospel with Muslims. It's Bridges curriculum is second to none.

Also check out http://www.morethandreams.org/ for stories of what God is doing to reveal himself to Muslims across the world.

Cruel Choices

Contributing writer

Michael Johnson

Medical Doctor, Nairobi Kenya

I open the refrigerator and think, I can choose either to treat this child for malaria, or put butter on my bread. The other alternatives is to fix this man’s fractured hip, or have another slice of yesterday’s pizza, with antacids. Decisions, decisions, decisions! What can I do with so many choices? Such are the challenges for a modern day missionary surgeon in one of Africa’s most prosperous urban centers.

Nairobi continues to be a place of contrasts in class and culture. As I am wonder what kind of ice cream topping I want, there are children waiting for me to decide how much, what type and when we will provide porridge for them. In my clinic at Saint Mary’s Hospital the choices are even more cruel. I have to decide who gets help and who has to…, suffer. Cruel choices come daily.

I only have a specific amount of money allocated to treat the ‘medically indigent’ (a politically correct term for those who must choose meals over medicines). If I fix that man’s hip, I won’t have enough in the account to treat the child’s malaria. The man has had a painful ride with his hip broken in two pieces, on the typical ‘public-means’ of transportation, a matatu (a van manufactured for six to eight people, but carrying 12 people). The child has had fevers, seizures and his mother is confused by the delay of the long clinic lines.., and of course she has no money.

“Make that chocolate topping with the little sprinkles please.”

My real problem is there are literally millions of people (probably 38 of the almost of the 40 million in Kenya), who have to decide which child to feed and which one to treat and which one to let die.

There is an insurance plan for the poor. The acronym is DEUWFOHMTMC (‘Don’t Eat Until We Find Out How Much The Medicine Costs’) plan. With that thought in mind, I close my refrigerator and think…, “Who was it that said; ‘I was hungry and you did not feed me, naked and you did not clothe me, in prison and you did not visit me?’ If I think long enough about this child with malaria, it won’t be a matter of treating the sick it will be; ‘I was dead and you would not even bury me.’ That’s right. Money for life insurance is better spent on those who still have life.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. What can a modern day missionary surgeon do with so many cruel choices? “Make that pizza to go please!”

Mt 25:45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'"

This story can be told all over the world. 54% of our world lives on $3.00 or less per day. Our gifts of compassion, combined with the love of Jesus can make the difference between life and death. Something to think about as we consider our giving.

Please pray for believers in India

Many do not realize that there is significant persecution of believers in India. It is often overt and ignored by the authorities. Hinduism is not a peaceful faith - especially when it comes to Christianity. Below is a recent report from a ministry leader in India. I have not included his name for security purposes. As you think of the growing church in India please pray for pastors who are on the front line and God's people who are often under tremendous pressure.

From a ministry leader in India:

Dear Praying friends,
Your prayers are our strength and through your prayers we have been protected by the attacks of enemy. India has a long history of Christian being persecuted. It is the same place where St. Thomas was put to death in the 1st century AD and Graham Stains and his two young sons were burnt alive in 20th century AD.

Again, At this juncture India is going though a very difficult phase as far as Christianity is concerned. It has been a long time since Christians are under attack - physically. Many saints have lost their lives defending the faith and many churches were burnt.

It seems that the time of India has come. There are great news of thousands coming to Christ. And sure enough the enemy is not happy. It also seems that the enemy is trying to recapture his lost territory. And thus fighting a lost battle (he has been defeated of the cross of Calvary).
Literally, he has set India on fire. From Kashmir (up North) to Kanyakumari (down south) incidences of attacks of Christians are reported everyday.

Let me start from Kashmir: there has been a great unrest in Kashmir valley since last two months. The last time I was in Kashmir in June 08, I had time baptizing new believers and again this time Aug. 08 my visit along with bro. Anil and Pappu is the worst so far. We could be with the new believers just the day we arrived (Aug 22).

From the next day the separatists called for a strike and the administration has imposed indefinite curfew in the entire region. The separatists demanded that all Hindus and Christian must leave Kashmir and Kashmir must be declare as a separate nation.

Well, we were suppose to be back on Aug. 25 but there was no way to get out and get to the airport. So I took to the empty road with heavy military presence, alone, to walk to the airport which is 20KM from the place where I was staying.

