The Worst of Two Worlds

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"  Romans 10:13-15

I read the following article in the Lausanne World Pulse, a monthly magazine on missions. I share this because it spoke to my heart. I pray it will speak to yours as well. 

The Worse of Two Worlds: For the Sake of Those Who Have Never Heard

By Ferdinand Nweke

The First of Nine Wives Mama Lotun is the first of nine wives; she is Pokot. She lives in Orus (Kenya), a cluster of villages, some made up of only four huts. She was one of the earliest Pokot to put their trust in Christ when missionaries came calling decades earlier.

Hearing that her aged husband was ill, we went for a visit. We had to bend very low to get through the entrance of his hut—like a camel passing through the eye of a needle. He lay on one of two “beds” (piles of sticks) coughing and spitting on the floor or the wall, whichever was more convenient. He let out some groans as he shifted to some more comfortable position on his “mattress” (cow hide).

The putrid smell was inescapable. In the middle of the hut, a fire burned, pouring smoke, tearing our eyes, and choking us. Breathing was difficult: this was no place for a claustrophobic or asthmatic. But the Pokot didn’t seem to mind at all: they were used to the fire: they stoked it, cooked their meals on it, and used it to heat their hut on many chilly nights.

The old man was living out his last days in the most squalid condition imaginable. I had seen poverty in other parts of Africa, but nothing like this. Through the smoke and stench of the dark, dank hut, we shared the love of Jesus with him. Although neither hostile to the gospel, nor prohibitive of his first wife’s faith, he’d refused to believe, despite years of faithful witness.

Tonight was different. With newfound conviction which suddenly energized his weak voice, he excitedly declared his faith in Christ and prayed with us to ask Jesus to save him. We asked the Lord to heal him and gave him The Treasure, the amazing, solar-powered, audio Bible that will continue to bring him the message of God’s love in his own language.

I was in Orus as part of an international team put together by World Mission ministering to the nomadic Pokot people. On one memorable evening, the Pokot speared a goat to death and roasted the meat for us. They drank the raw blood mixed with fat and ate some part of the goat intestines unwashed and raw. We slept with them in their mud and straw hut (a puny shelter from the howling wind) and preached the gospel to them. Several came to Christ.

Many primitive practices are still performed among the Pokot, including polygamy and female circumcision. The mother of a freshly-circumcised girl even gets to have a feather stuck in her hair. Until recently, the Pokot engaged their neighbors (the Samburus and the Turkanas) in fierce, internecine wars, often over cattle. These three tribes are among the earth’s 2.7 billion unreached peoples who will have the worst of two worlds unless their eternity is secured through the gospel.

Two Worlds

Every individual will experience two worlds. At his trial before Pilate, Jesus told the governor, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), implying another world no less real. Paul declared, “If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else” (1 Corinthians 15:19). There is this world and the next; one in time, the other in eternity.

There can be no vacuum in our hearts; we must live for time or eternity, for the ephemeral or the eternal. The believer’s ultimate destiny is to spend eternity in glory with Christ. No wonder the psalmist prayed, “You shall guide me by Your counsel; and afterward You will take me to glory” (Psalm 73:24).

There is an afterward: beyond time lies eternity. To not spend eternity with Christ is the ultimate disaster, the mother of all calamities that can befall a person. Better not to have been born than to live on earth and miss heaven. The subject of eternal punishment is not popular in a relativistic world bereft of absolute truth. But something serious made it necessary for Christ to die a shameful death on a cruel cross. Eternity was at stake. Our destiny hung in the balance, but the love of God devised Calvary to save humanity.

The hell of hell is this: that the real problem of hell is not the fire, torment, or lack of food, water, or rest, but that it is forever. If only there was an expiry date to the torments of hell. The only hope of hell’s inhabitants is to pray for God to die, for that is when eternity will end. Since an immortal God is absolutely exempt from death, it implies that the lost will suffer eternal punishment as long as God is alive: “These shall go away into everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46).

The price Jesus paid on the cross makes this completely unnecessary. Instead of quibbling over the immutable truth of God’s word, we must do whatever it takes to carry the saving message of Jesus Christ to those who have never heard so that people like the Pokot of Kenya, the Fulani of Nigeria, and the Yadav of India will not have the worst of two worlds.

The Poorest of the Poor

The unreached peoples of the world are also the poorest of the poor. The gospel has positive socio- economic effects, lifting communities that receive it out of poverty and squalor. Until the gospel arrives, however, the existing spiritual darkness usually crystallizes into tangible, multidimensional darkness— physical, economic, sociological, etc.—thereby enslaving the people.

Demonic oppression is rife: some are hard to even believe, like invisible spirits stoning people in Orus. Or the practice (until recently among the Zarandawas of northern Nigeria) of putting holes on both lips of women and sewing their mouths shut so they don’t eat the groundnuts that are to be planted in the farm. Truly, “the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty” (Psalm 74:20).

