Momentum (Christ – centred, Spirit – empowered, Mission – focused)
Dave Hearn, President of the C&MA Canada
One of the people I met in my recent trip to Northern Iraq was a high ranking official in Kurdish Religious Affairs. He was a devout Muslim and a close friend of Sami Dagher, who oversees The Christian and Missionary Alliance churches in Lebanon.
Sami has shared the Gospel with this Kurdish official and has sent him over two hundred sermons, all of which he has listened to. When the official goes to Mecca for his yearly pilgrimage, he always calls Sami with an unusual request.
He holds his phone over Mecca and tells Sami to yell as loud as he can that, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” Sami delightfully complies, and in his loudest voice proclaims, “Jesus is Lord!” Then this Kurdish official declares, “See, Sami, Jesus is everywhere!”
I was shocked to hear of his boldness but thrilled with the truth of his declaration. Jesus is alive and Jesus is everywhere! He is the only hope for the Kurds, the Iraqis, the Yazidi’s, and the world.
The shaking in the Middle East through the terrorism of ISIS has opened the door for the penetrating power of the Gospel. We are seeing more Muslims coming to Christ now than at any other time in history.
In particular, many young men and women in Iraq and Egypt have become so disillusioned by the rise of radical Islam that they are embracing atheism.
Church leaders in these countries explain that these young people are actually taking a “sabbatical in atheism,” but are quickly are being drawn to Jesus.
We also have reports that up to five religious leaders in Senegal, West Africa, are meeting with our international workers to discuss the claims of Jesus. One of these leaders has received Christ as his Saviour and is being encouraged in his faith.
When he was asked how he would manage the fact that he could be killed for his new faith, he responded, “I am ready because I have Jesus!”
As we begin a new year of ministry, I want to challenge you to ask God for a personal “shaking” in your own life. Ask that you will be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so that you can proclaim the Good News of Jesus with boldness.
Please find the original version in C&MA website