Christmas in Bethlehem: The Reality of Living Between Israel and Islam

Bethlehem was the place of Christ's birth. Historically it has been home to some of the oldest Christian communities. Yet today the Christian population there continues to shrink. For this we can thank both Israel and Islam. Both publicly claim to be supportive of the Christian population there, but everyone knows better. The truth is, that in its own way, Israel is as hostile to Christians and the gospel as is Islam.

This reality only highlights the miserable failure of both American foreign policy in the region, and the abysmal result of the United Nations partitioning dating back to 1948. In 1947 Christians made up nearly 75% of the population in Bethlehem. Today they make up only 15%.

What happened in the birth place of Christ is being repeated throughout North Africa and the Middle East, namely, Christians are fleeing the place of their nativity in an attempt to find a more hospitable home away from home.

Meanwhile, American politicians are operating in total disregard to this reality believing that they can bring stability to the region simply by replacing one Islamic regime with another more moderate Muslim government. As a result, American foreign policy is working to the same end as Islamic jihad--the eradication of Christian populations in North Africa and the Middle East. In this sense American foreign policy is helping to rid the region of the very population that could actually bring peace to the region if it were allowed to grow, and flourish, and proclaim the gospel in the very place Christ was born.

All of this underscores the importance of missions like Equipping Pastors International. We know that the only hope for the region is the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the power of God onto salvation. We believe that the church of Jesus Christ is the most important institution on earth for transforming North Africa and the Middles East. And we are committed to equipping the church so it can stay put and fight the good fight of faith until both Israel and Islam are transformed by the very gospel they are trying to suppress. This is the foreign policy of our King and kingdom. And this is our Christmas prayer:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

(Part VII) Islam's Vision for the World: Jihad

It has often been said that throughout the history of time religious ideology has been the chief cause of war and death. The truth is, however, that more people were killed in the twentieth century at the hands of atheistic dictators than all the religious wars combined throughout history. Indeed, the twentieth century was the bloodiest century in human history. So much for the triumph of the Enlightenment ideas of reason and progress.

This bit of overlooked history provides a backdrop for discussion about religious violence, that is, holy war or jihad. Since 9-11 there have been seemingly endless discussions about the meaning and interpretation of jihad. Perhaps from the start we should accept the supposition that the word jihad has a broad range of meaning depending on which individual, sect, or group is using the term. That being said, jihad is now, and always has been, a part of Islamic strategy for world domination. Part of the reason for the confusion about jihad is the misunderstanding on the part of many that there are stages to jihad. In fact, if you look at the various countries around the world where Islam is on the move you will see that they are at one the three stages of Jihad.

In stage one, muslims are a living in countries where they are small minorities without much in the way of power or influence. At this stage Muslims follow the words of Muhammad in Surah 2:256, There is no compulsion in religion. This is an oft quoted verse to prove that Islam does not engage in forced conversions. It is usually mentioned in conjuction with Surah 5:105:

O you who believe! Take care of your ownselves, [do righteous deeds, fear Allâh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allâh much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]. If you follow the right guidance and enjoin what is right (Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do) and forbid what is wrong (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden) no hurt can come to you from those who are in error. The return of you all is to Allâh, then He will inform you about (all) that which you used to do.

These verses were written in response to Muslims in Mecca who wanted to know how to deal with unbelievers around them. In essence it was telling them to just worry about themselves and not to be concerned about the unbelievers in their midst.

The second phase of jihad is when Muslims have a sizable, influential minority. In this phase, they prepare to infiltrate every possible arena: political, economic, business, military, etc. In this phase Mulims are making preparation for direct confrontation of the enemy.

Let not the unbelievers think that they can get the better (of the godly): they will never frustrate (them). Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly. Surah 8:59-60

The last phase of jihad is when Muslims are a strong and influential minority. In this phase it is the duty of every Muslim to work to overthrow the system of the non-Muslim country and establish Islamic authroity in every realm. This is based on Muhammad's final revelation concerning jihad in Surah 9:5:

But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

So it has already been noted above that individuals, sects, and groups may use the word jihad in different ways to mean different things. This may be because of ignorance on the part of some, or it may be an intentional effort on the part of others to try and put a better face on Islam in order to make the religion more acceptable to the modern world.

