Out of the desert . . .

What troubles you? . . . Do not be afraid, for God has heard . . . . (Genesis 16:17)

A friend of mine, and  former missionary to Europe, no longer believes that God exists at all. He wrote this recently on Facebook: 

My point? This god of the Bible needed someone to run interference for him...to explain away his awful behavior. There is simply no way to explain away the atrocities ordered by and committed by the god of the Bible. Apart from closing your eyes and shuttering your reason, the behavior of this being is scandalous. 

I don't always respond to statements like this, even from friends. And anybody who is following this knows that we haven't posted in a while. I had been simply stung into inaction by recent events, the most important being the sudden death of the three-year old daughter of a good friend of our son's and his wife.  The words just weren't there.

But I felt I had to write something to my friend's FB post. Here are some comments I posted in response. I've edited them slightly, and shortened and stitched them together for this post:

'In general, I think you're setting up a straw-man god, and then proceeding to shoot him down from your 'enlightened,' 21st century perspective. But none of us [interacting on FB together] have a shred of experience of what it means to live and exist within a totalitarian state that is attempting to annihilate the people of God, or at the very least, assimilate and absorb that group into its own identity. Given the choice between that, and forming a community that reflects and reveals what He is like, it seems that the God who longs to reach everyone had no choice but to contend for His people, and to provide for their well-being.  Yet we presume to judge God's actions based on our myopic and pre-determined standards.' I doubt that He has much of a chance in that kangaroo court.

But that isn't the main thrust of what I wanted to say. I went on later with this response:

'There's plenty of wrong-headed theology out there, usually a genuine, sincere attempt to provide answers that may not be so simple to find. We're all a work in progress, and we are all extremely provincial, both in our theology and in our politics, two realms that most of us hold very dear. They are also very much part of our identity (and we generally feel very threatened when either are called into question). I think, too, that both areas are largely shaped by the context in which we grew up. Personally, though, I'd like to go beyond childish or adolescent clamoring for answers or the thumb-in-the-mouth security of having things my way. I'd like to follow Jesus, the Jesus who trusted the authority of Scripture, the Jesus who called/calls His followers to leave their familiar surroundings and experience more, the Jesus who refuses to fit in the box of our pre-conceived expectations and conditions.'  

Why do I write all of this in a blog about reaching Muslims?

Because it really is about Jesus. Jesus is, well, attractive. What He says makes sense a lot of the time (and when it doesn't, I have to think that the problem might lie with me, rather than vice-versa). 

A Muslim once told me that he follows Islam because it is so simple, which is why, with all the doubts I constantly struggle with,  I can't do the same. The world and the universe is so crazy, so convoluted, so contradictory, and mankind so mixed up, that simple answers just don't work. But a Person who takes all the grief, misery, and doubt of the centuries, and bears it all in one stroke, 'triumphing over all these forces in the Cross' (Colossians 2:14-15)--that draws me. All the doubts, all the questions, all the hopes, fears, expectations, disappointments, and even the despair because the powerful always seem to get their way, or because parents sometimes have to bury their children--He takes it all on Himself. 

I realize that our Christian communities often aren't much of a reflection of this Jesus, or of His kindness. I realize, too, that my prayers are often pretty anemic, a product more of willful unbelief than of trust. It's just that all of that imperfection keeps driving me on--I guess it makes me think I'm in some kind of desert, thirsty for the One who seems to be bigger than any of these things, and gives me a longing for more.

I'm not sure I need Christianity, necessarily, but I really do need Jesus, and the community of believers.  Muslims do, too.

 So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"  Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."  (John 6:67-69, NRSV)

U.S. Director

‘I was in prison, and you came to me’ (Matt.25:26)

I was just in the process of filling out an application form with our state’s Department of Corrections, to visit a ‘lifer’, when it occurred to me that this situation involves a rather unusual twist on Matt. 25. 

I’ve always understood Jesus’ words to primarily refer to visiting Christians who have been imprisoned for their faith. He says in v.40, ‘. . . to the extent that you did it to these brothers of Mine’—and ‘brothers’ is a specialized term in Matthew’s Gospel (and generally in the New Testament). ‘Neighbor’ refers to anyone around me in need, while ‘brother’ refers to a fellow member of the family of God.

In other words Jesus is saying that caring for, and identifying with, the persecuted church, is an expression of our faith in Him. Those who did it in NT times knew that they were putting their own life in danger:

‘Make every effort to come to me soon;  for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica . . . .’ (2 Tim. 4:9-10)

In a sense though, Matt. 25 does pertain to visiting prisoners in general, because every prisoner (neighbor) is a potential brother or sister in Christ.

The interesting thing in this case is that I am truly hoping to visit a brother in Christ, in fact, his application for long-term service with ReachAcross arrived here in the office yesterday. Think about that—

there’s no question about his field of service, he’s already there. No visas or expensive plane flights necessary.

