World Compassion

Revealing The Heart of God Toward The Muslim People

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:29:07 GMT

There is a long history of division and hostility between Islam and Christianity, the two largest religions in the world. 9-11 brought this issue to the forefront again, and it continues to be a “hot topic” in the news and among a variety of religious circles.

The violence we see done in the name of Islam by radical Muslims around the world, especially when targeted towards Christians, has created a mindset of resentment, hatred and fear toward the Muslim people.

As for Christians….this is a great opportunity for the Body of Christ to truly represent Jesus on this earth today by walking in love toward Muslims. Jesus loved and forgave those who persecuted Him.

As a matter of fact, God loved us while we were still sinners and sent His Son Jesus to die for us. We must exemplify that love on the earth today…it’s needed!

It just may be as we share the radical love of Christ, the very person the Muslim people reject, that the love they experience will pierce their hearts and turn them to the one true living God.

To our flesh (or natural minds) it doesn’t make sense to view Muslim people this way but the message we are called to share is centered on one truth – love.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things; believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails!”

Islam is arguably one of the biggest global issues the world or at least the Church faces today so we need to get this right. And the answer is Love!

We also know perfect love casts out fear.

There is a mindset change coming to the church as to how we perceive the Muslim people. We must move from being fearful to being bold in exampling the love of Christ. We must view them through the eyes of God and His love. As this mindset truly takes root throughout the Body of Christ, God can use us (and He wants to) to rescue the Muslim people from the deception of Islam.

Keep in mind Paul once persecuted and killed believers, but God showed Himself to Paul in a very real way and used Ananias to help him along (Read Acts 9). I recently heard my dad say, “God is asking us to see the Muslim people as he asked Ananias to see Paul.” It’s a great example of what God is asking of us today.

Although there are Muslims in this world that may want to persecute and even kill Christians, we must deny our flesh (fear, resentment, hatred), take up our cross and boldly go forward in sharing the love and true message of Jesus Christ with the Muslim people.

Why? Glad you asked.

Because God is (right now) rescuing Muslim people from the deception they are under in Islam, and similar to Paul in Acts 9, the scales of their spiritual eyes are falling away and they will see the truth in Jesus Christ.

It’s God fulfilling his promise to Abraham in Genesis 17.

God said in Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants (Abraham’s descendants include Ishmael and his lineage) after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant to be God to you and your descendants after you.” It’s important to note that Muslims believe they are descendents of Ishmael.

Although Ishmael was the son of Hagar, the bondservant of Sarah (Abraham’s wife), God promised to bless Ishmael (Genesis 17:20)…yet in verse 21: “BUT my covenant I will establish with Isaac.” We know that Jesus came from the lineage of Isaac. He was the sacrificial lamb of the new covenant.

Where then is the “blessing” for the children of Ishmael? One could argue they are blessed with the majority of the oil resources in the world but I don’t believe that’s all God has for them.

There are 1.7 billion Muslims on the earth today…God wants to welcome them into His covenant family he has created for all mankind. I do not believe He is going to leave out the 1.7 billion Muslims on the earth today just as He didn’t leave out the Gentiles.

Traveling and working in Islamic countries, we’ve met people and have heard stories of Muslims having dreams and visions of Jesus leading ultimately to their conversion.

God is moving on the hearts of Muslim people, and He is looking for His Church (you and me) to be the Church He has called us to be. We are to reach out to the Muslim people with the compassion of Christ. As we do, the promise God made to Abraham to bless all of his descendents (including those from Ishmael) will be fulfilled.

The children of Ishmael will be grafted into the vine just as He used Paul to reach the Gentiles, grafting them into the vine. It is God’s heart that none should perish. Will all Muslims come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? I don’t know, but I do know a lot will. I want to be a part of working to see that happen, and I’d like to encourage you to do the same.

Click here to receive our free Window to the Middle East 2 DVD set featuring Terry Law and former Iraqi General Georges Sada.

Thanksgiving!

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:40:58 GMT

We received this email from one of our team members who recently helped translate our Story of Jesus booklet into the Uzbek language.

"We have printed 1,000 so far, and they are still being distributed. We gave some out at a small evangelistic outreach to kids and parents, both to those who received Christ and to those who did not. We have given them to local churches, and the pastors and members are handing them out as they have opportunity. It is a huge help when they see something about Jesus in their own language... it helps them see that Jesus is the God of the Uzbeks!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we look forward to working with you more in the future. God bless you!"