Even so, if you look at the countries around the world where Islam is gaining ground it is apparent that jihad is still a Muslim strategy to bring about world domination. The key is to understand jihad in phases or stages based on the writings of the Quran. This makes it easier to see and understand the various stages of progress of Islam in many countries around the world.

*I am indebted to Mark Gabriel for much of what has been said in this post. See Islam and Terrorism, chapter 11.

(Part VI) Islam's Vision for the World: Immigration & Deportation

When many people think about the Islamic conquest they often think of a violent take over of nation-states and forced conversions. This, of course, is true to a large extent, but it is often exaggerated to the degree that other important factors related to Islamization are missed.

A truer picture is that muslim populations immigrated in mass to places like Spain, Asia Minor, North Africa and the Middles East. At the same time Christians were either deported or went into exile to flee the onslaught of foreign migration. Overtime, Muslims simply outnumbered the native residents.

From the earliest times migration played a greater role than birth rates in altering the balance between religions. Governments recognized this and did much to try and regulate migratory trends. Population transfers were deliberately aimed at depleting the religious minorities. Muslim rulers worked hard to remove Christian populations from the Arabian Peninsula. This combination of Islamic immigration and Christian deportation radically undermined the minority populations and eventually stripped them of their influence, power, and rights. In turn, the political, social, and religious pressure pushed the older Christian populations into accepting Islam, or forced them into exile. The presence of these new populations into North Africa and the Middle East contributed greatly to giving places in the region a Muslim coloring by the late Middle Ages.

This policy often resulted in conflict, war, plague, and economic downfall, but like so often in history it is the minorities that get the blame for it. And only the dominant faith would be eligible for official assistance. Thus "dominance reinforces dominance."

With this in mind, in order to defeat Islam the trend ultimately has to be reversed. Christians need to immigrate into the predominantly Islamic states. They need to learn the language, work there, study there, raise families there. That is to say that they need to have a ministry of presence there. Christians need to be willing to get off the carer track of upward mobility, always looking for advancement, always seeing the call of God in taking a the higher paying job, buying the better car, or purchasing the bigger house. If we want to defeat Islam and re-Christianize the Muslim world we need to peacefully and quietly immigrate to Muslim countries.

In addition, we have got to give Christians in these parts a reason to stay in their homelands. If Islam is ever going to lose its stronghold on the region then the best and brightest of Christians in the region need to stay put. The temptation to immigrate to the USA, Canada, or Europe is great. The religious discrimination is intimidating and frustrating especially to younger people who now see no hope of ever reversing the trend. Young Christians are overlooked for the best schools, the best jobs, and for political office. As a result it is far too attractive to seek opportunity outside of their homeland. However, this only further exacerbates the problem and strengthens the hand of the oppressors.

The solution is not going to come from our government. As said before, our government isn't looking to overthrow Muslim power. They are only interested in removing one sect of Muslims form power to replace them with another sect. This has had dire consequences for Christians in the region. Christian populations around North Africa and the Middle East, in most cases, are shrinking as a direct result of our previous and current foreign policy. While the USA and Western Europe may be against radical Islam, they are in every other way pro-Islam when it comes to the Arab states. That is to say, that the minority Christian populations are not even on their radar.

Therefore, the solution is not going to come from any nation-state. It is only going to come from the those who belong to the kingdom of God--the church. Foreign Christians must be willing to immigrate, and native Christians must be willing to stay put. Increasing the population (through birth rates and immigration) is one of the most important means in changing the religious imbalance in North Africa and the Middle East.

*I am indebted to Philip Jenkins in general for many of the ideas in this series, and in particular for much of what has been said in this post. See his book The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia--and How It Died.

(Part V) Islam's Vision for the World: Differential Birth Rates

Where you are born largely determines what you believe. If you were born in Saudi Arabia, for instance, it is unlikely that you would grow up to become a Christian. Demography, to a large degree, decides one's religion. This phenomenon informs us of the importance of population in determining religious belief. A robust birth rate is essential to the survival and success of a religion. Declining birth rates put religious belief at risk. This is not just a numbers game. It is the reality of religious dominance.

