When will the Word comfort me?

The other night was the day of the year that I read Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. One of the things I’ve discovered lately is that when I read a passage out loud, I discover things I’ve never seen before. I encourage you to try it some time. It works.

Anyhow, here is the verse I found intriguing.

“My eyes fail from searching Your word, saying ‘When will you comfort me?’” Vs. 82

How is that for honesty? Have you ever read the Word looking for comfort, but don’t feel much different after you put your Bible down? I know I have. Isn’t it comforting to know that within the pages of Holy Scripture there are Biblical writers that emphasize with your pain? I find it comforting to know that I’m in good company when I don’t have it all together.

Maybe that’s the point.

Note to missionary critics. Religious freedom in Mauritania is a human rights issue

Mauritania is a land of striking beauty. With sand dunes lined against the sky, Bedouins riding camels in the countryside, and flying beetles that look like they come straight from the abyss of the Apocalypse; Mauritania is a land of extremes—extreme beauty, extreme hospitality, and lately, extreme religion. As the world mourned the death of Michael Jackson, another man went not so quietly into the night, though largely unnoticed by mainstream media.

On Tuesday, June 23rd 2009, an American Christian worker named Chris Leggett was gunned down by Al Qaeda for the alleged “crime” of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. To give you an idea of what kind of man Chris Legget was, the 39-year old native of Cleveland, Tennessee not only taught computer science in a low-class neighborhood in the capital city of Nouakchott, he also, according to the Cleveland Daily Banner, worked with the prison systems to train and equip women and young boys to re-enter society, directed a training center providing training in computer skills, sewing, and literacy, and oversaw a micro-loan program which fostered the growth of hundreds of small businesses.

Although the miniscule media coverage has been fairly straightforward, I was saddened to see some of the nasty comments on the Huffington Post when Ahmed Mohammed posted the Associated Press story on the site. Although a few of the comments unequivocally condemned Leggett’s murder for what it is, a cowardly act of violence motivated by extremists, far too many seemed to think that Leggett was somehow “asking for it” because of the nature of his work in a Muslim land, as if Chris Leggett somehow deserved to die because of his passion for sharing his faith.

One commenter wrote, “Well, you know, it is their country. You go walking around with arrogant disregard of their laws, you better be prepared to pay the consequences. Non-story.” Another commenter cut from the same cloth replied, “I agree. It doesn't take much intelligence for non-military Americans to keep out of these countries. You not only go there at your own risk - you ask for it.”

My beef isn’t so much with the Huffington Post (who likely has little control over what people comment on the site), but to the people who made those nasty comments (there were some that were far worse) I would like to say feel free to criticize Christian missionaries working in Muslims lands, but I hope you realize that you’re criticizing from a position of privilege. Many of you live in countries that allow you to choose your religious beliefs without fear of torture, imprisonment, or death. Hundreds of millions of Muslims live in countries that deny them that right. How do you know that out of the worlds’ roughly 1.2 billion Muslims, that some of them don’t want to hear another perspective?

Chris Leggett most likely wasn’t banging the Bible over anyone’s head, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a few curious Muslims quietly asked him about his religious beliefs. After all, most Muslims I know—unlike most Westerners I know—like to discuss religion in every day conversation and enjoy hearing other people’s perspectives. If a few of these same Muslims through peaceful dialogue came to the conclusion that Chris’s beliefs were correct, where’s the crime in that? If Chris Leggett did break Mauritanian law, then it was an unjust law that he broke. Last time I checked, breaking unjust laws is called civil disobedience. Acts of civil disobedience have been crucial to every major advance in human rights.

As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of secret believers in Mauritania right now. Many of them have been abducted, tortured in horrific ways, and forced to name their fellow believers—while the Mauritanian government looks the other way. According to many persecution watchdogs, the persecution of Christians in Mauritania is particularly ferocious, but the same story can be found in countless other countries like Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, and Pakistan. It’s time that the decent people of the world wake up to the fact that roughly a billion people live under governments that don’t allow them the freedom to obey their conscience in choosing their religious beliefs. The right to choose one’s religion is the most basic of human rights. After all, why should human rights apply to everyone except for Muslims?

Interview with Terry McIntosh

I'm going to start interviewing people on this blog that I think are doing interesting things around the world or have a unique perspective that both believers and seekers need to hear. My first interview is with Terry McIntosh, a man that has lived and worked in the West Bank and is responsible for leading a great number of Palestinian Muslims to Christ. There's probably no other person on earth that can make such a claim. I found his answers fascinating.

Q. You are best known for starting the Jesus House of Prayer located in Jericho, which is Palestinian territory in the West Bank. How did you start the Jesus House of Prayer and what kind of spiritual impact has the Jesus House of Prayer had on the Palestinian people?