According to the Joshua Project, the 10/40 Window is home to the majority of the world's poor. Of the poorest of the poor, more than eight out of ten live in the 10/40 Window. On average, they exist on less than a few hundred dollars per person per year. It has been said that “the poor are the lost, and the lost are the poor”...There is a remarkable overlap between the poorest countries of the world and those that are least evangelized.

The Hope of the Poor

Jesus specifically spoke of the gospel being preached to the poor: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor” (Luke 4:18). He told those sent by John, “the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:4-5). Or, as The Message translation says, “The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.” Often, not even their governments are on their side, but through the gospel, the poor learn that God is on their side.

Quite literally, the gospel (not the porous promises of poverty alleviation from populist politicians) is the only hope of the poor: “Give ear, my dear brothers; are not those who are poor in the things of this world marked out by God to have faith as their wealth, and for their heritage the kingdom which he has said he will give to those who have love for him?” (James 2:5-6).

If they don’t get the good things of this life, and never get to experience Sentosa Island (Singapore), Hawaii, or Disneyworld, what awesome comfort it will be to “have faith as their wealth” and the kingdom for their heritage—to know the Savior here and afterward spend eternity with him in glory!

But to live in grinding poverty on earth and still spend eternity apart from God is double tragedy. The poor won’t go to heaven simply because they are poor or the rich to hell on account of their wealth. Both must have saving faith in the finished work of Christ. But for the poor, it’s the only way to avoid the worst of two worlds.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus comes to mind: There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. (Luke 16:19-21)

The tables were turned when both slipped into eternity: the rich man found himself in torments, whereas Lazarus was comforted. When the rich man begged for a drop of water to cool his tongue, Abraham told him, “Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things...Here   

he's consoled and you're tormented” (Luke 16:25). The rich man on earth had become a pauper in eternity.

The Worst of Two Worlds

While it is desirable that everyone get the best of two worlds (i.e., enjoy prosperity on earth and still spend eternity with Christ), the least we must ensure is that those who live in temporal misery on earth must not end up in eternal misery. Instead of letting luxury lull us to lethargy and slumber, those of us whose eternal destinies have been secured by faith in Christ must sacrifice some of our comfort to free up the resources that can make a huge difference for the wretched of the earth.

It was tragic that Lazarus had it rough on earth, but it would have been infinitely more tragic if he had had the worst of two worlds.

To live in places like Orus and then spend eternity in the lake of fire is not acceptable. We are not called to die on Calvary: the sacrifice of our lives can’t save the camels I saw in Orus or the cows of the Fulani. Only Jesus could pay the full penalty for the sins of the world. But it is not his responsibility to preach what he purchased: that’s our job.

We must lay our lives and resources down for this supreme agenda of heaven on earth. We must mobilize every strategy that sanctified minds can fathom, give everything over our real needs, and do all we can so that by all means we can change the eternal destinies of the unreached peoples of the world.

Who knows if in the process of changing their eternal destinies, we could also enrich their lives in time with the good things that accompany salvation. Then they in turn will extend to others the boundless love that lifted them from among the wretched of the earth.

Dr. Ferdinand Nweke, a medical doctor in Nigeria, coordinates Eternity Ministries, which focuses on maximizing Calvary and living with eternity in view. He has authored several books and songs.

The Promised Land

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide:

"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west.

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:1-9

God impressed a thought on me a few nights ago when I was reading, in Unashamed by Francine Rivers, about the Israelites' refusal to enter and claim the Promised Land. Their refusal resulted in them having to wander in the desert for forty years until a new generation rose up who would walk in obedience to God. Is it like that today with the same area of the world -- the Middle East?

God wants His people to go in and take the land, spiritually, for Christ. He has promised His miraculous power and presence to break down the walls of Islam, Judaism and other barriers. But how often, in the past, has God's people shrank back in fear of the people living in the land?

This time, the army God is raising up does not come in with swords of death but with the sword of the Spirit - the Word of God! He is raising up a generation of Christians from all over the world who are burdened for the Muslims, the Jews and the Middle East, who are not afraid, who will go in because they know God is on their side.

This time, the work will not be the external work of the Old Covenant (destruction/subjugation of the enemy) but the internal work of the New Covenant (construction of new hearts).

This new generation is made up mainly of Asians and Africans - a "generation who has been hardened by desert living, a generation who has been in the presence of Power from their birth," (Rivers).

Good advice for Christians entering the "Promised Land" of the Middle East: "You're young and on fire...but you must be coolheaded and wise as a serpent. Do not stroll into the (area) like a conqueror. Keep your head down. Seek out an establishment that will know the mind of the people." That is just what many Christians are doing as they enter the Middle East with the Gospel. God has set apart many who know Him...although often secretly (like Rahab of old). These "Rahab's" are waiting for Christians to come and tell them more about Jesus (Isa).