The religion of Islam since the 7th century has understood and used demography and birth rates to their advantage. Having multiple wives each bearing multiple children who will be raised, tutored, and immersed in Islamic culture gives Islam a decided advantage over other rival religions such as Christianity. For the most part, Christians have long ago surrendered to the culture regarding family planning, and contraception.

The most successful method of evangelism is procreation. Theologians refer to this as covenant succession. It is the practice of passing on your faith to your children from generation to generation. In this way, the propagation of children is at once and the same time the propagation of the faith.

Philip Jenkins has correctly recognized that demography has played a crucial role in the rise and fall of religions... In the Middle East, higher education and better access to contraception have resulted in Christian communities having much lower birthrates than Muslim neighbors, so that Christians have progressively lost there share of population.

While it is encouraging to see the number of Muslims converting to Christianity in North Africa and the Middle East, it is going to take more than conversion to shift the tide of religious dominance enjoyed by Islam. Covenant Succession must accompany conversion if these nations are ever going to recover their rightful Christian heritage as the intellectual and theological capital of the christian world.

Equipping Pastors International teachers pastors, Christian leaders, and their wives about marriage and the family. We believe that healthy marriages and healthy families make healthy ministries. Covenant succession is part of this training. It is our conviction that covenant succession must accompany conversion if Christianity is going to return to its majority status in what is now the Islamic world.

*I am indebted to Philip Jenkins in general for many of the ideas in this series, and in particular for much of what has been said in this post. See his book The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia--and How It Died.

(Part IV) Islam's Vision for the World: Systematic Discrimination

The world cried out against segregation during the mid-twentieth century in the United States resulting in the civil rights legislation. It shamed the South African advocates of apartheid later in the century ending one of the most discriminatory regimes in history. Yet the world has been silent, for the most part, about the Islamic Umaric code which legalized discrimination against all non-Muslims. However, this discrimination is somewhat unique. Unlike the racist discrimination in the United States and South Africa, Islamic discrimination has a religious basis. One wonders, though, Where is the outrage against this discrimination? Especially since it is wider in scope, more systematic, and in many cases much more severe.

From the very beginning of the Islamic conquest Muslims structured all of life so that unbelievers were constantly aware of their inferior status. Systematic discrimination limiting the rights of all non-Muslims took the form of political policy. This practice imposed great limitations on a non-Muslim's mobility in society.

The intent of these policies was to remind non-Muslims of their minority status. For instance, under these restrictions non-Muslims were forbidden to testify against Muslims in a court of law. If an unbeliever witnessed a Muslim committing a crime his testimony is not permitted in court. Yet a Muslim can bring a charge against a non-Muslim at anytime (often without any proof). Similarly a non-Muslim, in most Islamic countries, cannot hold political office or other positions of honor. They have no say in the formulation of policies which affects their lives. They are not even allowed to speak like Muslims. This extends right down to the common Muslim greeting salaam aleikum (Peace be with you). Such speech could earn you a beating or worse. Often, they do not even have the right to choose where they live or work. Likewise, they are forbidden the right of retaliation against insult (a basic Middle Eastern honor custom). It is easy to see how these discriminatory practices often lead to outright persecution and violence against non-Muslims.

This systematic discrimination put enormous pressure on Christians until it has all but marginalized their faith, and has made them socially and politically irrelevant. It makes conversion to the majority religion an attractive option especially to the younger generation.

Equipping Pastors International desires to strengthen the church where Islam is oppressing and systematically discriminating against her. We are now working hard in North Africa and the Middle East to help the church persevere and endure under discriminatory practices that are designed to bring about its death. We believe that we will see enormous changes in this region over the next decade that radically alter the religious and political environment. This will of course require the church in the West to be aware, and to cry out against these practices in the same way it did over segregation in the States, and apartheid in South Africa. In the same way these forms of institutional discrimination were dismantled the systematic discrimination of Islam can be defeated, and the Christians and the church can again thrive in the region.