There’s not really any question about his calling. God has already used him in reaching Muslims, in fact, he’s written his own tracts. Normally inmates aren’t allowed to visit religious services or teaching sessions in a religion that is not their own, but it happens to be possible in this particular prison.

‘Raymond’ (not his real name) came to know Christ during his first year of incarceration. Eventually he earned his GED, or high school diploma equivalency. Then he completed a two-year, Associate of Arts degree in Bible and theology, in order to become a chaplain’s assistant. That’s what he’s doing now—and God has placed him in a dorm with a lot of Muslims.

Please pray for Raymond. It isn’t easy, and it isn’t safe, either.  In his own words:

‘In the last nine months, I have been around more stabbings, fights, and robberies than in my entire bid [slang term for prison time]! Last year there was a heinous murder/mutilation and a riot.’

Pray for us, too, as we visit Raymond and consider his application papers. Pray that a visit will be possible—normally they are very ‘picky’ with visitors, and can refuse applications for any reason whatsoever.

There are a lot of things to consider, for example even our motto (‘Helping Muslims Follow Jesus’) could be an issue for Raymond in his surroundings. We’ll need God’s wisdom as we pursue this possibility.

We don’t know the rate of conversion to Islam that is happening in our prison system, but most guesses place it pretty high. With that in mind, can you think of a better mission field?

US Director

P.S. Check out the test question on our FB page!

Is Prayer Work?

I’ve often heard it said—and today I read it again—that we shouldn’t pray for the work of the Gospel, because prayer is the work. That sort of statement has never convinced me, because no matter how much I pray, my work won’t get done on its own. When I stop praying, it’s still there. (I’ve mentioned this in a previous post, but it’s still bugging me.) And my neighbors, Muslim or otherwise, still don't know Christ, even though  I pray for them diligently.

What is prayer, anyway?  Is it primarily worshiping God? Or making intercession for others? Or confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness? How about expressing our wishes and wants to the Father?  Maybe some portion of all of those things. The guidelines for prayer that Jesus gave us (commonly called ‘the Lord’s Prayer’) contain adoration, but also lead us to pray that His Kingdom come to the ends of the earth. And they also demand that we seek for forgiveness from God, and give it to those who have wronged us.

Should we pray for non-Christians to be saved? It has been pointed out that Jesus said (John 17:9), “I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.’ But perhaps Jesus did not mean that as prescriptive as much as He wanted to emphasize the fact that a unified, caring church is the greatest attraction to the Good News.

In the end I’m faced with the fact that:

a)      I need to pray for Muslims, and usually I need to pray a long time before there will be results. Sure, significant numbers of Muslims are coming to Christ, for example in Iran.. No one knows how many house churches have been formed there in the last decade, but the number probably lies in the thousands; even the central government has taken notice. But I distinctly remember my parents praying for, and engaging with Iranian college students and military cadets in the 1950s and 1960s. That says to me that the foundation for today’s harvest goes back to decades of labor by many consistent people of prayer.

b)      I need to pray for every aspect of the work, and often, that really means, well, work. I mean, it takes energy to concentrate on intercession. It means reading about what it going on, as well as what it not going on (that should be) in our world today. And it means starting with worship—meditating on Scripture and realizing what God plans to do in our world. This morning I got to Psalm 9 in my daily reading:

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;

    in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.

 The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;

    the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

The wicked shall return to Sheol,

    all the nations that forget God.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten,

    and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. (v. 15-18).

‘Yeah, right,’ is what I expect some people will say—I know, because I’ve thought that myself. How often does it really happen that evil people, governments, etc., get put down, so that God’s Word can go forward?  Perhaps more often than we realize. In any case, I believe that these words are meant to be prophetic.  What is happening only sporadically right now might one day become a tremendous movement (and in some places, it is already a movement).

c)       My work does tend to go better and even at times, more smoothly, when I take time for extended prayer.  Not that 'smooth' is a goal--'rough' days may be just as much a sign of God's enabling as the time when one seems to be making good progress, but I think maybe that time spent with the Lord does help us with our priorities, and even energize our bodies and minds.

So maybe Luther was right after all. I have so much to do, I need to spend more time in prayer.

US Director

Mali or Azawad—Religious Freedom or Oppression?

For many years, Mali, West Africa, has been one of few predominantly Muslim countries offering some degree of religious freedom, but the opportunity has been seldom utilized by servants of Christ.

So, others have seized control of the country. In January of 2012, an alliance of fierce Tuareg separatists (another mostly unreached people group) and Al-Quaeda affiliated rebels, armed with Qaddafi’s left-over weaponry, took control of the northern two-thirds of the country, renaming it Azawad. The provisional capital was Gao, but the intended one was Timbuktu (yes, it does exist!). The few Christians who had moved to the area from the south were forced to flee—a Bible school in Gao was closed.

France has continued to help its former colony over the years, and when the rebels crossed their own boundary in January of this year, it was too much to take. French military units assisted the Malian army in driving rebel forces into the mountains, where they continue to mount guerilla attacks.

