Are Europe and the West the New "Dark" Continents?

In an earlier age Christian cross cultural workers went by the thousands from Europe and North America to the continent of Africa. They took with them the message of truth and love found in Jesus Christ. By unswerving commitment to their message and love for the African people they planted the church in a most difficult place. 

As a new paganism sweeps Europe and the West it is fascinating to see how missionaries from Africa are bringing light to the new "dark" places of the world.  Wallace Henley writes about this irony in an interesting piece entitled, Reverse Missions to the "Dark" Continent (Part I). See the full article here.

Grab Every Opportunity for the Kingdom

For those interested in military history I recommend, The Fall of Rome by Michael Curtis Ford. The hero of this book, a man named Odoacer, was the final barbarian who overthrew the Roman Empire in 476 A.D. The following is adapted from pages 274-275 of Ford's book:

Odoacer has a conversation with a hermit/monk, Severinus, regarding the parable of the talents. Severinus speculates the supposed existence of a fourth servant in the parable who would have invested his money to the best of his ability and tried to make a return, but in the end loses all. The following is a direct quotation from the book:

Odoacer looked at him in puzzlement. “What is your point? He asked finally, “God does not reward poor investors.”

Severinus shook his head.

“No, my son. God favors those who take the opportunities given them. Opportunities are blessings; like good health, or a faithful wife, or wine to make us glad. Accepting opportunities implies failure occasionally, perhaps often, because men are fallible and faith is weak. But they are blessings nonetheless.”

“I cannot believe that God rejoices in failure.”

“It is not failure in which He rejoices, but the attempt. Accepting an opportunity implies a faith in God, in the bounty of his gifts…But failing to accept an opportunity, failing even to try, signifies the opposite: a lack of faith, a separation from God, ultimately an arrogance and pride that says we do not trust the gifts God drops in our laps; we, as men, know better than Him, we trust in ourselves rather than rely on Him…

(Odoacer then suggests that perhaps the servant lost the investment because of stupidity)

Severinus responds:

“Perhaps; but that is no sin. God does not punish stupidity—He punishes pride, and lack of resolution, and timidity. Pride and fear, you see, are often one and the same.”

On our vacation this past summer I was astonished to hear from God by way of this totally secular book on the fall of Rome. Nevertheless, that is exactly what happened. God had already been speaking to me through this parable--and suddenly I was exposed to it again from a most unexpected source--only this time with a different twist.

So then, let us all fight vigorously, to our very last breath, against the sin of letting our talents rust. Nothing, but nothing must be allowed to dwell within us that will cause them to rust with disuse.

Islam's Many Faces

Encountering the true Islam

by Royal Hamel

His name was Aladdin. In the late afternoon on a sunny day we met on a walking path that circled a beautiful man-made lake. Aladdin was reticent at first, but eventually he acknowledged that he was a Muslim from the Middle East. He seemed astonished at my unfeigned delight in meeting him. For I had been having conversations with Muslims from several countries, and I still had some burning questions. So to spend the next hour walking and talking with Aladdin was for me a most delightful treat.

In fact for some time now I have been looking for resources to help me better understand the Muslim world. And that is why I was so interested just recently to come across an excellent documentary that explores modern day Islam.

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Inside the Revolution: How the Followers of Jihad, Jefferson & Jesus are Battling to Dominate the Middle East and Transform the World found its way to number three spot on the New York’s Times best seller list in April of this year. This fascinating book with its related DVD documentary by the same title portrays an exclusive insider look at the multifaceted world of present day Islam. The author shines a spotlight on radical Islam, then on those intent on reformation, and finally on a group he terms the revivalists.

The documentary has mesmerizing interviews with noteworthy figures like Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel; Porter Goss, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Lt. General Jerry Boykin, a former Delta commander. One of the most interesting interviews involves Tass Saada, a former PLO sniper and author of Once an Arafat Man.

Rosenberg avoids using a wide brush to portray all Muslims as being the same. He states that the majority of Muslims around the world ( 93%) are a moderate people who simply want to live a decent life. Among these moderates he claims there’s a movement dedicated to reforming Islam so that the jihadists will no longer kill and terrorize in the name of Allah. A Moroccan journalist horrified at the violence of Osama Bin Laden says of him, “For me he is not even a Muslim.” For these moderates the answer is still Islam, but armed jihad is not part of the solution. Rosenberg especially highlights Turkey, Morocco and Iraq as Muslim countries that are taking a lead in standing against violence and terror by the radicals.

In the first part of the documentary Rosenberg explores these radicals—the jihadists who though forming only a tiny percentage of Muslims worldwide (7%) nonetheless have tremendous influence and power. Rosenberg states that “the radicals say that Islam is the answer and violent Jihad is the way.” The radicals want to purify Islam by driving out the West, ridding the world of Jews and Christians, destroying the United States and setting up a world wide Muslim Empire. Perhaps the most chilling scenes on the jihadists deal with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian president makes no secret of his intention to foment a second holocaust by ridding the world of the nation of Israel. The narrator shares at one point, “Never before in the nuclear age have the leaders of a revolutionary country held to the belief that the end of the world was at hand and that they were chosen to bring it about”.