May we remember God's Promised Land and its people and pray for their salvation and that God will send even more workers into this harvest field!

2.2 Billon People Have Never Heard of Jesus

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all nations!

Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.

Praise the LORD!

Who Are the "Peoples," the "Nations"?

"Nations" and "peoples" in the Bible don't refer to political states like America, Spain, Brazil, China, but to ethnic or language or cultural groupings in these political states. For example, if you consider the country of China there are at sixty "peoples" in China (Han, Hui, Dulong, Li, Lisu, Shui, Salar, Yao, etc.). And in the Bible you read about, "the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites" (Genesis 10:16-18).

So when Psalm 17:1 says, "Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!" it means, "Praise the Lord, Hui of China! Praise the Lord Bahing of Nepal! Praise the Lord, Baluch of Pakistan! Praise the Lord, Maninka of Guinea! Praise the Lord, Bugis of Indonesia! Praise the Lord, Somali and Dakota of Minneapolis!" These are the kinds of groups Jesus was referring to when he said after his resurrection, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (panta ta ethne, same phrase in Psalm 117:1). These are the groups that Jesus meant when he said, "This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).

So a huge question for followers of Jesus today is - or should be - how many peoples are there and how many of them are still unreached with the gospel of the kingdom? How many still have no church who obey Psalm 117 and praise the Lord?

Let's just take one reliable research effort, the Joshua Project which has undertaken to catalog and keep current the unreached people groups in the world. According to their most recent findings Status of World Evangelization  they calculate 6,900 ethnic people groups in the world. Of these, 7,000 have less than 2% who are following Christ. By population numbers, that is 42% of the world population (3,140,000,000).

If you hear someone say that the day of missions outreach is over; that everyone has heard about Jesus, they are very mistaken. According to World Christian Encyclopedia, "81% of all Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus do not personally know a Christ-follower." One reason for that is while there are many people who serve on the mission field, "almost 90% of all cross-cultural missionaries labor among nominally Christian people groups, only about 10% among unreached people groups."

29% of the world, 2.16 billion people, have never heard the name of Jesus. If we truly believe what the Bible says, then we must believe that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus is to be praised by all peoples. This 2.16 billion people will perish for eternity without the gospel. God means for us to engage with him to bring about Psalm 117: "Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!"

If you have children who don't know about the "nations," I suggest that you subscribe to the Global Prayer Digest or visit the website Unreached of the Day . Read a story to them and pray for a different people group each day. Oh, may we be a Church and families where children consider short-term missions as normal as vacations and who consider the dangers and burdens and joys of vocational missions a gift everyone should consider receiving.

May children and teenagers and adults in Christ's Church break free from our tiny little worlds of family and friends and church and Western culture! Jesus Christ is building his church around the world. We are meant to think and feel and work with Him in this cause. Who knows how many of our personal problems are owing to narrowness of thinking and smallness of affections in relation to God's global purposes. May God give us a mind and heart to know and love and reach the peoples of the world for the glory of our Savior!

Let's not be among the number who do not see that the world and the church have changed dramatically in the last 100 years - the greatest missionary century in history. Listen to Andrew Walls from his book, The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian History:

[The twentieth century] has seen this great recession from the Christian faith in the West, there has been an equally massive accession to that faith in the non-Western world. [At the beginning of the century] well over 80 percent of those who professed Christianity lived in Europe or North America. Now, approaching 60 percent live in the southern continents of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific, and that proportion grows annually. Christianity began the twentieth century as a Western religion, and indeed, the Western religion; it ended the century as a non-Western religion, on track to become progressively more so. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2002, pp. 63-64)

We are not at the center. God may or may not be done with us in our self-absorbed prosperity in America. But he certainly is putting others on the Christian map to humble us and call us to confess and rejoice that others may be far more effective in finishing the Great Commission than we are. The dynamics of church and missions will never be the same.

This is the new world we live in. It is the world that God is guiding and shaping for his glory. So let's join him in his great global purpose and not be limited in our thinking and feeling and acting to our local concerns. Let's give ourselves to missions, either as a goer or a sender.

This was taken from a sermon, by John Piper, entitled Everlasting Truth for the Joy of All Peoples. You can access it at this website Everlasting Truth

10/40 Window

You may have already heard of the 10/40 Window, but if you haven't, let me try to explain it. The 10/40 Window is mentioned quite a bit in Christian missions literature, websites, etc.

The 10/40 Window is an area of the world that contains the largest population of non-Christians. The area extends from 10 degrees to 40 degrees latitude North of the equator, and stretches from North Africa across to China.

A great, short video to watch on the 10/40 Window is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O_IufSaCE8&feature=related and one for children at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGJxj3glsZA

This is the heartland/stronghold of the world’s major non-Christian religions: Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism; as well as most of the remaining Communist countries

2/3 of the world’s population lives in this region

80% of the world’s poorest live in this region

43 of the top 50 countries that persecute Christians are in the 10/40 Window.

