Founder's Notes

How are we to serve our risen Saviour during ‘troublous’ times? First, we have to be aware that the turmoil and immorality we see around us are not surprises to God. He knew what our society and our world would look like today and yet He still calls us to be Christ’s ambassadors.

Look at His word, at 2 Timothy 3:1-5. It says, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof....” 

The prophet Daniel also foresaw this state of affairs. In chapter 9 verse 25 he encapsulates all the chaos into one phrase: “troublous times.” Troublous is an archaic word meaning troublesome, discomforting, disquieting, distressing, nasty, disturbing, unsettling, and upsetting.  

In the early 1900’s, godly believers warned that if the next generation fell into worldliness then we would reap much sorrow. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, spoke with incredible insight when he said, “The chief danger of the coming [20^th] century will be religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.”

When I ponder what the Church is being told and taught today, including the notion that Islam is simply ‘another way to the Kingdom of God’ and ‘followers of Jesus’ need not confess with their mouths that He is the Son of God, I am sobered in my spirit. Troublous times indeed.

The book of Jude also captures the situation:

Dear friends, I've dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks (our Scriptures warned us this would happen), who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels. Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license—which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master.

I'm laying this out as clearly as I can, even though you once knew all this well enough and shouldn't need reminding. Here it is in brief: The Master saved a people out of the land of Egypt. Later he destroyed those who defected. And you know the story of the angels who didn't stick to their post, abandoning it for other, darker missions. But they are now chained and jailed in a black hole until the great Judgment Day. Sodom and Gomorrah, which went to sexual rack and ruin along with the surrounding cities that acted just like them, are another example. Burning and burning and never burning up, they serve still as a stock warning.

 This is exactly the same program of these latest infiltrators: dirty sex, rule and rulers thrown out, glory dragged in the mud….But remember, dear friends, that the apostles of our Master, Jesus Christ, told us this would happen: "In the last days there will be people who don't take these things seriously anymore. They'll treat them like a joke, and make a religion of their own whims and lusts." These are the ones who split churches, thinking only of themselves. There's nothing to them, no sign of the Spirit!" (verses 3,4; 5-8; 17-25, the Message)

Quite a fiery dissertation from Jude - he understood what was going on and also what he was supposed to be doing.

Which brings me to the second thing we must do to serve Christ in the midst of tumultuous times: we must understand that He is calling us to “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

We are not called to compromise; we are not called to back down and keep quiet and try to go with the flow. We are called to stand firm in the Truth of God’s holiness and the perfect redemption that is only possible to those who fully repent and place their hope in the promised deliverer, Jesus Christ.

Let us be on our knees.

Even so come, Lord Jesus, come.

Amen

As I was preparing today's post, I got side-tracked. You see, I read Psalm 25:6, and started to pass over it because it was such a familiar passage (and in my hurry it struck me as “Bible-ese”) —but the Spirit said, “Just a minute, not so fast”

So I stopped, went back, and pondered the passage for a few moments to let the meaning soak in.  It was a phrase, really, that struck me; about the Lord’s “tender mercies” and “lovingkindnesses...for they have been ever of old.”  The MSG  translation renders it. “Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, God: rebuild the ancient landmarks.”

The words are rich—the tenderness of a renewed heart, of a mother’s tenderness for her child, of a shepherd who cherishes tenderly his sheep. The phrase forever crystallizes the truth that “God’s mercies are new every morning.”

The same theme is pursued in Song of Solomon chapter 8,

“Love is invincible facing danger and death.

    Passion laughs at the terrors of hell.

 The fire of love stops at nothing—

    It sweeps everything before it.

Flood waters can’t drown love,

    Torrents of rain can’t put it out.

Love can’t be bought, love can’t be sold—

    It’s not to be found in the marketplace…”

As I thought about these passages of Scripture, two things struck me like a ton of bricks: 

1. First, this is my God—my loving Father—the One who delights in me—the One who has “set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings—THE ONE WHO HAS SATURATED MY LIFE WITH PURPOSE—the One whom Solomon extolled, “I am my beloved’s and His desire is toward me”—a cord that can never be broken!

2. Second (and here I get selfish) I dream of more and more people crowding in to serve  with Smyrna—people with singleness of heart  —people with a passion for the persecuted—people who will be flaming firebrands for the cause of the oppressed in the Islamic context!! C.H. McIntosh counsels, “I must remember that the immediate business of my soul is with God Himself.” And I think of Jim Elliott’s immortal prayer, “Make me Thy fuel, flame of God.”

So whatever my plans might have been for Founder’s Notes today, instead I urge you to contemplate God’s tenderness and lovingkindness, and to be flaming firebrands to carry the message!!

Father, drive this message home to my heart - and to each of our hearts!!!

Amen

 

“And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and {really} believing, you will receive.”  Matt. 21:22

 

When talking about prayer, I find it very difficult not to fall into a ‘spiritual cliché’ and sort of take it for granted. But Jesus didn't take it for granted. In Matthew 21:22, he says, “And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and really believing, you will receive.” He is talking about earnest, believing prayer, and He's talking about it like it's a done-deal, a settled resource which we have access to at all times. This is something I wrestle with and I find difficult to grasp. Often, prayer just rolls off my lips smoothly and easily. I can pray and not realize what I just did! The truth is, I cannot value the power of prayer in my life until I view its reality. 