Rosenberg concludes the documentary by exploring the phenomenon of so-called “revivalists” who inhabit the Muslim world. He explores the influence of various former radical Muslims who have been changed and are now reaching out in love as opposed to terror. In this section he also mentions what I have heard repeated from many reputable sources, to wit, that many Muslims around the world are experiencing dreams and visions of one of their prophets, Jesus Christ. The experience of former PLO sniper Tass Saada is a case in point. According to Saada the profound hatred he felt for the Jews since childhood was immediately taken from him after he experienced one of these visions.

Inside the Revolution is well researched and supported by a number of prominent experts in the field. People of varying persuasions, including Muslims themselves will profit from viewing it, and all of us will be better prepared for whatever the future holds.

But as good as documentaries and books are, there may be a better way to learn. Many of us have people living on our street with names like Maryam, Hassan, Mohammed, or even Aladdin. Perhaps these are Islamic friends we simply haven’t met yet?

Published in The Guelph Mercury/ Sept 29, 09

One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven

Mark Cahill published the book "One Thing you Can't Do in Heaven" in 2004. The publisher is Genesis Publishing Group. I have to say that this is one of the best books on witnessing I've ever read, bar none. It's only a paperback of just over 200 pages, so it's a light and easy read.

It is no theological treatise, but its focus is more on encouragement and inspiration to share the good news of Christ. Indeed the book is so motivational that it may lead you to put it down in mid-paragraph while launching yourself out your front door looking for some to share with.

No book is perfect and this one easily meets that standard. But there is so much good information and zesty motivation that I will be recommending it far and wide. I plan, Lord willing, to obtain many copies just for giving away. Put it on your reading list for this summer. You will not be disappointed.

Scattering Seed While Biking in a Park

Thought I would tell you how the adventure of witnessing of Christ is continuing to unfold in my life. I share not for my glory, but for His...and to show how he can use any old clay pot. Here's what happened yesterday, Sunday, June 6:

7:30 am...I was in Tim Hortons having a coffee break while on a morning walk. In walks a person from my neighbourhood whom I'm seeking to know better. He's a bouncer in a nightclub, a great guy, kind of like a gentle giant...he gladly has coffee with me, and we talk, and I am privileged to begin to build a relationship with him.


5:30 PM I go for a bike ride with my bag of tracts and the following occurs:

I meet a latino couple in the park with their little toddler… I strike up a conversation on the basis of their cute little guy, because I'm intrigued by their obvious accent, and because of my knowlege of spanish. We share email addresses and before we part I am able to leave some excellent literature with them.

While crossing the covered bridge I give right of way to a young man with tattoos who was wearing a T-shirt with a cross on it. So I stopped him and asked about the cross....turned out it wasn't a cross...just an artistic "T"...but anyway I took opportunity to chat and gave him a tract before we both rode away in opposite directions. He warmly said he would read it and take it under advisement.

Further on the same bicycle path I met an 86 year old man whom I have often seen before. I stopped and we made conversation. He made a striking comment at one point when he said, "My father taught me to respect the almighty, but he also taught me that the church was not worthy of respect." I got a little defensive, but in the end offered my 86 year old friend a tract and encouraged him to read it. He assured me he would...we will meet again and he is open to talk more.

At THortons on my coffee break I met a cashier who hails from Afganistan...we talked about his unique name, for I wanted to make sure I pronounced it rightly. I asked him about the book titled, The Kite Runner (a story of Afganistan) and he assured me that he has read it. I told him I had written an article about that book, and he wanted to know about the article. I will be back in that T Hortons soon to give my friend a copy of that article in which the gospel is shared. And in future I will carry copies of that article for Muslims whom I may meet for many have read that book.

On the way home I met four Jordanian men in the park smoking the hooka (water pipe). I was so fascinated by the sight that I rode over to them and began a conversation about the water pipe, how it worked etc. At one point I asked them if they were Muslims, all said yes, and I told them that for my part I was a Christ follower. They seemed to be okay with that…I rode away, but these four Muslims met a Christian that day who expressed love, interest and appreciation for them.

On the way home I met a younger man riding his bicycle slowly, so I joined him and we talked for a kilometer or so about biking etc. No spiritual conversation, but as we said good-bye he said I could find him on the trail again as he bikes three times a week.

I was praising God for my encounters, and was now just intent on getting back home, but going through a parking lot I saw a man whom I had greeted earlier many kilometres away. He recognized me, so I got off my bike to talk. I asked him if he was walking to take off weight and he told me abut his personal struggle with weight loss. . Well he was most open, and we talked freely...I gave him a tract which he received warmly. He gave me his business card, encouraged me to email him and talk to him at any time.

Then I got on my bike one last time and headed for home arriving at 7:30pm

I know that I miss many chances to witness and do not consider myself any great expert. But I believe I have learned at least one thing. I think one thing that keeps many of us from witness is that we make it too complicated. We think that a witness has to be a full verbal presentation of the substitutionary atonement. And hey that's great when God opens such a door for such a complete sharing. But in the meantime there is a great need for a whole lot of ground to be seeded abundantly. What I'm doing is not complicated...it's seed planting...others will water, still others will bring in the harvest. Everyone has a part to play.

May God be honoured, may precious people actually hear the truth, and may Jesus call many into his kingdom.