With such a need in the 10/40 Window, I was saddened to learn that over 87% of all cross-cultural missionaries are not going to those in the 10/40 Window but to areas full of nominal Christians. And, out of every $1.00 of Christian giving to all causes, only half a penny goes toward pioneer church planting among Least-Reached people groups. (Ann Dunagan)

The 10/40 Window needs to be the focus of much prayer and missionary outreach...both foreign and missionaries from the country itself (indigenous).

The Road to Reality

I'm starting The Road to Reality by K.P. Yohannan. I'm trying to recapture the love and compassion and concern I had for the lost, the persecuted, the orphan, the slave...asking God to shatter my heart, to radically change me, to change us for His kingdom, for His glory.

I'm weary of halfhearted Christianity and I'm unafraid to take some giant steps with God. Instead of a million dollars in the bank, I want to help bring a million people into Heaven!

Nearly 2 billion people in the world STILL haven't heard the name of Jesus even once. Most of these live in Asia, in the 10/40 Window (see post 10/40 Window) and they are still dying without hope by the tens of thousands every day.

I don't want to blend in with the crowd. I want to stand up for Jesus against an increasingly hostile world. What is the way to do this? To repent, to return to Jesus, to surrender to Him and to start living as He commands us to. Faith without works is dead.

I struggle with the money that we spend - way too much! And so much of it is on entertainment and stuff for ourselves. I want to get rid of a lot that we have. I want to travel light. Show me how Lord...show us how.

O Father, bring us to the lost and the unreached. Burden our entire family like You are burdening me, please. Father God, may all five of our children be used on Your mission field. But they have to see their parents doing it too. Help us to break out of the "velvet cage of comfort and convenience to begin a radical lifestyle lived from an inner reality that affects the world." Yohannan

Keep burdening as I keep wrestling. Lord, Jeff has so much skill...use it for Your glory. I have a lot of Your Bible knowledge and love to teach - use it for Your glory.

Show me the things in my life that are not necessary. Help me make the most of my time here on earth.

Prayers for India

Praying for the nation of India today and it's many, many people who have never heard the name of Jesus. Here is a short video that can help you in praying for them.

India prayer video

I Against My Brother

I just watched a really good video on what it is like to be a Christian in Somalia. You can watch it below

 The website  I Against My Brother also has a 4-page Bible study for use after watching the film. This would be great for Sunday School, small groups and even homeschooling. The below news report is by CBN:


Muslims turning to Christ in Somalia is the subject of the new short film "I Against My Brother."

At only 15 minutes long, producers hope the film will become an evangelism tool -- something that Somalis could even watch on a cell phone.

"I Against My Brother" dramatizes the true story of a Somali woman who came to believe in Christ.

For her the cost was extremely high. In Somalia, she says, being a Muslim is seen as a part of being Somali.

"Somali people are very close. We share everything," the woman said in the film. "In our house there was only one room and there were seven of us."

In a surprise move to the city, the Somali woman encounters a Christian family. They show her God's love as they befriend her.

She then started reading the Bible in secret.

"I thought, 'Even if this (the Bible) is true, there's no way I can accept it. I'm a Somali. There's no other world I can go live in. If I accept this I will be killed,'" the woman recalled.

Eventually, the woman converted. The movie shows the real dangers she faced after coming to Christ.

The filmmaker told CBN News those dangers make it tough for Somali Christians to worship. They've even had to remain anonymous for this story due to security concerns.

"Somali Christians are very underground. They don't know each other. As far as I know there's no church of Somali believers pastored by a Somali pastor," one of the filmmakers said.

The filmmakers hope the Western church will watch the movie and pray for Somalis.

"The Somali people make international news almost every week for stuff that's really terrible," the other producer added.

"There's piracy, there's terrorism, there's the war in Somalia, there's the refugee camps," he continued. "And we want the church as they read these headlines to have a different response than the world has."

The filmmakers also hope that small groups will take advantage of online bible study materials -- and commit to praying weekly for the persecuted church in Somalia.

The way of victory

"because of the tender mercy of our God, 

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

to shine on those living in darkness 

and in the shadow of death, 

to guide our feet into the path of peace."

Luke 1:78-79

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

 in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, 

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

and his incomparably great power for us who believe. 

That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead

and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms"

Ephesians 1:18-20

During this past week, there has been much talk within my own family, on Facebook amongst friends and in the news, about two Christians who are facing the death penalty from Muslim governments for believing in Jesus - Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani of Iran and Asia Bibi of Pakistan. In addition, the news is full of reports about the killing of Al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki. 

How should we respond as Christians and Americans? What response would glorify God?

I believe we can find the right response if we look to our Lord Jesus as an example. He modeled for us both tenderness and strength. These two qualities, living within us and working in agreement, are what we need to respond to the Muslim question.