God is the God of All mankind, and we receive this by faith in Jesus Christ. Happy Thanksgiving week to all of you who help spread this message of Jesus to so many around the world.

Christians Massacred in Egypt

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:17:21 GMT

The massacre of protesters in Egypt this past weekend is one more reminder to the world of how dangerous the situation is for Christians in that nation right now. More than 20 Coptic Christians were killed in the initial attack by the military, and our sources in the country say that the death toll now exceeds 79 due to a lack of medical help for those who were injured.

The protesters were staging a peaceful demonstration to demand protection from Muslim extremists who have been attacking them with impunity since the government was overthrown earlier this year. As the Christians were marching, they were pelted with rocks by an angry mob. Military units assigned to guard the nearby state TV station responded to the conflict and began running over the protesters with armored vehicles.

As events unfolded, local TV stations reported that the Christians were fighting the military. The stations encouraged Muslims to go into the streets and assist the military.

In addition many mosques immediately called for revenge against the Christians for what they saw as a “Christian attack on Muslims.”

The Egyptian military has taken over the investigation of the case from the civil authorities in what is viewed as an attempt to promote its version of events and suppress further inquiry into its actions.

Please remember to pray for Egyptian Christians during their time of persecution. They are in need of strength and mercy from the Lord as their nation moves closer to a general election that could usher in a new era of state-sanctioned Muslim oppression.

Now that World Compassion is beginning a new work in Egypt, all of us have a unique opportunity to offer practical help to Egyptians during this time of need. We will be distributing food, shoes, and blankets along with Bibles and The Story of Jesus booklets to the poor in Cairo so that they will not have to go another day without knowing that God’s people love them.

We ask you to partner with us and give so that the gospel of Jesus Christ will be seen and heard clearly in the nation of Egypt.

Window To The Middle East

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:15:53 GMT

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After a two week tour to the Middle East, World Compassion was exposed to enormous insight regarding ongoing issues including: the Arab Spring, Christian persecution, and heart-breaking poverty. But right there in the middle of what seems like a tremendous mess, is amazing opportunity for the church to make tremendous headway in reaching those who have never heard about Jesus.

We invite you to an event we are especially excited about; the "Window To The Middle East" Banquet on October 6th at 7pm to hear what's really going on in the Middle East. Registration is required so make sure you and your friends secure a spot.

Details about the banquet can be found here.

Look What We Found

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:53:28 GMT

Little children are still flocking to Jesus 2,000 years later. This sixteen page "The Story of Jesus" booklet has made its way into the hands of over 27 million people. We believe that the same joy Jesus brought to children in His day is available to everyone who has the opportunity to hear about Him today - including those in the jungles of Myanmar.

Your Shoes That Save

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 21:21:28 GMT

Here are some faces of children and families who received the love of Jesus through the generous gift of shoes by so many of you!

With a gentle conviction Dr. Terry opened up each distribution by saying, "Hello everyone, we'd like to explain why we're here today. We live a long ways away, in America. And there are people in America who love Iraq, and they love you and want to be a blessing to you. The name of our organization is World Compassion, and we are Christians. We believe Jesus Christ is the son of God and Jesus said that He loves children, so on behalf of Jesus himself, we are here to give shoes to your children. We trust that will be a blessing to you. We love Jesus with all our hearts, and we pray that you will find Him in your own heart as well. Thank you for welcoming us here." And then with a smile he said, "and thank you for the glass of water! It's good to drink water on a hot day. (almost 110 degrees). So we bring greetings to you today on behalf of all the people who support us."

We pray these pictures encourage you as we continue to tour the Middle East, conducting meetings and outreaches that are opening more doors of opportunity to preach the name of Jesus to so many who are looking for hope.

God bless you.

Cairo Update - Sudanese Stuck Between Two Nations

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:40:00 GMT

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Five Million Sudanese people came to Cairo to seek refuge. Now they are stuck. Jobs are not to be found and relocation back to their country has been refused. They need new papers to get into North or South Sudan which they cannot afford or wait for. They are a people with no home. We visited a church among the Sudanese people in the slums of Cairo.