St. John Chrysostom (347-407), was the Archbishop of Constantinople and one of the most influential of the early Church fathers. He said this about prayer:

The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire; it has bridled the rage of lions, hushed the anarchy to rest, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, assuaged diseases, repelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt.  Prayer is an all-efficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted, a sky un-obscured by clouds, a heaven unruffled by the storm.  It is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings.

 

Wow! As I pondered that, the question comes to me: what do I face personally or while I’m serving the Lord that prayer can’t handle? 

 

First John 5:14-15 proclaims that “… this is the confidence—the assurance, the [privilege of] boldness—which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan) He listens to and hears us.

And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.” (AMP)

 

May we always remember that prayer moves the heart of God! 

 

Amen! 

 

The other day, in my meditating through Scripture, my path intersected with Nehemiah 9:6.  It leaped off the page at me—I was vividly reminded of a time, some 57 years ago, when God first brought that verse to my attention. 

 

It was during my first pastorate—I was serving a small church in a region of rolling hills and timber. The town was principally composed of logging and saw mill workers.  The people were simple, warm, friendly folk—and my congregation was uniquely serious about their love for the Book.

 

When I arrived as pastor, the church embarked on a Scripture memory program that has been unequaled in my experience. We memorized hundreds of Scripture verses. The program was based on Scripture verses like Nehemiah 9:6, "You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."

and

 “For whatever God says to us is full of living power: it is sharper than the sharpest dagger, cutting swift and deep into our innermost thoughts and desires with all their parts, exposing us for what we really are.” - Hebrews 4:12(LB)

and

“Thy word have I hid I mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” - Ps. 119:11

And

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” - Joshua 1:8

and

“Your words are what sustain me; they are food to my hungry soul. They bring joy to my sorrowing heart and delight me. How proud I am to bear Your Name, O Lord.” - Jeremiah 15:16(LB)

 

Every week at Prayer Meeting we practiced reciting the verses collectively.

Every week the Men’s Meeting did the same.

Every week the Women’s Meeting did the same.

Every week the Youth Group did the same.

 

The hundreds of verses I learned in that three year program have stayed with me for 57 years!!  I have been able to use them in counseling, sermon preparation, writing, and simply for the personal guidance and comfort (and sometimes, conviction) they continually bring to me.

 

I have two regrets:

·         That I didn’t memorize more Scripture

·         That my age brings a growing memory failure so that all those verses are not now right on the tip of my tongue as they used to be (though they quickly come back when I brush up on them)

 

In the words of Psalm 119:18, my continual prayer for myself is “Lord, open Thou mine eyes that I may behld wondrous things out of Thy law.” It is my prayer for you as well, and I hope you will be motivated by the Holy Spirit to embark on a similar memorization path.

His Words are beyond price. 

 

AMEN

As I face the day, I face it with the wonderful reassurance that I am the recipient of the most precious spiritual gem that the Father has - His Word! This He has freely given me—the legacy of the awesome progressive revelation of Himself—His Plans—His purposes, His provisions!!  

The genesis of these thoughts comes from Hebrews 1:1-3: 

“Long ago God spoke in many different ways to our fathers through the prophets [in visions, dreams, and even face to face], telling them little by little about His plans.

But now in these days He has spoken to us *(by, in and through) His Son to whom He has given everything, and through whom He made the world and everything there is.

God’s Son shines out with God’s glory, and all that God’s Sonis and does marks Him as God.  He regulates the universe by the mighty power of His command.  He is the One who died to cleanse us and clear our record of all sin, and then sat down in highest honor beside the great God of heaven.” (Living Bible)

Ponder how God spoke, progressively revealing His Plans and Purposes:

• Think of those very early days of creation
• The Garden of Eden
• The beginnings of civilization
• The Flood
• The Call of Abraham
• The Twelve Tribes
• Israel, the Law, the Sacrifices, the Tabernacle
• The period of the Kings
• The Prophets

Each era, each event, bringing more and more of God’s Plan for His People. And finally revealing it in fullness - THE WORD, THE INCARNATE SON, THE KING OF KINGS, THE LORD OF LORDS!

• “In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. The same was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is—nothing exists that He didn’t make.  Eternal life is in Him and this life gives light to all mankind.  His life is the light that shines through the darkness—and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:1-4 (KJ & LB)

• “And the WORD was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14

Can you imagine a greater privilege than to be a keeper of the Word? Today, in the year of our Lord 2012, we stand in awe at legacy we are heir to, and we remember the words of Ps. 66:11 “The Lord gave the WORD: great was the company of those that published it!”

May each of us fulfill that legacy as we serve persecuted Christians today!! In the words of  John Oxenham:

“Is your place a small place? Tend it with care; He set you there. Is your place a large place? Guard it with care! He set you there. Whate’er your place, it is not yours alone, but His Who set you there.”