"Christ Jesus is the artist. He created the world with colors and textures human artists have tried for thousands of years to imitate. Christ Jesus is the musician. He gave the angels their voices. Christ Jesus is the tenderhearted, ministering to our every need.

Christ Jesus is also the warrior, forever leading us in triumphant procession, if only we will follow

(2 Corinthians 2:14). In our great weakness, He is strong. Christ Jesus is the blessed embodiment of both characteristics. He has set an example before us of true manhood and true womanhood," (from A Heart Like His by Beth Moore).

We must model the tenderness of Christ toward the Muslims. Each Muslim was created in God's image, tenderly and lovingly by His own hand. He desires their salvation. He loves them and asks each of us to love them, to desire good for them, to befriend them and share with them the good news of salvation.

Ultimately, the battle is not for freedom in America or anywhere else on this earth. It is ultimately for the freedom of each soul. Hatred and anger will only close doors to the Muslim world that need to be left open if they will ever have the hope of finding Christ as their Savior.

We must also model the strength of Christ toward the threat of an Islamic take-over of our nation and the world. When I survey the evil that is done in the name of this religion it chills me. 

I believe that Satan knows his time is short. Christ will return in triumph and strength, but in the mean time, the devil is throwing every kind of evil and stronghold he can at the human race, and much of it is embodied in Islam. We must, as a nation, recognize this evil and do all we can to stop the spread of this religion to our own land and the other nations.

Yet, how do we show the strength to stop this evil? Is it ultimately through our military might? I don't think so. Take Afghanistan and Iraq for an example. Has our military presence in these two nations truly stopped the spread of Islamic fundamentalism? Are the people any more free to choose Christ as their Savior or do they still live under the fear of honor killings and other such violence if they leave Islam?

Do we kill them all? Does that really stop Islam? No...more and more young men, angered by loss and brainwashed by Imams, will step forward to fill the shoes of those who died in jihad. And ultimately, is that victory in Christ...killing human enemies? That was the mistake made by the Crusades.

The only way to truly stop the spread of Islam is to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, showing strength toward Satan and gentleness toward the Muslims. We must win them with the love of Christ.

That is how the Romans, Vikings, Goths, African and Asian tribes, Irish Druids and so many others were turned from their murderous ways. It was with strength toward Satan and tenderness toward the individuals. They were stopped with the love of Christ.

We must model gentleness and strength toward any enemy in this world. It is not the way of weakness but the way of victory.

Riding the Camel

The Middle East, Muslims, persecution, Sharia Law -- fear, violence, opposition. Where is the hope for the Muslims? Is God working amongst them? Well, consider two other regions many looked on as "hopeless" at one time.

Africa, the year 1900, 3% Christian -- "closed to the Gospel and hopeless," many people thought. But God didn't! Today, Africa is more than 50% Christian!

China, the year 1950, all foreign Christians had been kicked out and the country would soon undergo Mao's reign of terror, only 1 million believers. "Christianity will die in China" many people thought. But God had other plans! Today in China - more than 80 million Christians with an average of 10,000 - 23,000 new Christians daily!

Africa and China are just two examples of areas in the world where God worked behind the scenes, drawing people to Himself. Today He is doing the same in the Muslim World.

In his book, The Camel  How Muslims Are Coming to Faith in Christ!, Kevin Greeson shares just part of the amazing and encouraging story of how God is drawing Muslims to Himself.

The Muslim World of the past 1,000 years has seemed a very difficult mission field. There are countless stories of Muslims being persecuted when they accept Christ, even by their own families. The 10/40 Window, which lies across Africa and Asia from 10 degrees latitude north of the equator to 40 degrees latitude north of the equator, has 865 million unreached Muslims alone. Many may wonder about God's plan for the Muslim people when it seems so few are following Him.

Yet, things are changing. In Afghanistan, before Sept. 11, 2001, there were only 17 known Muslim-background followers of Christ. Today there are more than 10,000. Iran, the country in the Middle East with the fastest Christian growth, estimates the number of Christians could be as high as 1 million.

One big change is what Greeson talks about in his book. It's not a change in Muslims but a change in Christians. "After centuries of witness to Muslims using methods that seemed right to Christians, we are now taking a different approach. We are learning how Muslim-background believers (MBBs) witness to and win their own people. We see them answering questions that Muslims have and addressing concerns that are important to them."

That's where CAMEL comes in. CAMEL is an acronym which stands for: Chosen, Announced by angels, Miracles, Eternal Life. All of these truths about Jesus can be found in the Koran - the Muslim holy book. MBBs, also known as Isahi (Jesus) Muslims, are using the Koran as a bridge to share the message of Jesus...and it's working!

"God has filled the world with redemptive bridges, analogies and metaphors that point both to our need for salvation and to the hope of salvation. If we use the bridges well, they can also point us to the Bible as God's revealed truth about our fallen condition and His plan of salvation." These redemptive bridges, which I spoke about in A Witness in Every Culture, help translate the Gospel into each culture.