A. Initially, we hosted a first ever Christian parade through the streets of Jericho in May 1996 under armed guard to discourage interference from Islamic extremists. We followed up by opening the Jesus House on Sept. 27, 1996 in the midst of armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The people welcomed us with open arms to the dismay of radical elements. Palestinian First Lady Suha Arafat gave us her personal blessings. Her involvement encouraged further police and military protection, which we needed in the beginning, and all that by the hand of God to His glory. The Jesus House ministry expanded tremendously in 2002 during a national crisis when I was, by God's direction and grace, permitted to go on Islamic TV to call both Israel and Palestine to repentance through Jesus Christ. This was an unprecedented event in Islamic history, and drew wide attention. As a result, so many people came to hear about Jesus that overflow crowds had to sit outside as we preached the gospel. Numbers grew so large that we were forced to go to home groups in order to minister on a more intimate basis. Radicals kept trying to destroy the ministry, but the Lord broke down spiritual walls, and today there are as many as five other Christian based ministries operating in Jericho. The city is wide open to the gospel. Regarding the Jesus House, we have turned responsibility over to local Arab ministers.

Q. What led you to start a ministry directed towards the Palestinian people?

A. The better question is "Who" led us to launch out in the West Bank. Of course, that was Christ. He did so in a directional dream vision that I could not excuse. It was the right time in God's plan for the Palestinian people.

Q. What were some of the challenges that you faced living in Jericho as a missionary to the Palestinian people?

A. We were challenged on all fronts by both Islam and Christianity. Hamas called for my death, threatened ministry partners, and persecuted believers. Orthodox Christians warned us to stop baptizing "Muslims." Some within Israel's Christian Zionist movement condemned our efforts, and accused me of having made deals with Yasser Arafat and devils. They could not understand how we did what we did without compromise. It was widely proclaimed within those circles that I did not preach the real gospel, but only hosted a meeting place for Muslims to socialize. They accused us of being antisemitic and missed a great move of God. Outright lies were perpetrated against us by some Christians in their zeal to put Israel first and squash a Godly move among Palestinians. We were truly between bullets, so to say, naturally and spiritually.

Q. How has your ministry been received back in the U.S., particularly among Charismatic Christians?

A. For the most part, we have been ignored. Christian giants like CBN and TBN knew about us, but refused to focus public attention on the situation for the purpose of prayer and helps. They left us to swim or sink all on our own. To God's glory, we survived, and no man can claim any credit for what has happened in Jericho. We are eternally thankful for those few who did stand with us during those critical times. Otherwise, some effort was made to discredit us by some Christian Zionists. It was reported in the Jerusalem Post that I had abandoned the work in Jericho during the second Intifada. That was a blow to ego, but an outright lie intended to further diminish the work we were doing. It was during the 2nd Intifada that I was featured on Islamic TV and radio as the ministry grew in large numbers. The ICEJ had to change their on line report about it as the Lord could not be stopped by any well oiled propaganda machine. The Zionists support certain people in Jericho now, and the gospel is preached from whatever motive.

Q. Tell me about your book Between Bullets.

A. Between Bullets is a compilation of emails and notes documenting all the glories and hardships we experienced in tearing down that Islamic stronghold. It was thrown together for the sake of posterity rather than a fundraiser. I did it to honor the Lord for his goodness, and to maintain accuracy. It is available on line at amazon.com and other outlets.

Q. Lastly, what is the best advice you can give for Christians that want to share their faith with Muslims, but are either afraid or don't know where to start?

A. The first requirement is to truly love the person, and not fear the religion. Aside from the basics of Christian love, it is important to lead and not be led in conversation. There are specific issues that every Muslim faces on the path to freedom in Christ, and they must be addressed accurately. We can aid anyone who is serious about learning how to do that. It is not difficult.

website: www.usajourney.us,

Who says you can't laugh in church?

I thought you could use a good laugh. This one is hilarious!



Have a great day!

Verse of the day. Mark 9:23

If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes--Jesus.

Here's a little comic relief for my fellow authors

My publicist sent this video to me for some comic relief. As a new author, I can definitely relate.



Can I get a witness?

A tortured life cut short--A reflection on Michael Jackson's tragic life

I used to draw crowds doing the moon- walk. Granted, I was five years old and the crowd was my friends and family. And my moon walk, well, let’s just say that white boys can’t dance—at least not this white boy. I can remember watching the Thriller video at my neighbor’s house and then asking my kindergarten teacher every single day if she’d play Thriller during the “magic carpet” hour. I was always disappointed when we got the Letter People instead.

Until I was at least 8 years old, Michael Jackson wasn’t just another pop star. He was a larger than life icon, the coolest guy on the planet that every little boy wanted to emulate. By the time I was 15, Jackson was already becoming a laughing stock, with his bleached skin, child molestation allegations, and the Oprah interview where he tried to convince the world that his white skin was the result of a skin disease. It was all down hill from there. For the rest of his life, Jackson tried to regain his glory days, but he never quite got there. Then last weekend, it all ended. Jackson died a tortured soul.

Those of us that remember the height of Michael Jackson’s glory—indeed he is already being called the Elvis of our generation—I think it would do us well to take a moment and reflect on how a man that achieved such spectacular success in his lifetime could delve to such depths of misery in his inner life. How could a man such as Michael Jackson be so miserable that he had to build an amusement park, bleach his skin, distort his facial features, pump his body full of pain killers, and who knows what else he did to himself that led to his early death? What can we learn from the tragedy of Michael Jackson?

