Recently, I was reading through 2 Chronicles. In the midst of genealogies and royal histories, the Lord opened up some thoughts for me. In Chapter 10, the transition of power from Solomon to Rehoboam, his son, is a clear example of how not to do leadership transition. Let's be honest, for anyone who has gone through a transition of leadership in any field, it can be very tricky and difficult for everyone concerned.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
What's Going On?
Well, apparently the world didn't end! There have been, of course, many comments and opinions made regarding the failed prediction of final judgment that was to take place last weekend. Some of them reasonable attempts to address this miscalculation, but many mocking it or spouting their own take on predictions and God's judgment. I've personally lived through several modern-day predictions that have not come to pass, Christian and otherwise. Like the day I flew from Colorado to California in 1969, when California was to slide into the Pacific after a cataclysmic earthquake. BTW, we landed safely.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Arab Spring (Spring 2011 newsletter)
The following is an article from a recent newsletter of a good friend of mine (DB-name withheld) who is a pastor-missionary working in the Middle East (particularly Egypt) and does training in the US, as well. His perspective on current events is much more insightful (based on personal experience and contacts) than typical media sources.
The last 6 months has been a volatile time in the Middle East and North Africa. The Arab Spring is shaking up the region in a manner not seen since Mark Sykes and Francois Picot took to a map with their markers in 1916 and divided up the Ottoman Empire into colonies ruled by Britain and France. The governments of Tunisia and Egypt have been overthrown while brutal dictators in Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, and Libya have murdered their own citizens to stop the cry for democratic reforms and basic human rights. The revolutions could be a blessing or a curse for the church. The right to free speech and to change ones religion from Islam to Christianity without fear of reprisal would be great! But many political analysts say this is improbable. A more likely scene is the Muslim Brotherhood is elected to power.
Certainly the Revolutions did not change the fact that extremist Muslims continue to attack Arab Christians. In March, rioters set fire to a church in Helwan Egypt. In Mansheit Nasr, the area where I served while living in Egypt and where I stay whenever I visit Cairo, some of the Christian youth wanted to show solidarity with the church in Helwan. They went down to the highway below the district, where they had a demonstration, stopping the traffic. That evening 400 Salafi Muslims armed with guns & clubs attacked the young men. In the ensuing melee 10 people were killed, over 140 injured. The 9 dead Christians, pictured on the next page, left 5 widows under the age of 25 with 10 children and 3 more in the womb. By God’s grace Dreams Alive and friends gathered over $7,000 to help these families.
The Arab World is shaking. Could this be a fulfillment of an ancient Biblical prophecy? The character of Islam was already predicted before the birth of Ishmael (father of the Arabs) 4000 years ago, and remains true of Muslims today. Hagar, the mother of Ishmael was told of Muslims “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." (Gen.16:12, NIV). Osama Bin Laden and all the corrupt despots fulfilled this prophecy and many Muslims will fulfill the prophecy. As my Egyptian friend Randa Samir wrote, “The devil has a lot of alternatives to Osama Bin Laden. Satan is well trained in hatred and darkness in world systems.” Abraham prayed for Ishmael, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" (Gen 17:18) Way before Islam entered the world the vast majority of Arabs were Christian, they “lived before God.” Now, despite the hate, the Holy Spirit moves silently & mightily in Arab nations once again, and Muslims are turning to faith in Jesus.
We are living in momentous times; any thing can happen in a remarkable way. The Holy Spirit is moving among Muslims throughout the world. As children of God let’s lift the prophetic prayer of Abraham to God in faithful prayer for Arabs. Many more of them will come to Christ.
The last 6 months has been a volatile time in the Middle East and North Africa. The Arab Spring is shaking up the region in a manner not seen since Mark Sykes and Francois Picot took to a map with their markers in 1916 and divided up the Ottoman Empire into colonies ruled by Britain and France. The governments of Tunisia and Egypt have been overthrown while brutal dictators in Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, and Libya have murdered their own citizens to stop the cry for democratic reforms and basic human rights. The revolutions could be a blessing or a curse for the church. The right to free speech and to change ones religion from Islam to Christianity without fear of reprisal would be great! But many political analysts say this is improbable. A more likely scene is the Muslim Brotherhood is elected to power.
Certainly the Revolutions did not change the fact that extremist Muslims continue to attack Arab Christians. In March, rioters set fire to a church in Helwan Egypt. In Mansheit Nasr, the area where I served while living in Egypt and where I stay whenever I visit Cairo, some of the Christian youth wanted to show solidarity with the church in Helwan. They went down to the highway below the district, where they had a demonstration, stopping the traffic. That evening 400 Salafi Muslims armed with guns & clubs attacked the young men. In the ensuing melee 10 people were killed, over 140 injured. The 9 dead Christians, pictured on the next page, left 5 widows under the age of 25 with 10 children and 3 more in the womb. By God’s grace Dreams Alive and friends gathered over $7,000 to help these families.