Despite the uprising, methods of evangelism and discipleship are still available—radio broadcasts, literature distribution (alongside of literacy work), even street evangelism. About 75% of the population is illiterate, so audio cassettes, MP3 players, and SMS cards for mobile phones—all are useful tools in telling the Story.

Not too long ago, one of our workers was traveling with a Malian pastor, visiting individual believers in the wide, sandy diaspora that is typical for the Sahel zone. They visited a little group and began to study the Scriptures. ‘Safwan’  was keenly interested, so ‘Stephan’ (a ReachAcross worker) gave him some Bible study helps, which he devoured. But where had Safwan got his Bible from? There aren’t any bookstores in his tiny village, and even if there were, the Bible certainly wouldn’t be available.

The mystery was soon solved as Safwan told his story: His father had become a committed Christian during his stint in the Malian army. Service completed, he had returned to his home village, where nobody else knew about his new-found faith. He remained the only Christian in his village until the day he died, but some time later, his son brought his father’s old Bible to our meeting. The seed that had lain dormant for a few years began to bear fruit.

With the equivalent of a fourth-grade education, Safwan had trouble reading some passages, but his comprehension is improving. He likes listening to cassette tapes of Bible portions—especially when he can follow along in his New Testament—the Old Testament isn’t available yet (a team of translators is working on it). God is working in the life of this soldier’s son.

Please pray for Mali. Safwan himself gathered in a good harvest of peanuts last year—most families are not so blessed, and if the rainfall isn’t sufficient in late summer, famine will again be just around the corner, as happened in 2012. More important still is the spiritual harvest that is just as meager. Neither type of famine—peanuts or the Bread of Life—is necessary, if God’s people will respond to His call.

Pray that God’s Kingdom will prevail in Mali.

Translated, with additions and revisions, from the German. 

Arab Spring—quo vadis? 

A good majority of the 300 million people who live in predominately Arabic-speaking countries are under the age of 25, and the rate of population growth is between 30 to 40%. Most of these young people are growing up in a climate characterized by corruption, endless restrictions, and misuse of power. 

The economies of their countries aren’t keeping up with the increase in population, either. Access to precious resources like water and gasoline is tightening, and jobs are scarce. In Egypt alone there are nearly 750,000 college graduates each year, and even highly qualified academics can’t find work. They don’t see any opportunity to change their society or engage their situation in creative ways.

At the same time, these young people are informed about the world outside—social media like Facebook, YouTube, and chat rooms make sure of that. A person in Yemen knows within minutes what is happening in Tunisia. When Mohammed Bouazizi committed suicide on December 17, 2010, he started an unexpected avalanche of protest marches throughout the Arab world. Local police had confiscated his scales until he agreed to pay the expected bribe, but the 26-year old street vendor would not give in. 

After being beaten up more than once by the municipal authorities, Bouazizi couldn’t take the humiliation anymore. He set himself on fire in a main street of his rural town and died a month later. His deed set off a wave of indignation that quickly engulfed all of Tunisia, and rapidly spread to other places. Countless young people identify with this young man who simply wanted to earn an honest living, and was known for his willingness to give his produce away to the very poor.

We are familiar with the aftermath of Bouzizi’s death: within a few months, the regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya were toppled, and in many other countries, the pressure continues to grow, often accompanied by violent struggles. But did and will these protests lead to freedom of expression, justice, and fair elections? 

For many, the answer does not lie in Western ideas of human rights and democracy—they don’t want to exchange the repressive regime of despots for what appears to them to be an equally oppressive Western moral degradation. Arab nations wish to find Arab solutions to Arab challenges, and many still look to Islam. 

Other (non-Arab) majority-Muslim nations, like Turkey, have a much more ‘secular’ history, and a sizeable portion of its population rejects conservative Islamic conceptions , as has been evident in recent weeks. 
In any case, this ship of hope launched by the Arab Spring in Muslim political groups and parties is quickly running aground on the rocks of disillusionment. Syria, for example, continues to be more of an example of human tragedy than of Arab political awakening. 

It hard to evaluate all this from a Scriptural perspective.  On the one hand, the  desire for freedom to make one’s own decisions is a fruit of a Christian world-view and a God-given dignity. At the same time, true freedom is only found in fellowship with our Creator.

The bottom line for us who witness these events is that we are being challenged to pray for true peace and just governments in countries experiencing the Arab Spring. ReachAcross has workers in some of these countries, seeking to engage especially this younger generation, and hoping to bring about change—the kind that is based upon truth, respect, and above all, trust in the One who alone gave His life so that we may be truly set free. 

And in some places, the Gospel of Christ is gaining ground! 

Let us know if you would like be more informed about these situations so that you can pray more effectively. There are several good links for up-to-date information that we can share with you. 

This article is based upon an earlier one by the ReachAcross director in Germany, with revisions and additions by the US office.