Posts Tagged With: Christianity

 “THE FINAL FRONTIER: A CRY TO THE GLOBAL CHURCH” 

By Reuben Kachala 

O Church of Christ, you shining bride,

Clothed in light, once crucified.

Redeemed by blood, called to proclaim—

 *Have you forgotten your Husband’s name?* 

For He, the Lamb with nail-pierced hands,

Declared His worth in every land.

He made a vow, a promise bold:

 *“All nations shall My glory hold.”* 

From Abraham’s seed, the Word took flight,

To bless all peoples with saving light.

Through Moses, David, prophet’s pen,

 *He spoke His heart: “All tribes, all men.”* 

Yet today He waits… waits still,

For hearts to burn, for hands to will.

His great ambition unfulfilled—

 *The task remains, the world stands still.* 

O Church, hear now the voice of flame—

A summons not to play, but claim.

The Great Commission still undone,

 *The Harvest waits beneath the sun.* 

Six billion souls have heard His Name,

And lifted high the Savior’s fame.

But two billion more still walk in night,

 *Untouched by Gospel, lost from sight.* 

They live in lands where none have gone,

Where Jesus’ name is yet unknown.

No church to call, no praise to sing,

 *No cross, no Christ, no risen King.* 

Frontier People Groups—obscure,

Yet two billion lost, of this be sure.

Five thousand peoples, waiting still,

 *For just one soul to do His will.* 

O Church, what have we done with grace?

Have we kept it locked in just one place?

While 1% go to those unreached,

 *The rest stay home where pulpits preach.* 


We staff our teams with media pros,

We plant our churches row by row.

We fund our bands, our concerts grand,

 *But neglect the unreached in distant land.* 

We disciple those already found,

Yet leave the lost in foreign ground.

We’ve built our empires, carved our pews—

 *But left the unreached with no Good News.* 

What is this Great Imbalance now?

 *The time to shift, to act, is now.* 

Malawi’s cry, Brazil’s alarm,

From China’s house to Kenya’s farm.

From India’s call to Europe’s shore,

 *“Let us send! Let us give more!”* 

The Spirit shouts through Paul again:

“Make it your aim to go to them!”

To places where His name’s unknown,

 *To build where none have built a stone.* 

Oh William Carey, Ralph Winter too—

They saw this task and rallied through.

Shall we just read their tales in books,

 *While turning from the unreached’s looks?* 

Rise now, O global Church, arise!

Shake off your sleep, open your eyes!

God is moving, the time is near—

 *The final tribes must also hear.* 

He’s calling not just preachers bold,

But senders, givers, warriors old.

He wants the mobilizer’s cry,

 *The intercessor’s daily sigh.* 

He wants the technician’s hand,

The advocate to take a stand.

He’s calling trainers, shepherds, teams—

 *To live and die for Frontier dreams.* 

The FPGs are waiting long—

No church, no witness, no salvation song.

No Gospel seed, no Jesus told,

 *No fellowship to break the hold.* 

Yet half the missionaries we send,

Go where the Gospel does not need friends.

The rest go feed where sheep already graze—

 *But none go into that darker maze.* 

Why, Church? Why this tragic split?

Did Christ not call us out of it?

Did He not say: “All peoples reached”—

 *Not just our comfort zones and streets?* 

The hour is late, the King soon comes—

The trumpet waits, the angel drums.

But will the cry of FPGs

 *Be silenced still by our strategies?* 

Will He return with tears instead,

Because His bride refused what He said?

Because we prayed and played and taught,

 *But never reached the lands He sought?* 

O Church, repent. Return. Reclaim.

Renew your call. Rekindle flame.

The task remains. The map still burns.

 *The King still waits. The Spirit yearns.* 

 *So GO, or SEND, or WEEP, or PRAY—* 

But do not sleep another day.

This cry from Heaven shakes the land:

 *“I have other sheep—extend your hand!”* 

From Pakistan to Bengal’s streets,

Where Urdu, Hindi, Bengali meet—

To Pashtuns, Shaikhs, and Rajput clans,

 *To Persians, Turks, and tribal lands.* 

God waits for songs He hasn’t heard,

For tongues that never praised His Word.

Will you help fulfill His greatest joy—

 *Or will His glory we destroy?* 

Now Church—choose. Obey or stray.

The call is loud. The cost is grave.

The frontier waits. The King commands.

 *Will you respond with pierced hands?*

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Fear of the LORD, Faith in our Father, & Fuel for a Faithful Life

Some people believe that faith in God is opposed to fear of the Lord or that God only revealed himself as a Father in the New Testament. This short summary shows that the truth affirms more than is popular among people today.