 

AMEN

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover. A group of Greeks, also in town for the feast, wanted to meet Him. They tracked down a companion of Jesus, His disciple Phillip, and said, "Sir, we would see Jesus." They got their wish, and while they were with Him, He spoke to God and God answered. (John 12:20-30)

What is the first step to knowing Jesus? I think it is the desire to be in His presence, to see Him. For once you see Him and your eyes are opened to His reality, then the murky darkness of worldly passions fade away. Like the old chorus puts it: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”  

Jesus desires us to keep our eyes fixed on Him so that: 

We may worship Him

     “…And the twenty-four Elders fell down and 

      worshipped Him.”  Rev. 5:14

 

We may know Him

     “Now I have given up everything else---I have found it

       to be the only way to really know Christ and to

       experience the mighty power that brought Him back

       to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer

       and to die with Him.”  Phil. 3: 10 (LB)

 

We may walk with Him

       “…He has told you what He wants, and this is all it is:

        to be fair and just and merciful, and to walk humbly

        with your God”  Micah 6:8 (LB)

 

We may dwell with Him

        “The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most     

          of all, is the privilege of meditating in His Temple,

          living in His presence every day of my life,

          delighting in His incomparable perfections and

          glory.” Psalm 27:4

 

We may serve Him

       “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be

        moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God

        acceptably with reverence and godly fear:  For our

        God is a consuming fire.” Heb. 12:28,29

Like the Greeks, I want to see Jesus. As I walk through the day, this is my first prayer - to be constantly and predominately seeking and seeing Christ. I pray that our desire to be with Jesus will transcend everything else that is on our agendas today.

The Old Testament is full of examples of faith that challenge us and encourage us to pray. Let’s take a look at Genesis 32:23-31, where Jacob has an encounter with a mysterious wrestler, someone many Christians believe was a manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ. Jacob, if you remember, is about to be re-united with Esau. He is afraid, and has sent his family and livestock on ahead for their protection.

We pick up the account in Genesis 32:23-31:

“Jacob was all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

“What is your name?” the man asked.

He replied, “Jacob.”

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

“Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.   “Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there. Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”

 

There are at least 7 things here that paint a picture of prayer.

1.—Jacob was alone with God

          -“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the         Almighty." Pslam 91:1

          -Christ was alone in the Garden

 

2.—He wrestled with a MAN (the assumption: this was the

       pre-incarnate Christ---hundreds, if not thousands of

       years before Calvary!!)

 

3.—He wrestled all night

        -Prevailing prayer requires focused attention,

          persistence, perseverance, tenacity

 

4.—Such prayer will most certainly bring personal deprivation

        -loss of sleep

        -fasting

        -intensity of commitment, determination

        -it is no “soft pillow” exercise

 

5.—Prayer brought power with God and with men  

        -in seeking the involvement of Christians to partner with Smyrna,,

         the Lord may call upon us to minister to their

           needs as well

 

6.—Jacob came face to face with the God of the Universe,

        an experience not won through prayerlessness

 

7.—Prayer prepares us for the unexpected in life

Whatever it might be that comes into our life today, prayer prepares of for that hour. Let us always remember this.

Today, as we again take up the spiritual warfare of serving persecuted Christians in the Islamic world, I am reminded of an account of martyrdom that occurred with another servant of Christ just a few short years ago.

It was September 13, 1978. An entry appeared in the diary of Chet Bitterman, just eight months before he entered Columbia as a Bible translator.  This is what he wrote in his journal:

The situation in Nicaragua is getting worse.  If Nicaragua falls, I guess the rest of Central America will, too.  Maybe this is just some kind of self-inflicted martyr complex, but I find this recurring thought that perhaps God will call me to be martyred for Him in His service in Columbia.  I AM WILLING.

That was September 1978

On January 19, 1981, a group of terrorists broke into the Wycliffe translator’s residence in Bogota, Columbia, and kidnapped Chet.  The communiqué from the terrorists read, 'Chet Bitterman will be executed unless the Bible translators leave Columbia by 6:00 p.m. February 19.'  Wycliffe did not budge.  Brenda Bitterman and her two little children waited 48 days.  On March 7 the terrorists shot Chet through the heart and left his body on a bus in Bogota.  More than one hundred Wycliffe members in Columbia were given the choice of a new field. 

None left!! 

And two hundred candidates volunteered to take Chet’s place!!

 

I am reminded this morning of Phil. 3:10, where Paul said, “Now I have given up everything else…I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought Him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with Him.”

Then I took note of an August 2010 entry in my own Prayer Journal. It reads:

Oh that God would grant that all who labour with Smyrna would do so with a passion and sense of urgency!! Just one father locked in prison—just one daughter repeatedly raped—just one church burned to the ground—should enflame each of us with that same sense of urgency…

And then as I pondered Chet’s life—and death--I had to ask myself the question, “Would I be willing to follow in Chet’s footsteps?”  Would you?

Questions to ponder as we enter another day of labor in behalf of the Persecuted!!

A glass can only spill what it contains...

 If I am to be a friend and husband and father and servant after God’s own heart, I must draw from the Well. It is the fountain for cleansing. My Father, as He usually does, has been leading me back to this vital source and revealing more of Himself through His Word (Psalm 19, 51, Hebrews 12). When I stray from the purifying presence of God, my heart and mind get murky. Self-righteousness, pride, and other pollutants taint my worship. Yet when I come to the Well, in humility and thirst, I am washed pure.

The Lord desires to create in each of His children a clean heart of perfect love, like the heart of Jesus Christ. What I’ve been realizing is that I need to ask God to create in me this perpetual state of readiness, because at any moment I may run across someone who is hurting, someone who needs Him, or someone who wants to serve the Persecuted Church. A right relationship with God is the path to true fellowship and worthwhile service.