God melted the hearts of the military personnel who would let me pass after just asking me where I was going. I reach the airport and I am in Delhi right now. But Anil and Pappu are still trapped in Srinagar. They also tried to walk to the bus station but were beaten up by the military and they both got injured on their legs. Since we do not have funds for their air tickets, they were planning to come back by bus and train. Now the situation is worse their and I am trying to get air tickets for them. Please pray.

Well, in Haryana, two of the NISA partners were beaten up mob for sharing the gospel with Hindus. Their houses vandalized and property destroyed. Both of them left Haryana (Nilokhedi) for a safer place.

In Delhi, a mob attached a church while Sunday worship was going on last month. The pastor other believers including women and children were beaten up and many were admitted into hospital. Later the pastor was arrested on charges of converting people. He was released on bail. The case is pending in the court. If convicted, he could face a jail term for 3 years. Skipping the many small incidences (small means nobody died) I will come to the most horrible situation in Orissa:

God is doing great and mighty things in Orissa, thus the state is on the hot list of the enemy. You are aware of Dec. last year violence against Christian. It did not stop there. It continued till date. From last few days orissa is experience fresh violent attacks on Christians in many districts.
Some reports:

NISA has learnt of attacks on numerous Christian homes and institutions in the wake of the attack on Swami Lakminanda Sarawatiʼs ashram which resulted in his death on August 23.

In a report received from Bishop Juria Bardhan, of the Believers Church in Orissa on August 24 in the morning, one of the pastors Jeebaratna Lima from Khurda district while going to conduct the Sunday service was attacked by a mob and they were almost setting fire on him after spraying petrol. He was saved on account of the timely arrival of police. He is presently in police custody.

In another incident, pastor Bahumulya Paik of Believers Church (Bamunidei, PS.Patpur, Ganjam district) was attacked on August 24 by a mob of about 100 people. Believing him to be dead, the mob moved on the attack other Christian homes, however the pastor managed to escape once he regained consciousness. He is however not been able to receive adequate medial treatment as the curfew has been imposed in the area and roads have been closed or blocked.

There are reports of other Christian who have fled to nearby forests. Pastor Bishnu Kumbhar and his pregnant wife ran into forest in the darkness being chased by a group of people and now have taken shelter in one family in a neighbouring village.

At about 9:00 pm on August 24, a mob destroyed one of the Believers Churches at Tengada Pathar in Phulbani by hurling bombs and set fire on the houses of the local believers. About 30 Christian families have sought shelter in the forests.

We have about 30 Christian families in this village. All the Christians have run to the jungle along with Pastor Aluo Jena and hiding there. Several women who were earlier belived to be missing are hiding in the jungle without and food and water and proper shelter.

Reports of churches and Christian homes being attacked are coming from across Orissa. According to reports received on a Believers Church in Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar was attacked and broken down on the morning of August 25.

Four Christian houses are believed to have been burnt in Kanjmandi, Nuagam PS. Baliguda, Kandhamal district. Local Christians along with Pastor Lebiyo Rait have escaped into the forest. Pastor Amit Pani, from Ambapani, Kalahandi was rescued from a violent mob as it attempted to stormed his house. He is currently under police protection.

By the numbers: A snapshot of our globe

World literacy has risen to 74% globally.

In 2002, the amount of stored information produced globally was equivalent to 37,000 new Library of Congress book collections. It would take about 30 feet of books to store the amount of recorded information produced per person in the world each year.

In the UK more than 4 million closed-circuit TV cameras are trained on public spaces; a shopper in London can expect to be captured on video several hundred times a day.

The world's fastest supercomputer, Blue Gene/L, run by IBM and the Department of Energy, can now run an exponentially staggering 270 trillion calculations per second.

Percentage of Brits who claimed no religious affiliation in 2000: 44%.
That percentage in 1983: 31%.
Percentage of the British population that will be attending church services in 2040: 0.5%

In the US, incidence of depression in the year 2000 was 10 times what it was in 1900.

Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea had 780,000 members in 2003.

An estimated 4 million people are smuggled or trafficked across international borders each year.