Christianity is often seen as a "Western religion" by many Muslims. "In their eyes Western Christianity is associated with the same American culture they view on television, leading many of them to reject the Gospel as an extension of American culture." But through the CAMEL method, Muslims are being shown that Jesus came for them as well. They are understanding that to become a Christian, they must undergo a spiritual conversion, but not a cultural conversion. They are being shown that the Koran talks about Jesus as being the only one who has ever come from Heaven and returned to Heaven, thus being the only one who really knows the way to get to Heaven. Using the Koran as the initial way to speak to Muslims about Jesus places the MBBs and other Christian missionaries "on common ground with the Muslims to whom they are witnessing."

As Muslims, whom God is already preparing to hear His Gospel message, hear this approach, they are showing great interest. "Consider the evidence: 'More Muslims have come to Christ in the past two decades that at any other time in history.' In North Africa, 50-60,000 Berber Muslims are now followers of Jesus Christ. A Turkic republic saw 4,000 Muslims come to know Jesus as Savior in one year. A mission group in India reported that they have seen an increase from three Muslim-background believers to 1,200 in only eight months. Another mission effort working in north India is reporting 9,500 baptisms among Muslims in only four years. Over the past decade and a half, 13,000 Muslim Kazakhs have come to faith in Christ."

Greeson's book gives step-by-step guidance in how to share Jesus Christ with a Muslim by pointing that person to the Koran as a bridge to the Bible. He also talks about an important Muslim holy day, know as Korbani-Eid, which centers around a Muslim sacrificial ceremony. This ceremony, in a few very powerful ways, points to the sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us and helps Muslims see His love for them.

Greeson points out another encouraging truth: new believers, who have come to know Christ through the CAMEL method, are experiencing much less severe persecution from other Muslims than anticipated. "The relatively low number of martyrs and relatively mild persecution was probably due to the way these Isahi Muslims used the Qur'an as a bridge, conducted family-based evangelism and rejected association with Western culture."

In many Muslim countries there are less than three missionaries per one million people. The need for missionaries to the Muslims, both MMBs and Christians from other nations, is great! And “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” 2 Timothy 1:7.

Kevin Greeson's book introduces a very powerful way to share the Gospel with Muslims, to bridge into their culture with the good news of Jesus Christ, using their holy book and their holy day as that bridge.  They need to hear of the love of Jesus. They need someone who is willing to cast aside fear, which so easily entangles, and follow the call of Christ into the Muslim world. Jesus is waiting, but He needs obedient servants.

Prisoners no more

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.  Hebrews 13:3

More Christians have been persecuted and martyred for their faith in this past century than all the other centuries combined. The 21st century has seen many more suffer, as Jesus told us we we would, in order to bring the Good News to a dying world.

Voice of the Martyrs is an organization that helps those being persecuted. One way is through a letter writing campaign. When a Christian is arrested, Christians can go to Prisoner Alert to learn about their brothers and sisters who are imprisoned and then to write letters. The letter is done online and printed in the language of the prisoner. The address and correct amount of postage are given so that the letter can be mailed. 

These letters are effective. They encourage the believer and they let those holding the prisoner know that he or she is not forgotten. Sometimes, this outside interest can help in the release of the prisoner. 

We have cause to rejoice because recently, two Christians were released from prison. Their stories are below. I encourage you to take a few minutes today to learn about a persecuted Christian and write a letter.  Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.  Hebrews 13:3

Location: China
Arrested: December 2004
Days Imprisoned: 2464


Released Aug. 31, 2011
Print Fact Sheet
09/28/2007 Update

Pastor Zhang Rongliang was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison. According to China Aid Association the verdict was issued by Zhongmu County People’s Court.

Pastor Zhang Rongliang, a prominent Chinese house church leader, was arrested in a rented apartment at Xuzhai village the afternoon of December 1, 2004. Zhang already had spent 12 years in prison for his faith during five separate detentions. He experienced harsh torture, including electric shock, during his previous prison terms. After being held in prison for a year, officials attempted to transfer him from a prison in Xinmi to one in Zhongmu. Fearing that because of his fragile condition he might die, officials at Zhongmu would not accept him. He was instead taken to a hospital in Xinmi.

Pastor Zhang suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure in addition to other chronic health problems. Later he was transferred to a Zhongmu City hospital where he spent most of February and March 2006.

He appeared in court April 6, 2006, more than 16 months after his arrest, for his third hearing on charges of “attaining a passport through cheating” and “illegal border crossing.” At this hearing the court acknowledged there was insufficient evidence for the case and asked for legal advice from a higher court.


Pastor Zhang Released
After seven and half years of in prison, Pastor Zhang Rongliang was released. Even though he was tortured and even faced death, Zhang intends to continue ministering and living for the Lord. He has moved to a coastal town to live with a family member, rest, spend quiet time with God and seek his will for future ministry.