 

“God’s laws are perfect.  They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and Light.  God’s laws are pure, eternal, just.  They are more desirable than gold.  They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.  For they warn us away from harm and give success to those who obey them.

But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart?  Cleanse me from these hidden faults.  And keep me from deliberate wrongs; help me to stop doing them.  Only then can I be free of guilt…

May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.”

(From Psalm 19: 7-14 (LB)

 

“Sprinkle me with the cleansing blood and I shall be clean again.  Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow…Don’t keep looking at my sins—create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires.

It is a broken spirit you want…A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not ignore…And when my heart is right, then you will rejoice in the good that I do…”

(From Psalm 51:7-19 LB)

 

“Look after each other so that no one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you…. You have come right up into Mount Zion, to the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the gathering of countless happy angels, and to the church, composed of all those registered in heaven, and to God who is Judge of all; and to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven, already made perfect; and to Jesus Himself, who has brought us his wonderful new agreement, and to the sprinkled blood which graciously forgives…”

(Selected from Hebrews 12:15-24 LB)

 

Amen

Just received an e-mail from the “front lines” (a West African country).  Our National Partner was pouring out his heart in gratitude for all that the Lord had done over the last few months.  Over 4000 villagers received medicine and medical treatment—and heard about Jesus!  Eleven churches had been planted.  The radio station is beaming the best news in the world to over two million listeners.  Over 100 children and adults had become Christians as they learned that Jesus Christ loved them so much that He died in their place.  And so much more!

As I read the report the words of Ps. 119:2 rang in my ears, “Happy are all who search for God…”

And I paused in gratefulness for the friends of Smyrna in America whose prayers and gifts helped make all this possible!!

The other day my precious wife shared with me some things the Lord has been laying on her heart concerning ministry to the persecuted. Although we've been married close to 63 years, her insights never cease to amaze me!

Speaking in light of the countless opportunities Smyrna encounters (which are sometimes disguised as impossible challenges), she noted: “Opportunities reveal our discernment. They reveal how closely we are walking with Jesus. Do we see them as gifts from the Lord, or as interruptions? Each day when we wake up, are we ready to utilize our spiritual gifts? Do we believe that the Lord will enable us?”

She challenges me, and everyone she knows, to look at the whole world – every person, every need, every moment - as a tremendous opportunity to display the self-sacrificing love of Christ! As I labor and pray and await our Lord’s return, I am blessed by her perspective. I hope you are as well. 

Simon Guillebaud, a missionary to Burundi, wrote one night:

“Tonight I am awake not because of joy—rather a mixture of emotions caused by reading about the suffering church, untold nameless, faceless ‘unpeople’ who are my brothers and sisters, not in the flesh but so much deeper than that. Raped, imprisoned, tortured, humiliated, traumatized, murdered. And it’s happening right now as I lie here comfortably in bed, warm, cozy, a roof over my head, food in my belly, secure with family and loved ones, knowing there is freedom of speech, freedom of religion. Did I use that freedom today?”

What a convicting, challenging question! Here in our country we have the liberty to freely proclaim Jesus Christ – our greatest treasure – and share His Word with our friends and neighbors! My fervent prayer is for a spirit of boldness to grip the saints of God, as we share His love with the Persecuted and the lost. 

It is God, through Christ Jesus, who makes us “like a well-watered garden, like an ever flowing spring.” He alone can turn our apathy into compassion, our tepid concern into intercession.  Let us cry out to Him, and serve Him alone! 

“Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.” – Isaiah 58:10-11

From the hotspots of persecution in the Islamic world - from the Ivory Coast, from the borders of Syria and Israel, from embattled Sudan, from the carnage in Nigeria, the gross deception in Turkey, the duplicitous corruption in Pakistan, from the shadows of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, from the backwaters of Bangladesh and Ethiopia come the following egregious examples of the oppressed (but victorious) followers of Jesus Christ: 

 

Ivory Coast: Ethnic-Muslim militias are running house-to-house 'cleansing' operations in ethnic-Christian regions. The situation is dire: 27,000 refugees are hiding in a church building in Duekoue, the town where Muslims massacred around 800 civilians on March 28-29.

Syria: Christian communities who do not support political changes favorable to Islam are under fire. Eye witnesses report seeing around 20 masked men on motorcycles open fire on a home in a Christian village outside Dara’a, in southern Syria.

Israel: In the north, Muslims from Syria and Lebanon are pouring across the border and terrorizing the streets of little towns, violently protesting Israel’s existence.

Sudan: Muslims from the north, backed by the Khartoum government, have been harassingsouth-bound Sudanese, many of them Christians. Over 300,000 people have moved from the north to the south since October. President Omar al-Bashir has repeatedly stated his intention to reinforce sharia law when the south officially secedes in July.

Nigeria: Over 300 Christians were slaughtered in Kaduna after Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, was elected on April 16, defeating Muslim and ex-military leader Muhammadu Buhari. In a murder-bent rampage, Muslim-led rioters looted Christian homes and businesses and burned roughly 288 church buildings; approximately 14,000 Christians and Christian-sympathizers have been displaced.