In 2003, transactions in counterfeit products accounted for more than 7 percent of global trade, or $500 billion. 10% of all car parts sold in Europe and 10 percent of all pharmaceuticals sold worldwide are black-market counterfeits. Ninety percent of the software running on computers in China has been pirated.

New strains of staphylococcus kill 20,000 patients a year in U.S. hospitals.

Tuberculosis had been nearly eliminated by modern drugs. But now 2 billion people are estimated to have the disease, 60 million of them victims of fatal, drug resistant forms.

The last pandemic, in 1918, killed 50 million people. WHO estimated that a new pandemic, the first of this century, would affect between 20 and 30 percent of the world's population; in its best-case scenarios of the nest pandemic, up to 7 million people would die and tens of millions would get sick.

There are 80,000 computer viruses "alive" in the world today.

In 2003, Americans spent $991 million on liposuction, $667 million on nose jobs, and $54 million on chin augmentation.

Tourism is the world's largest employer, accounting for one in every 10 workers worldwide. In 2003, 691 million people traveled the world as tourists, spending an estimated $523 billion.

Spectator sports are estimated to have revenues of $102.5 billion in 2008.

China has 94 million Internet users.

A mere 0.2 percent of the world's inhabitants had a mobile phone in 1991; by the end of 2004, 1.5 billion were mobile phone users, close to one out of every four people on the planet. In July 2004, China had 310.2 million mobile phone subscribers - an increase of 40.3 million since January 2004.

in 2004, more than 8 million people in the U.S. created their own blogs. 32 million U.S. citizens were regular blog readers.

By 2009, the worldwide market for online games could reach $9.8 billion.

China still uses only 10 percent of the energy used by Americans.

More than one billion people today lack access to safe drinking water, and almost 2.5 billion lack adequate sanitation. Five million children die each year from illnesses associated with dirty water.

In the U.S., a coronary artery bypass costs about $98,000, but in India it costs just $8,000.

1 billion people globally are in need of corrective lenses but cannot afford them.

The number of people living in poverty (defined as living on less than a dollar a day) is still 1.3 billion people, roughly a quarter of the global population.

Between 2002 and 2020, 68 million people will die from AIDS in the developing world.

There are typically around 30 significant conflicts (those with over 1,000 casualties, military and civilian raging in the world, and the vast majority of them are being fought within nations rather than between them.

There have been more than 20 major civil wars in Africa since 1960.

Income per person in the 20 poorest countries was $267 in 2002. In contrast, the richest 20 nations had per person income of $32,339.

In 1700, Earth was home to around 600 million people. By 1800 it was 900 million, and by 1900 it had doubled to 1.9 billion. During the last century alone, the population has nearly quadrupled to the current 6.5 billion. Every year 78 million people are born onto the planet. The world population is expected to increase by 50 percent to 9 billion by 2050.

In 1960, one-third of the world's population lived in the developed world; today it is one-fifth.

Right now, Europe has 35 pensioners for every 100 people of productive working age; that ration is projected to shift to 75 pensioners for every 100 workers by 2050.

99% of all population growth between now and 2050 will occur in the developing world, predominantly in its poorest nations.

Today, the planet's 1 billion wealthiest people consume more than 50 percent of the world's energy supply, while the 1 billion poorest use only 4 percent.

Today, more than 175 million people on the planet reside in a country other than the one in which they were born.

In the year 2000, 174.9 million people migrated from one country to another.

In 1985, there were only nine cities in the world with more than 10 million inhabitants. By 2015, there will be more than 20 cities of this scale. A third of those cities will be home to more than 20 million people. Sao Paulo and Mumbai both have roughly 18 million inhabitants; Shanghai has about 14 million, and Lagos roughly 13 million. Projections for their 2015 populations are extraordinary: Mumbai to 22 million, Sao Paulo to 21 million, Lagos to 16 million.

India now has 32 cities with more than a million residents; by 2015 it will increase to 50 cities. China already has more than 160 cities with populations of more than 1 million.

Every 20 minutes, a species of animal or plant life disappears from the planet, with more than 26,000 species lost every year.

All information for this blog came from Powerful Times: rising to the challenge of our uncertain world, Eamonn Kelly. 2006, Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN 0-13-185520-4. The book is well worth the read.