Pastor Rongliang thanks the Lord and all those who prayed for him during his time in prison. It is uncertain whether government officials are keeping him under surveillance. Please pray for Zhang as he recovers and continues ministering in China.

Location: Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Arrested: September 2010
Days Imprisoned: 359


Released Monday, Aug. 29, 2011
Print Fact Sheet
06/20/2011 Update

Pastor Vahik Abrahamian and his wife Sonia Keshish-Avanesian were with their friends, Arash Kermanjani, and his wife, Arezo Teymouri, when all four friends were detained on September 4, 2010.

The two couples were arrested at the Abrahamians' home in Hamadan, west Iran, and taken to the Ministry of Islamic Guidance prison.

For the first 40 days, they were held in solitary confinement and reportedly suffered physical abuse and psychological pressure.

The four have been accused of various offenses, including propagating Christianity, opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran, and having contact with exiled opposition figures. They have not yet been charged.

Over six months have passed since the two men and two women were arrested. They are under pressure and intense interrogation, according to Mohabat News. They were transferred from Hamadan prison to Iran’s notorious Evin prison in Tehran.

Their families are concerned for their health, but have not been able to find news of their loved ones. They are also worried about the children of the believers.

Pastor Vahik was arrested once before, on Feb. 20, 2010, on charges of conducting activities among Muslims. He spent two months in prison before being released on bail. Pastor Vahik has dual citizenship in Iran and the Netherlands, but because of his passion for the Iranian people, he chose to live in Iran.

Source: Mohabat News

Pastor Vahik Released!
Pastor Vahik Abrahamian was released after a year in prisoner. He was released pending trial after family and friends raised the equivalent of about $10,000 for his bail. An extended member the family told FCNN that the whole family is rejoicing and have expressed their gratitude first to God for His gracious protection and intervention. They are also thankful for their Christian family worldwide who have not ceased praying and advocating on their behalf.

Praying for Israel and Palestine

PLEASE PRAY FOR

ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

SUMMARY: The United Nations will be voting on a resolution to grant Palestine (the West Bank and the Gaza Strip) statehood on September 20, 2011.  As the vote approaches, violence against Israel is on the rise.  On a single day in August 2011, terrorists armed with bombs and guns attacked buses, cars and army patrols, killing seven.   Terrorists fired more than 80 rockets into Israel the weekend of August 20 and 21.  These attacks have been ongoing with dozens of missiles hitting Israel each day.  In response, Israel began air raids, bombing targets in the Gaza Strip.


On September 20, the United Nations General Assembly will vote on whether or not to allow the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to become member nations. Leaders in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip hope this will force Israel to withdraw their citizens from settlements in these areas.

Even if the vote is in favor of membership for the territories, it could still be vetoed by the UN Security Council.

"We want to generate pressure on Israel to make it feel isolated and help it understand that there can be no talks without a stop to settlements," said a Fatah (Palestinian Authority) representative. In April 2011, Fatah (in control of the West Bank) and terrorist group Hamas (in control of the Gaza Strip) signed an agreement to form an interim government. Both groups refuse to recognize Israel as a nation and have vowed to destroy it.

"We are facing a diplomatic-political tsunami that the majority of the public is unaware of," stated Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak. "It is a very dangerous situation."

With the vote quickly approaching, terrorist suicide bomb and gun attacks are on the rise. On August 18, seven people were killed by terrorists when they breached Israel's border with Egypt.

Officials in Israel are concerned the terrorists are taking advantage of the turmoil in Egypt. The terrorist attacks and Israel's response - which resulted in at least 14 deaths in the Gaza Strip and also the deaths of three Egyptian soldiers - has some worried that a new war with Egypt could be brewing.

A Western leader noted that the latest attacks were barbaric, but "must not be viewed in isolation. It is part of a long-term threat to Israeli civilians by determined terrorists."



PRAY FOR:

- Christians globally to understand that the most important resolution is for everyone in the land to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. Pray for the will of the King of all nations to be done. (The Bible, Jeremiah 10:7)

- Messianic Jews and Christian Palestinians to serve the Lord together and intercede for this region. Ask the Lord to use them to lead the way in bringing His love and reconciliation to the land. (The Bible, II Corinthians 5:18)

- the Lord of hosts to do battle with Israel's enemies. Pray for God to give His angels charge over this region, protecting innocent civilian Israelis and Palestinians. (The Bible, Psalm 24:10; Psalm 91:11)

- intercessors to continue in prayer for everyone in the Middle East, knowing that Jesus Christ loves the Jews, the Palestinians, and people of all nationalities. (The Bible, Colossians 4:2; Romans 3:22)

- Jehovah Gibbor to defend Israel. Petition the Lord to draw out His spear and put a stop to the demonic forces trying to ignite a war. Pray for the healing of wounds created when Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar chose not to wait for God's seed of promise. (The Bible, Isaiah 42:13; Genesis 16:1-4)