Turkey: Christians face discrimination, slander and attacks on their churches. Missionary activity is considered a national threat. In March, Istanbul police arrested two Muslims, ages 17 and 18, accused of plotting to assassinate a Christian pastor.

Pakistan: On April 30, hundreds of Muslims in Gujranwala attacked Christian homes, a school, and a Presbyterian church. They were irate that authorities had released two Christians accused of blasphemy.

Egypt: On May 7, at least 12 Christians were killed in Cairo when Muslims attacked two churches, set fire to Christian-owned homes, and looted Christian businesses. Over 200 were seriously injured.

Bangladesh: Six Christians operating a medical clinic for poor Damurhuda villagers were arrested on March 24 for “hurting religious feelings” after local Muslims objected to distribution of Christian literature at the clinic. The six were released on bail, but they are now identified targets for jihad.

Ethiopia: In March of this year, at least one Christian was murdered and dozens of others injured when over 3,000 Muslims set fire to 59 churches and at least 28 homes in western Ethiopia. More than 4,000 Christians have been forced to flee their homes.

Jesus said this would happen. He said, "You will be hated by all nations for My name's sake... And many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." - Matthew 24:8-14

Because we have His words, we have hope. Pray for the persecuted Body of Christ, that they may remember the words of the Word Made Flesh and take heart! As J. Sidlow Baxter said, "Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons; but they are helples against our prayers."  

Qur’anic Islam exalts Muhammad as the Perfect Man, yet history records he and his followers engaged in and often sanctioned oppression, slavery, immorality, and murder. Qur’anic Islam is not a peaceful religion—it is a totalitarian ideology that crushes people into bondage. Basing their words in Qur’anic passages, Islamic teachers tell children that Allah hates Jews and Christians. They also site verses to justify male domination and female subjection. The Qu'ran also plainly commands Muslims to punish anyone who rejects Islam. In every Muslim-majority country where Sharia law is enforced, humanity suffers.

It fills my heart with pain to think of so many people living in such deep spiritual darkness!

When I say that Islam is a lie that leads to spiritual death, that sounds pretty harsh, doesn’t it? Yet Jesus told the Pharisees, “If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins”(Jn. 8:24).Our Lord was not speaking in anger, but in compassion, knowing that mankind has no hope apart from God’s mercy.

It does absolutely no good to pretend that Allah and God are compatible; they are not. Such language is a betrayal to the saints across the globe who, right now, are suffering because they preach a gospel of freedom and love instead of submission and fear. 

Christ has commanded us to love our enemies, not “tolerate” them. We are to pray for those who persecute Christians, not ignore their actions. He said to boldly proclaim the Truth, not water it down. And the Truth is, Christ is central. The Bible tells believers 175 times to live “in Christ” as if in a shelter. He is our refuge, our hope, and our best defense. The best place for Christians to address the problem of Islam is when we are kneeling at the foot of the cross, worshiping our awesome God. Join me in earnest prayer that our loving heavenly Father will remove the veil from their eyes, that Muslims may see the beauty of the Cross. 

“My meditation of Him shall be sweet…" Ps. 104:34

“The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in His Temple, living in His presence every day of my life, and delighting in His incomparable perfections and glory.” Ps. 27:4 (LB)

“But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely.” Ps. 1:2 (LB)

“For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men…” Ps. 1:6a

“Great peace have they which love Thy law…” Ps. 119:165a

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:7

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet…” Rom. 16:20a (LB)

Some personal Ministry reflections over the week-end:

 

• Once again I beheld the Cross—and Jesus hanging there, transfixed between heaven and earth, broken and bleeding in the hot Judean sun
• And I thought of Smyrna’s charter—I considered my oppressed brothers and sisters:
  • I saw the 10 missionaries sacrificially serving the Afghan people, mowed down by Islamic Taliban bullets
  • I was reminded of the three Christian workers viciously cut to pieces by five Muslims in a Turkish Publishing House
  • I saw Muslims extort money from two Christian women in a Bangladesh village, then severely beat the husband of one of them, threatening to kill them if they continued to speak of Christ
  • My mind went to my 1980 Conference engagement in Kerala, India and the current incident of two irate Muslims yanking a car door open, pulling a Christian Professor out, and, in front of his family, hacking his right hand with a knife and throwing him into the street
  • I vividly remembered the friendship and martyrdom of Bishop Haik Hovsepian Mehr in Iran
  • And my heart was broken as I thought of the four year old girl in Jos, Nigeria whose arm was severed by Muslim mobs as they slaughtered some 500 Christians
  • And, along with Revelation, I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus
• I pondered that, across the Islamic world, Christians are facing atrocities, carnage, brutality and mindless torture and injustice
• Then I heard the penetrating voice of Jesus saying to me, “In the light of all this, do you love me more than the comfortable life I’ve given you?”; and He reminded me of His strong admonition that we “ought to lay down our lives for the brethren”
• Close on the heels of this I remembered the promise of Scripture that Jesus would never leave us or forsake us, and that He would provide all our needs according to His riches in glory
• I considered the solemnity of His warnings against the sin of doubting and unbelief
• I thought of Paul’s words to King Agrippa, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.”
• I thought of Pilate’s words, “What shall I do then with Jesus, who is called the Christ?”
• Then I remembered Jesus’ counsel, “Inasmuch as you have (ministered) unto one of the least of these you have (ministered) unto Me.”
• Then I thought of that moving phrase concerning Jesus, “And they crucified Him there”
• And I briefly saw—with Elisha—the “mountain full of the Lord’s horses and chariots all around us”

Then I re-read Isaiah 58:10, 11 “Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day. And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”

The encouragement and admonition of the Lord over the week-end brought new impetus to how intensely, how urgently, and how single-mindedly Smyrna must seek to touch the lives of the persecuted wherever Muhammad’s god is worshiped.