The Arab World is shaking. Could this be a fulfillment of an ancient Biblical prophecy? The character of Islam was already predicted before the birth of Ishmael (father of the Arabs) 4000 years ago, and remains true of Muslims today. Hagar, the mother of Ishmael was told of Muslims “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." (Gen.16:12, NIV). Osama Bin Laden and all the corrupt despots fulfilled this prophecy and many Muslims will fulfill the prophecy. As my Egyptian friend Randa Samir wrote, “The devil has a lot of alternatives to Osama Bin Laden. Satan is well trained in hatred and darkness in world systems.” Abraham prayed for Ishmael, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" (Gen 17:18) Way before Islam entered the world the vast majority of Arabs were Christian, they “lived before God.” Now, despite the hate, the Holy Spirit moves silently & mightily in Arab nations once again, and Muslims are turning to faith in Jesus.
We are living in momentous times; any thing can happen in a remarkable way. The Holy Spirit is moving among Muslims throughout the world. As children of God let’s lift the prophetic prayer of Abraham to God in faithful prayer for Arabs. Many more of them will come to Christ.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A Prophet Died Yesterday
It's been quite a while since I last posted on this blog. Yesterday Rev. David Wilkerson died (see link - Rev David Wilkerson Dies), and it is both a sad and sobering day. I admired Brother David for his character and calling. I believe him to be a true prophet for our times, and so it is sad news.
It is sobering news in that a somewhat similar modern-day prophet died in a tragic accident in Texas, back in 1982, Keith Green. At the time, I was pastoring in the Southern California desert area, and was beginning to have concerns about the direction of the Jesus Movement of which I was a part. Keith Green spoke to those concerns, rather he challenged those of us who called ourselves Christians. His death removed a prophetic voice that spoke against the prevailing drift of the evangelical church into the comfortable state it so firmly occupies today. I was saddened by Keith's death for that very reason.
With the passing of David Wilkerson another prophetic voice has been silenced by death in this world. And yet, his voice still declares the truth through his many publications and messages. In particular, I remember when his book, The Vision (now out of print), came out in 1974. I was a fairly young believer at the time. When it was published it was, to say the least, controversial. I remember it being criticized and spoken against by many evangelicals. I also remember, several years later, an older woman in my church whose opinion I valued, gave me a copy of the book and spoke highly of it. Now, decades later, much if not all of what Wilkerson said in that book has come to pass.
Here is the sobering thought for me today... what Keith Green spoke about before he died came to pass. There is a great "plague of comfortableness" that has settled over the church in America today. There is also a dearth of missionaries, Christian leaders and workers, throughout the world today (another impassioned concern of Keith Green's... and mine). Rev Wilkerson had very similar concerns, and his messages and ministry, Worldwide Challenge, reflected those concerns. What will follow his passing?
Regardless of where you might stand theologically regarding the "end times"... we're in them. According to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, there are plenty of signs that we are in the last days of this age. These are Jesus' sobering words to consider from Mark 13:33-37 (ESV)
It is sobering news in that a somewhat similar modern-day prophet died in a tragic accident in Texas, back in 1982, Keith Green. At the time, I was pastoring in the Southern California desert area, and was beginning to have concerns about the direction of the Jesus Movement of which I was a part. Keith Green spoke to those concerns, rather he challenged those of us who called ourselves Christians. His death removed a prophetic voice that spoke against the prevailing drift of the evangelical church into the comfortable state it so firmly occupies today. I was saddened by Keith's death for that very reason.
With the passing of David Wilkerson another prophetic voice has been silenced by death in this world. And yet, his voice still declares the truth through his many publications and messages. In particular, I remember when his book, The Vision (now out of print), came out in 1974. I was a fairly young believer at the time. When it was published it was, to say the least, controversial. I remember it being criticized and spoken against by many evangelicals. I also remember, several years later, an older woman in my church whose opinion I valued, gave me a copy of the book and spoke highly of it. Now, decades later, much if not all of what Wilkerson said in that book has come to pass.
Here is the sobering thought for me today... what Keith Green spoke about before he died came to pass. There is a great "plague of comfortableness" that has settled over the church in America today. There is also a dearth of missionaries, Christian leaders and workers, throughout the world today (another impassioned concern of Keith Green's... and mine). Rev Wilkerson had very similar concerns, and his messages and ministry, Worldwide Challenge, reflected those concerns. What will follow his passing?
Regardless of where you might stand theologically regarding the "end times"... we're in them. According to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, there are plenty of signs that we are in the last days of this age. These are Jesus' sobering words to consider from Mark 13:33-37 (ESV)
33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Listening
This past week (Aug 7-15) I've been in So Nevada speaking at 3 different churches. In the process I remembered a somewhat ironic thing about pastoring. Pastor's are known for teaching, and so, talking a lot. But the reality is that in working with people and doing ministry, you have to be ready to do a lot of listening. Sometimes the listening part is much greater than the speaking part.
People are the number one priority when it comes to pastoral ministry. After all, if there are no people, there's no church to gather! And most people have stories of their own, their life stories, but too often no one will listen. When it comes to personal evangelism, hearing other people's stories (that is being willing to listen) often brings the opportunity to share our own story (our testimony), and the best story of all, God's story.
We see this with Jesus when He was a young man in the Temple in Luke 2:46. It says He was both listening and asking questions. There are several other places in the Gospel where we see Jesus listening and asking questions before actually teaching or responding to a situation with the truth. Listening is often an important part of ministry, even the part where we do end up speaking.
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