Despite the turmoil, smiles fill the faces of a group of Christians whose faith is in the God they sing about. The pastor rents this building 4 times a month to hold services for anyone who will come, both young and old. Dr. Terry Law communicates his experience.

Middle East Tour

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:00:00 GMT

World Compassion is on a tour of the Middle East exploring opportunity to reach out in the midst of suffering people due to rising hostility of toppling governments. We want you to join us. As we gather information we will communicate it to you so you can have a look at what's really happening over here. God bless you for your support.

Day 3. Part 1

What we saw today is terribly sad. Seventeen million people live in Cairo. Fifteen million live below the poverty level. Every day three million people commute to Cairo for work. Housing is a luxury that the poor do not have. Five or so years ago a man desperate to live had the idea to convert the tombs of Cairo's largest Muslim cemetery into housing units. Inside these tombs carry the cement casket of the deceased which when occupied by a family becomes a table, bed, or other useful home furnishing. These tombs are now home to over 75,000 Muslims. It has been named, "City of the Dead." Many who live here are dying of sickness and disease and almost no one reaches out to these muslims. Dr. Terry Law and a pastor who told us about this yesterday visited the city with food for a family and prayer for the sick.

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God bless our brothers and sisters in Christ for sharing the love of Jesus with this community and showing it to us. We have more updates from today that we can share later. Until then please pray for the Christians in Cairo who have endless needs all around them in the middle of a very sensitive time politically. God Bless all of you who partner with us.

Day 2. Part 1

Last nights meeting was amazingly insightful - quote "The need here is endless." We are adding a day to our trip here. Tomorrow we will get first hand experience as to what that need looks like. Please continue to pray.

Day 1. Part 2

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Day 1. Part 1

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Love and War

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:49:48 GMT

War is nothing new. It’s been a theme through the history of time. We have experienced countless wars in our lifetime on earth, some even taking place as you read this. The most significant war of all time, that has yet to cease, is the war of good vs. evil. We are in the middle of this battle and in order to win, we have to arm ourselves with the correct weapon. That weapon is Love.

Love is the most powerful force on this earth. It cannot be overcome - it cannot be defeated. Love is not subject to defeat because it doesn’t seek to gain, it only seeks to give. Our perfect example of this weapon in action is Jesus on the cross. Although he was completely hated, persecuted and mocked, He followed through in loving humanity to the point of death. As we die to selfish gain and look solely to selfless giving we win the war on evil. We win the war on hate. It requires loving our enemies.

As 1 Corinthians 13 tells us - love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

New technology, weapons of mass destruction, and suicide bombers cannot come close to defeating the power of love.

As we purpose to arm ourselves with love, we activate a new hope that cannot be extinguished. It will burn until the fight is won. That day is the day Jesus comes back.

Our mission is to reach the hostile nations of this world for Jesus.

We love the Muslim people through our Bible, Story of Jesus booklet and humanitarian aid distributions in Iraq; through our free English, Literacy and Computer education for widows and children in Afghanistan; and through our distribution of Bibles in Iran. We seek new doors of opportunity to reach those in distressed, politically wrecked countries with the love of Jesus.

This weapon of love is indestructible. We ask that you team with us. Selflessly give, selflessly serve, selflessly pray for those we aim to share Jesus with and watch how God will use that love to break down the enemy’s shield. We will see the glory of God in reaching the Middle East for Christ through a love that He has given us to share.

ABC Testimonies

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 06:00:00 GMT

ABC Is Working

We have received letters from some of the students taking ABC. These testimonies are so inspiring. They communicate that the prayers, hard work, and faithful contributions of World Compassion partners are paying off by establishing emerging leaders and pastors in China in their faith and boldness to use what they're learning to advance the gospel.

ABC is a systematic discipleship training program for the Chinese Church. It is a comprehensive study including 300 hours of training that builds on the principles of Christianity, including an Old Testament survey and New Testament survey.

God is truly causing this discipleship program of World Compassion to increase. We are currently translating ABC into Burmese for pastors and emerging leaders in Myanmar, which is an amazing opportunity to qualify and empower passionate leaders and pastors to reach the staggering 89% Buddhist country.

Like any fruit-producing tree, time is required to produce the harvest. We have seen the fruit of ABC begin to grow in the last few years. A number of our students from China wrote letters to us sharing their appreciation for the partners of World Compassion who provided them with ABC. Scroll down to read them for yourself.

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