If you have read this, I invite you to join me in the great task of serving Christians who are under the oppression of Islam. Contact me at drd@smyrnaministries.org.

In Eritrea, 28-year-old Senait and 15 other university students were arrested for attending a Bible study and were imprisoned for two years in a metal shipping container, exposed to extreme temperatures and disease. In these unbearable conditions, she became ill and had no medical treatment. Officials offered her treatment and freedom if she denied her faith, but she refused. After two years, she died of malaria and sever anemia. Her classmates, however, are still locked in a metal box, barely surviving in the baking heat of day and the freezing cold of night.

What can we do today to get this story before the church? What can we do to help people like Senait? If you could have gone to Eritrea and met her inside the shipping container, can you imagine how deeply you would have touched her life? She would be blessed just by knowing that you knew—by knowing that someone cared.

One of the greatest burdens that persecuted Christians face is the feeling that no one cares or knows. When I last visited Egypt, a family in a remote village asked me, “How did you know we were here?” These believers long to know that their brothers and sisters in Christ are aware of them and are standing beside them in prayer. Will you?

• Uzbekistan—Thirteen Christians in Almalyk have been fined 100 times their monthly salary for conducting “illegal teaching of religious doctrines.” The police that filed the charges committed over 60 violations of Uzbek law, including: using excessive force, falsifying case files, and refusing to inform their relatives about their detention.  

• A Chaldean Christian businessman in al Saa, Mosul, was gunned down on his way to work the morning of March 7th. At least eight Christians have been murdered in Mosul, and Muslim-on-Christian violence is escalating in northern Iraq.

• An Egyptian court in the southern city of Assuit acquitted four Muslims who were involved in the killing of 61 year-old Christian Farouk Attallah. He was shot 31 times to the head in a village market place. Christians are homeless in Bangladesh after Muslim arsonists burned down their homes, and anti-Christian sentiments are rising.

• Lagos, Nigeria—Less than two weeks after a massive attack in Nigeria that killed 500 Christians, Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed thirteen people in two Christian villages, including a pregnant woman and several children.

• A woman from Upper Egypt was repeatedly raped by Muslim attackers. They forced entry into the house, beat her husband, broke his leg, and forced him to watch his wife’s sufferings. They then kidnapped the couple’s children, ages four and six.

• Moroccan authorities launched a nationwide crackdown on Christians. They deported more than 40 Christian workers, including foster parents caring for 33 Moroccan orphans.

• A Christian girl working as a maid in Lahore, Pakistan was raped and then doused with gasoline and set on fire by the son of her Muslim employer. She died of her burns.

• Isfahan, Iran—Rev. Wilson Issavi, 65, was arrested for “converting Muslims.” The Iraqi church leader is now being tortured in prison and threatened with execution, along with several other outspoken Christians.

• Eritrea—the government continues to incarcerate Christians, with the total number of imprisoned believers currently well over 2,000. Hanna Hagos Asgedom, who died in Alla Military camp this year, is the most recent known Eritrean martyr. Tens of thousands of Eritreans are fleeing the country.

I took a journey today--I covered thousands of miles--all from my desk--all on my knees.  I was there--in Egypt--in Turkey--in Sudan--in Pakistan--in Somalia--in Kenya--in Chad--in Kashmir--in Bangladesh--in Malaysia--in Syria--in the Philippines.  And throughout my "trip" through these Muslim lands, the same sounds and images assaulted my senses: cardboard "houses", burning churches, refugees, children crying, hunger, water-borne diseases, false accusations of blasphemy, a congregation deprived of its pastor, nights filled with fear, uncertainty, foreboding, pain, sorrow, danger, hopelessness, depression, and the cry of prisoners echoing from filthy jails.

And I suffered with them.  These are God's people.  These are children of the Heavenly King.  And the words of Scripture haunted me, "…when one member (of the body) suffers, all the members suffer with it…"

October 26, 2009

I opened the morning paper and looked at the appalling cacophony of atrocities exploding in places like Somalia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and more—the list seemed endless.

Then in my Study I meditated on the words of II Peter, that out of the morass of wickedness, corruption and deceit—and out of the broken, shattered lives that spread across the earth today, Peter talks about another day—The Day of the Lord, when “the heavens will pass away with a roar, the heavenly bodies will be removed by being burned up, and the earth with all of its works will melt away.”

In that day:
•    The Persecuted will be persecuted no more
•    The sorrowing will sorrow no more
•    Wrongs will be made right
•    Purity will replace the moral turpitude of the day
•    Absolute justice will reign
•    Christ will be forever seated on His Throne
•    The Redeemed will worship and serve the Saviour through endless Age after Age after Age…………

Be encouraged, embattled saint, “your redemption is drawing near.”