An early reference to the fatherhood of God is found in Deuteronomy 5:8: You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. Notice several things:

  1. This is a truth that should settle deep in our hearts.
  2. God is our Father, which is the basis for human fathers caring for their children.
  3. Because God is our Father, He disciplines us with both rewards and the rod.

Often in Jesus’ day, the leaders asked him questions, but there came a point at which he asked them a poignant question: Matthew 22:41-46 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’? If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

Every Jew believed that the Messiah had to be the Son of David and thus a son of Judah and of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. But Jesus traced his lineage back further and got to the root identity of the Messiah: The Son of God, and thus the Lord of David. Though you and I may be children of God by faith, we do not possess the divine right to be called children of God, for we have all sinned and we die.

Jesus had quoted the first verse from Psalm 110:1-4 A Psalm of David. The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

This was regarded as a messianic Psalm in Jesus’ day: The Messiah was Lord, ruled among his enemies, and led a voluntary association, not necessarily a merely ethnic or national army. Indeed, he was the Priest-King, par excellence, Like Melchizedek. This should energize us to volunteer in some way. This should energize us to live well.

David had received a promise in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 that spoke of his Heir, a Son of David that would be the Son of God. “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” Again, both blessing and blows are promised to the son of David. He is both the Royal Son of God and the Rejected Suffering Servant.

As we look at the end of the Bible, we see how this all ties together: Revelation 22:12-16 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the [f]Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Blessed are those who [g]do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

Jesus is both the source and the son of David. He shines both brightly and early. Jesus sets the standard of perfection. You cannot love the Savior and love sin at the same time. Yes, we all sin in many ways, but Jesus helps us hate the sin and seek His salvation day after day. Our Father will reward those who seek the Lord while he may be found. If you look the Lord Jesus, you will find favor with the Father in Heaven.

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No God But One: Book Review

(Disclaimer: I was given an advance copy of this book for review.)

One thing that struck me as I read this book was the compassion and profound insight simply stated. The whole discussion of the book is framed as one would expect to occur between friends who care deeply about each other. Since much of the book reflects the conclusion of faith that Nabeel Qureshi came to as a result of an ongoing dialogue with his debate partner, it should not surprise the reader that the format is somewhat similar to a debate where a question and counter question is posed in each of the dialogues on various topics related to Islam, such as the difference between Islamic law (Sharia) and the grace of God found in the Gospel of Christ.

While this may sound old hat to someone who grew up in the church, when a person discovers that the reality that God is love and all of the diverse implications of this, whether in the arena of theology proper (including the meaning of the trinity and how the doctrine of the trinity is the way of describing God that most honors the Creator) or in the area of an understanding of violence in the history of Islam and the Christian Church (When did Christians start fighting wars? years after they were first called Christians and the empire was converted en masse.)

It becomes very clear through the reading of this book that not only does Nabeel have a clear knowledge of the basic issues related to Islam and Christianity, their similarities and differences, but he also loves both Muslims and Christians. Even though some Muslims may misunderstand the motives for why a truth seeker would embrace Jesus and the church and even though some who grew up with Christian traditions may question whether this is truly possible, Nabeel manifests an irenic spirit throughout, and confesses that he has not always behaved as the best example of Christianity after having chosen to identify with the Lord Jesus.

People need to hear these sorts of questions: questions that are centered not so much on the historic truths of the Gospel, and the verifiable & life transforming factual truths of the crucifixion, the resurrection and Jesus’ claim to deity; rather Questions that are centered on the sincerity and depth of our understanding & obedience to those truths.

Are we willing to seek to truly understand the truth?
Are we willing to suffer for what is true?
How much are we willing to suffer?

The good news is a life and death issue. The Gospel cost Jesus’ His life and frees us from our deadness. When we see the extreme love of God, we will be awakened to delight in our Creator, as a maiden delights in her groom when she realizes that not only is He a noble person, but that he truly does delight in her.

May you be awakened to the First, the Ultimate, the Supreme Love of the Author of Life.

#NoGodButOne

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New Saudi Weekend Honors Sabbath: Will Bless both Jews and Arabs.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia recently opened up the way for Saudi’s weekend to come more in line with Jewish and Christian interpretations of the weekend: Friday-Saturday rather than Thursday-Friday. Most markets around the weekend follow the Jewish or Jewish-Christian pattern of taking the Sabbath (i.e. commonly called Saturday) off.