- all attempts by demonic forces to attack, harm, or destabilize the Middle East to fail. (The Bible, Psalm 20:1; Psalm 7:9)

- the members of the United Nations to recognize that Hamas is a terrorist group and see that Fatah has terrorist links. (The Bible, Psalm 9:17 and Mark 4:22)

- the Lord to give leaders in Israel wisdom and strategies for defending their borders. Ask Him to send warring angels to protect Israel. (The Bible, Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 91:11)

- the salvation of all Israelis and Palestinians. Pray for them to recognize Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord, and the Son of God. (The Bible, I Timothy 2:4)

- peace in the Middle East. Petition the Lord to expose and bring to justice all who are involved in terrorism, no matter their nationality. (The Bible, Psalm 103:6)

- the international community to stand for Israel's sovereignty. Petition the Lord for a peaceful resolution of the settlement issue. (The Bible, Psalm 58:3)

- the Kingdom of God to come to the Middle East in power. Pray for a great harvest of souls in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. (The Bible, I Corinthians 4:20; John 4:35)

SOURCES: USA Today, Middle East News, Reuters, The Bible

Suffering brings us closer to God

India, Myanmar, Bangladesh Hit with Floods

"While many areas on the globe are experiencing a tremendous drought, a torrential downpour has made its way to Northern India, Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh. The unwelcome rains have left thousands of people homeless and in need of help."


As soon as I saw this headline in my email box, I sent up a quick prayer to the Lord for these people. As I prayed, I remarked to God how these people are so very poor already and now a natural disaster. 

As I prayed this, I was struck with the idea that now, through this disaster, God is opening doors for Christians to go in and help them...not only through disaster relief but by sharing the Gospel with them. God knows our hearts. He knows that our hearts are most open to Him in our suffering. It's when things are not going well, when we are not self-sufficient and content, that we began to look to Him.

In addition, as a result of this tragedy, Christians around the world, like me...like you, will pray, today, for India, Myanmar and Bangladesh, when we most likely would not have even thought of them. And "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Does God send these disasters...I don't know. I don't believe He does because God is a God of light and not darkness. He is a God of goodness and not evil. But, like the story of Joseph and so many other instances in the Bible...especially the death of Jesus...does God bring good out of tragedy and suffering? YES! "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  Isaiah 55:8-11

So, are Christians going into India, Myanmar and Bangladesh to bring them material and spiritual help. Yes! Here is the rest of the email:

Gospel for Asia is providing as much assistance as it can to those suffering from the downpour.

India: National Highways Collapse
Four states in India are battling against floods. In Assam, India, two primary national highways considered "lifelines" collapsed after three to four days of continuous rain. In one of the worst hit areas of Assam, helicopters were sent out to rescue marooned people.

In the West Bengal islands, rain has weakened several river embankments. Reports indicate that about 2,500 houses have been damaged by the flood waters.

Bihar, India, has about 500 houses that have been affected. Out of those 500 houses, a GFA field correspondent reports that 90 of those were homes of Bridge of Hope children, and another 20 belonged to believers of a local GFA-supported congregation. Thankfully, the church building and the Bridge of Hope centers in the flooded areas were not destroyed by the rising water.

In Jammu and Kashmir, India, houses and other structures are collapsing, killing a number of people and injuring others. Landslides are also a problem, washing off stretches of road and obstructing villages.

Myanmar: Villages Unreachable
In the country of Myanmar (Burma), villagers had to desert their houses to escape the rising waters.

A GFA field correspondent reported that local missionaries serving in this country are not able to reach many villages because of collapsed bridges.

"They are going through a difficult situation," he said. "Please pray the Lord will console the hearts of the people who are affected in this flood."

Bangladesh: Children Cry for Food
In Bangladesh, steady rain washed away houses, cows, goats, rice paddy fields and other crops. Out of the thousands affected, 238 families belong to seven GFA-supported churches in the surrounding area.

"The people are suffering without food and work," a GFA field correspondent explained. "Their condition is so pathetic that their children are crying and asking for food, but the parents cannot provide food for them."

Help in Time of Need
GFA Compassion Services teams are making their way into villages, government-run refugee camps and school buildings temporarily housing people in desperate need of help. They are distributing biscuits, rice, milk powder, salt and other food items.

"It is hard for us to imagine the intense suffering these poor and helpless people are facing," said GFA President K.P. Yohannan. "I am so grateful for this opportunity we have to bring relief and hope for these precious people in Jesus' name."

Some areas are still too difficult to reach, but GFA Compassion Services teams will persist until they are able to provide help to all who are suffering.

• Please pray the relief teams will reach the people in time and help save them from starvation.
• Pray GFA-supported missionaries are able to share the love of Christ as they minister to those who have lost so much.
• Pray for the flood victims to experience the Lord's comfort during this difficult time.
• Pray the rain will subside so restoration and reconstruction can begin.