FEASTING ON THE WORD

Just like a good steak dinner, I feasted for a few moments on some great spiritual food this morning!  It was in Romans, chapter 5.  The Holy Spirit is telling us we have been given right standing with God through His Son!

That was really wonderful -- but then I read, "...let us continue exulting in our sufferings, for we know that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, tested character, and tested character, hope, and hope never disappoints us, for through the Holy Spirit that has been given us, God's love has flooded our hearts." (Selected from Williams translation)

We have a great God, don’t we?

DECEPTION LEADS TO INJUSTICE

This morning I was reading about Stephen in Acts 6 & 7.  There are many similarities between the persecution of Christians across the Islamic world, and what Stephen faced in the natal days of the Church.

The Book of Acts tells us that the people found false witnesses who conjured up claims that Stephen spoke abusive words against God.

Such clear distortions of truth led to Stephen's stoning.  Today, such distortions in the Islamic world lead to injustice of every kind against the people of God -- even including martyrdom.

Faithful Christians in the Islamic world deserve our fervent intercession.  They stand as a bulwark against the assault of Islam that faces the Church of Jesus Christ.

The Suffering of Christians Continues!

I make this Founder's Note entry with a broken heart today -- a heart that aches for 8-year-old Vera.

You see, her father is a Pastor in Uzbekistan.  Two years ago he was thrown into prison by the Islamic authorities because he was telling people about God -- about how they could have life never-ending through His Son's historic sacrifice on a rough wooden cross.  And for that he languishes in a prison cell!  And Vera waits for his release.  Please, please never let up in your prayers for the persecuted.  It means so much to them!!! 

THE EVERLASTING WAY

It was David, the shepherd boy's prayer: "...see if there be any hurtful way in me. And lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:24 (NASB)

The everlasting way -- is that the direction of my life?  How about you?

Jesus said, "I am the WAY..." John 14:6

When that is life's motivating force, then the phenomenal promise of Matthew 6:33 is mine, "...seek first His kingdom, and all these things (the treasures of God's goodness) shall be yours as well."

NO GREATER PRIVILEGE

"The harvest is plentiful, but the reapers are scarce...."  Familiar words?  Spoken by our Lord, the context gives them special meaning.  It was just days before what we call the Truimphal Entry -- palm fronds spread in the path as Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the adulation of the crowds.

But these scenes were only harbingers of my Saviour being mocked, beaten -- then ignominiously crucified.  Scripture says "all forsook Him and fled." Jesus knew the adoring crowd was transient.  He saw beyond them to the rejecting multitudes of our day and the scarcity of those who would fearlessly brave the taunts of the crowd -- who would be His servants -- His reapers!!!

And the message thunders down the ages -- "the reapers are scarce" -- but the rewards are great!! There's a place for you and I in the "harvest field."

My appeal to you -- GET ENGAGED IN THE GREATEST TASK OF ALL TIME.  Believe in Christ -- receive Him -- carry the message -- enter His service -- be ready for His Return!!!

LESSONS FROM THE LAKE (Luke 5:1-10)

It was on the shores of Lake Gennesaret--

Jesus told Peter to set his fishing nets again.

Peter said he would, but reminded Jesus that he had just fished all night -- the result was empty nets -- "but because you say so" --
 
The result was such a load of fish the straining nets were breaking -- they filled the boats -- the boats were sinking, there were so many fish!

Peter and his fishing buddies were really scared -- they were gripped by "bewildered amazement."

Jesus' words startled them even more, "From now on you will catch men" -- they would soon learn what that meant.

Lessons from this lakeside incident are legion! Is your net of a "fulfilling life" empty?  I know Someone Who can fill it!!!!  Catch me at smyrna@smyrnaministries.org.     

Don

The Transforming Power of THE NAME

In Acts 4 Peter refers to "...the Name and power of Jesus... crucified... raised back to life again," then declares "There is salvation in no one else...."

That revolutionary truth means everything to us, doesn't it?  Yet possibly over a billion Muslims have never heard such wonderful, liberating news!

If you're like me, you wish you could tell them.  You can!  But how? -- by helping persecuted Christians like Rini.
   
Rini is an Indonesian convert from Islam to Christianity. Saved some three years ago, God has given her phenomenal courage.  Her family disowned her the day they discovered she had become a Christian.  She has been sneered at, beaten so hard she thought her teeth would fall out, dragged and trampled.  Her husband despised her commitment to Christ and abandoned her and the four children.
   
Her courageous answer to such treatment?  "Go ahead and kill me, my salvation in Christ matters more!"

You may not have much money to give, but you still want to help persecuted Christians like Rini.  How?  E-mail me at smyrna@smyrnaministries.org and I'll share some ways you can help the "Rinis" of the world, and thereby bring the precious message of Christ to lost Muslims as well.

Don

"Now when Jesus was born..."

These five words signal that God -- the eternal God -- has condescended to take the form of a man.

• New vistas open.
• Despair now has a solution.
• Imponderables now have answers.
• The enemy of man's soul is defeated.
• Light now shines in darkness.
• Justice will now reign.
• There is now an answer to sin's presence, power, and penalty.
• There is now comfort and healing for pain, sorrow, and suffering.
• Victory over death is on the horizon.