Take a poll!

Bloomberg’s article on economic implications:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-23/saudi-arabia-changes-weekend-to-friday-saturday-spa-reports.html

More significant than the economic implications though are the implications for how this is a partial fulfillment that the earth is the Lord’s & everything in it. The Lord chose the Jews and revealed the Sabbath to them as a day to work and rest. I encourage everyone to take time to do that: to rest from all work. What is interesting about this, is that it is a sign that Arab peoples are reconciling with the culture of the Jews, even if the motive is temporal financial gain. What will this lead to, but Life from the dead … when they honor the Sabbath which remains: the finished work of Jesus on the cross!

Jesus, Isa-al Masih is the real establisher Sabbath. He is Lord of the Sabbath. He is the Sabbath, or rest of completion in that he enables us to relax in Him. We no longer need to worry about anything. We are now free to work productively and be happy because we are no longer slaves to sin. Maybe one day all Saudis will be liberated from all oppression of all sinful desires, but first it helps to have the law conform to the Law of the Lord.

If you do what blesses the Jews, you will be blessed. Jews are being blessed as they follow a form, how much more will they be blessed when they follow the Lord with their whole heart!! Muslims in Saudi Arabia are prospering a little financially as they serve God with their lips and actions while their hearts are far from Him. Consider what would happen if they loved the Lord in both soul and spirit, with their heart and their whole life:

1. They would find salvation as they trusted the Word of God, as they became slaves of the Word of God (Kalimattullah).
2. They would spread the Good News of Jesus rather than the laws of the desert.
3. They would reconcile fully with Israel.
4. They would stop funding the spread of false teaching.
5. They would labor to free Muslims from honoring Muhammed as the Greatest and give that Honor to the Lord alone.
6. They would work harder and value hard work as befitting good fruit for good lives.
7. They would find happiness in life.
8. They would see the desert bloom.
9. They would cease calling down judgment and building Mosques for the LAW.
10. They give in ways that bless Jews and Christians around the world.

If you are a Christian or Jew, consider praying for the full salvation of Saudi Arabia.
If you are a Saudi, consider praying to God for a full revelation of the Sabbath.

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Missionary of Hope

The resolution of morality based on force of will is why the Post-Christian culture is not very critical of Islam as the source of the problem (or when it does, it does so to accuse and excuse, rather than in a confessional manner): The west also adores power. Left or Right, few are willing to take up the cross. And when we must take up the cross, we are too often embarrassed.
 
Forgiveness is powerful. I need more power, the power of forgiveness that is.
 
I wonder how many times we just treat the trauma of abuse in Islam but never minister healing to the heart because the full power of forgiving and being forgiven is not understood.
 
Abuse is also present in America, even in the churches. But it goes by different names. In need of revival, the shame is the same. The guilt is the same in both cultures. It is just when the trauma gets so intense, as is the case in Islamic cultures of people clamoring for status, honor, pleasure, goods, etc., when the oppression intensifies, the only way to protect the soul is by being ashamed of being a victim and pretending to be a victor.
 
I must confess, I often feel beaten but not defeated. I think I can understand Paul the apostle in this regard. True victory comes in persevering in the midst of trial and difficulty because of what Jesus has already accomplished. I will be forever thankful for what I have learned from the persecuted church: to count it all joy and to be honest about the struggles-because otherwise I too would be a pretender. As it is, I am the worst of sinners, and the least of the saints, and …I am a missionary, a missionary of hope.
 
This much like telling a blind man that there is light … until the sighted saint sees that better glasses will not do. The blind man has no eyes. Only by faith can the blind be healed. Only by faith can Muslims be saved. So I am also a missionary of faith.
 
Because doubt demands power, but trust enables kindness to be given and received, I would suggest that we should also be missionaries of love and loving missionaries. This is an impossible task. In this life there is so much trouble, it is not funny. Yet we rejoice because the little love we show points to a Greater Love, a Perfect Love, revealed through what Christ Suffered. He knows what it is like to be in a power-conflicted society and to answer demons of abuse and isolation and arrogance and confusion with the wisdom and grace of His Word. Oh, how precious is His blood which speaks a better word than the blood of Abel!
 
Life is not easy for me.  So thank you for letting me pour out my heart. And thank you for praying with me in view of the redemption.
 
Peace in Jesus, the Fount of all hope,
– MertH., everyday saint
 
I believe in one holy universal-Christian church.
I believe in the resurrection.
I believe in the forgiveness of sins.
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