Perhaps it’s best to hear from the man himself. In an interview with his former spiritual advisor Rabbi Schmuley Boteach, Michael had this to say about his life:

"I am going to say something I have never said before and this is the truth. I have no reason to lie to you and God knows I am telling the truth. I think all my success and fame, and I have wanted it, I have wanted it because I wanted to be loved. That's all. That's the real truth. I wanted people to love me, truly love me, because I never really felt loved. I said I know I have an ability. Maybe if I sharpened my craft, maybe people will love me more. I just wanted to be loved because I think it is very important to be loved and to tell people that you love them and to look in their eyes and say it."

It’s difficult to read these words without feeling pity on a soul so troubled and alone. On the other hand, it’s easy to cast the blame for Jackson’s soul-emptiness on his abusive father and unusual childhood. From the time Jackson was born, his entire life was based on having to perform to be loved. Although Jackson was adored by millions, the love that his fans gave him was based on his ability to sing and dance and entertain, not based on any intrinsic value in the man himself. It’s not that Michael Jackson wasn’t loved in his life. It’s that his experience of love was largely the kind with strings attached. If we listen to Michael’s words carefully, we’ll hear the words of a man longing for unconditional love.

My parents were by no means perfect, but I always knew that their love for me was not based on academic performance, musical talent, athletic experience, or even good behavior. I knew that they loved me because I was their son. More importantly, they raised me in a Christian church that taught me that I had a Father in heaven that loved me unconditionally. I knew that in some mysterious way, the meaning of Jesus dying on the cross had to do with the fact that God’s love for me had nothing to do with any kind of performance on my part. Knowing that was an anchor for me then, and it still is for me today.

As a Christian, when I look at Michael Jackson’s life, I wonder how it might have turned out if Jackson had come to know the God that I have always known. How might his life had turned out if Jackson would have realized that there’s a God up in heaven that loved him as he was, not as he should have been. Millions of people around the world have had terrible upbringings, but have found a spiritual anchor in the God of the Bible nonetheless. My prayer is that millions more will find the same love after reflecting on the tragedy of Michael Jackson’s death. One tortured life cut short is one too many.

Israel orders demolition of Christian homes in Old Jerusalem

I've been saying for the past three years that Israeli settlement expansions kick Christians out of their homes, so why don't more Christians in America speak out against it? Here is an article I found on my friend Stephen Sizer's blog:

Today the Jerusalem Inter-Church Centre has learned of new house demolition orders against at least four Christian families living inside the old city of Jerusalem where local Churches accommodate more than 500 homes for Palestinian families.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Catholic Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land own most of these homes. Churches are already facing difficulty in attaining renovation permits and expansion is almost impossible. One of the Church lawyers confirms that even the Churches already have court cases with the municipality of Jerusalem on similar issues.

One of the Church leaders bitterly criticize the different treatment given to Jewish settlers inside the city wall where they are granted permits for expanding and renovating the properties under their control. In these four cases in particular, the families were addressed individually by the Israeli municipal authorities and court cases are underway. One of the defendants, Sami Wakileh, recalls the Judge telling him, “It is a waste of your precious time. Do not dream of receiving any permit…”

This means that the existing home will be demolished sooner or later. Sami's house is actually an old building that he leased from the Church and spent over a hundred thousand dollars to fix and renovate. In another case, Bassam Ayyash, who rents a 50 square meter apartment from the Greek Orthodox Church inside the Patriarchate's convent has also received a demolition order claiming that this 50 square meter apartment is an expansion to his home! Bassam is puzzled with the persistence of the authorities in not agreeing to come and investigate the matter when he confirms, “My only home is the 50 square meter apartment."

Last month, ten Christian families in Beit Hanina, a suburb area of North East Jerusalem, received demolition orders for their six year old apartments in the Al-Sunbula building. Half of the building was licensed originally while permits to formulate the rest were not given. Now all the inhabitants face the same fate if the municipality carries out its threats. Housing inside Jerusalem has been a burden for all Palestinian families. With an extremely difficult process and impossible permit system coupled with the high cost of living in Jerusalem, building or having one’s own apartment is becoming a dream.

The Christian community struggles with the family re-unification system and residency rights restrictions imposed by the Israeli Authorities. When one Jerusalemite cannot live together with his or her spouse who is a West Banker under one roof inside Jerusalem, the ultimate effect is that less and less couples decide to get married. Father Ibrahim Faltas, the Roman Catholic Parish priest of Jerusalem, declared last week that the number of Catholic marriages this year is almost half of what they experienced during the previous years. New Jerusalem Christian families are more and more forced to leave their home city either to the neighboring West Bank or emigrate if they have the chance.

Source: Yusef Daher, Executive Secretary
Jerusalem Inter-Church Centre - JIC P.O.Box 741, Jerusalem 91000
Tel :+972 (0)2 627 4534, 628 9858 (Ext. 105) Mobile 050 5545 179

Posted orginally at http://www.stephensizer.blogspot.com,