"But as it is written, eye hath not seen, neither entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."  (I Corinthians 2:9)

A HIGH CALLING

Jesus said to His followers, "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot grasp it now."

He knew there was much that His disciples simply could not handle at this time -- the trials that would be ahead -- the days of rejection -- ridicule -- deprivation -- suffering for His sake.  Jesus  was keenly aware that all this was just around the corner; with excruciating death at the end of the line, in some cases before a jeering mob.

Have you ever stopped to ponder what the Lord withholds from us because He knows we couldn't bear it now?

Do we understand Peter's words, "So be truly glad!  There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for awhile down here."

As we face the eventual shadow of death we exult in the assured outcome, "...no mere man has ever seen, heard or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love (Him)."

And so we press on.

Weary saint take heart -- one day we will burst through the darkness of this sin-cursed world into the "glorious liberty of the children of God."

What a day that will be!!

Your World Today*

• Pakistan -- Five Christians held as slaves.
• Turkey -- 9th grade text associates Satanism with Christianity.
• Pakistan -- 12-year-old Christian girl raped by “powerful and rich” Muslim militants.
• Kyrgystan -- Proposed religious law could lead to closure of several evangelical churches.
• Egypt -- Christian girls 12 and 8 taken from mother -- custody granted to Muslim father, contrary to Egyptian law.
• Egypt -- Two innocent Christians charged with murder, are imprisoned and tortured.
• Britain -- Muslim prisoners launch reign of terror inside a top security British jail.
• The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has introduced a measure to the UN Human Rights Council that would “force the State to determine which religion viewpoints may be expressed.”
• Nigeria -- Muslim attack and destroy two churches in Bauchi State
• Kazakhstan -- Police harass Christians for holding an Anniversary dinner in a local restaurant.
• Egypt -- Muslims attack homes and shops after 14-year-old Christian unwittingly fails to observe a Muslim funeral custom.

*Details available on request

Eternal Principles

Do you like to make notations in the fly leaf of your Bible?  I do.  In browsing through some of the entries recently something I recorded in February 1980 reminded me anew of the paramount importance of the Word of God in my life.  I had written, "May God turn the eternal principles of the Word into operant principles in my daily life."

That entreaty remains!  It was my desire in 1980.  The passion for The Book continues to grow today!  How about you?

• “Multitudes in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:14
• Jesus’ words, “I have compassion on the multitudes.” Matt. 15:32
• “Watchman, what of the night? How much time is left? Is. 21:11
• “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.” Is. 6:8

• Wisdom -- to take the appropriate steps to further Smyrna’s vision.
• Staff -- equal to the challenge of the vision.
• Funds -- equal to the challenge.

Devotional Thought

In my devotions this morning I read I Peter 1:2 "...God the Father chose you long ago and knew you would become His children.  And the Holy Spirit has been at work in your hearts, cleansing you with the blood of Jesus Christ and making you to please Him..."

And I pondered the imponderable, the awesome life-engulfing principle -- through God’s foreknowledge He knew we would trust in His Son, and so we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world!!  How long ago was that?  Our finite minds can't grasp it, our English language can't encompass it, history can't surround it -- only faith can comprehend it!!!

Oh that the eyes our Muslim friends might be open to see it -- and that persecuted Christians might take comfort in it.

I'm sure this is all part of what it means to be "seated in the heavenlies in Christ."

Some notes and information resulting from some recent reading: George Grant's The Blood of the Moon.

"Before the American troops had ever established their bivouacs, the British, the French, the Turks, the Saracens, the Crusaders, the Mongols, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Persians, the Egyptians, the Sumerians, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians had also passed this way."

"The crises in the Middle East... involves questions of geo-political security, national sovereignty, racial rancor, religious contention, and military prowess."
    


CHRONOLOGY:

2250 BC  (approximately)  Nimrod established several villages and trading centers along the     Euphrates

700 BC  The Assyrian Empire

597 BC  Nebuchadnezzar  sweeps into Jerusalem

550 BC  The Babylonian Empire

400 BC  The Persian Empire

70 AD  Destruction of the Temple

570-632 AD  Muhammad

733 AD  Charles Martel

1095  Council of Clermont -- Pope Urban II issues a call detailing atrocities of the Moslems: the desecration of churches, the rape of Christian women, the torture of priests and monks, the pilfering of villages and towns, and the occupation of the territories; The Crusades would soon follow

1099  Jerusalem captured by the Crusaders

1150  Saladin unites the Islamic world

(330-1453) The Byzantine Empire (From Constantine to the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks)

1483-1546  Martin Luther

1529  Suleiman -- the siege of Vienna

1509-1564  John Calvin

(1400-1500)  Rise of the Ottoman Empire

1668-1759  Jonathan Edwards
          (Luther, Calvin and Edwards spanned a period of about 2 1/2 centuries—
           all recognized and spoke clearly about the issues of Islam)

1796  Napoleon Bonaparte

1917  The Balfour Declaration--
           America’s entry into World War I

1945  The United Nations founded

I948  Israel becomes a Nation

1967  The Six-Day War

1979  Ayatollah Khomeini comes to power--
          U.S. Embassy in Iran is overrun

(1980-1988)  Iran/Iraq war

1983  Beirut -- U.S. Marine massacre

1990  Al Aqsa Mosque Massacre

August 1990  The Gulf War