*I am indebted to Philip Jenkins in general for many of the ideas in this series, and in particular for much of what has been said in this post. See his book The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia--and How It Died.

(Part III) Islam's Vision for the World: Control of the Language

Christians are ignorant of their own tongue. ~Ninth-century Spanish Christian

Whoever controls the language controls the world. The success of the Islamic conquest meant not only the disappearance of Christianity, but the dismantling of the languages used by Christians as the medium of communication for thought and culture. By the eighth century Arabic was the language of politics, economics, and culture. The victory of Arabic, as Peter Brown reminds us, opened the doors to Islamization. The rise of Arabic signaled the fall of the older languages used by Christians.

Muslim regimes limited the use of these languages in the public sphere. The Greek, Coptic, and Syriac languages fell by the wayside as speakers of the older tongues realized that Arabic was the only way to get ahead in the world.

The results were predictable. As Philip Jenkins notes:

The Long term religious consequences for Christianity were grim. The texts and liturgy of faith were all available in languages that, though venerable, were clearly associated with fading cultures--literally, the words of the very old. Worse, when members of a faith are unable to express their ideas except in a language that is primarily associated with a rival religious system--can use only the words and intellectual categories of another creed--that minority religion is en route to oblivion.

Today, Arabic is the official language of 28 countries in the North Africa and the Middle East. The languages used by Christians to communicate its ideas and culture have fallen into disuse. Consequently, the memory of their Christian heritage has largely been forgotten. Their Christian history erased. It is not unusual for Christians and Islam alike to believe the same myth, namely, that Christianity is a European religion that came to the region during the 19th century modern missions movement and is linked to Western colonialism. The truth is, as I have said may times now, that North Africa and the Middle East were once the intellectual and theological capital of the Christian world. These were (and in my mind still are) Christian countries. However, most of the great literature of the first six centuries of the Christian era remain unaccessible to the modern Christians in North Africa and the Middle East. Not to mention that very little (practically none) of the good, theologically sound, Christian literature ever gets translated into Arabic.

So what is the way forward? Well, it is safe to assume that the language of Arabic will not be overturned as the official language of Islam and of the 28 countries across North Africa and the Middle East. Therefore, Christianity must not only learn Arabic, we must master it. Like Islam we must use Arabic to communicate our thought and culture. We must work diligently to translate the best of our Christian literature into Arabic and get these works distributed throughout North Africa and the Middle East. In short, Arabic must become the language of Christianity more so than it is the language of Islam. We must learn it, master it, adopt it, think in it, write in it, lecture in it, and preach in it. We need to teach it at our Christian Schools, Bible Colleges, and Seminaries as a required course along with Greek and Hebrew. To put it another way, the church needs to baptize Arabic. That is, Christianity needs to control the language.

Equipping Pastors International is committed to helping the church accomplish this goal. However, we must remember that in the same way it took a united Islamic strategy to accomplish making Arabic the official religious language, it will take no less from the church in the West. May God help us all to join together for this common purpose. The success of Christianity in 28 countries in North Africa and the Middle East depends on it.

On a personal note, please pray for me as I prepare to study Arabic. There are several ways to go about it and I am trying to discern the best approach. Also, please think and pray about what part you may play. Exciting things are going on in the Arabic speaking world. God is moving. Wouldn't it be great to be a part of it?

*I am indebted to Philip Jenkins in general for many of the ideas in this series, and in particular for much of what has been said in this post. See his book The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia--and How It Died.

(Part II) Islam's Vision for the World: Control of the Soundscape

Whatever happened to those clappers? That's probably not a question you've asked yourself lately. Yet, if you are a Christian it is probably a question you should be asking yourself. The fact that clappers don't register on our Christian minds is a sign of the effectiveness of the Islamic strategy for worldwide domination. Huh? That's right, the absence of clappers means Islam's strategy is working.

The ringing of church bells are an abomination to Muslims. In most Islamic cultures the ringing of church bells is outlawed. Many people growing up in Muslim countries have never heard a church bell ring. Religiously, politically, and legally Islam controls the soundscape in North Africa and the Middle East.

Soundscape? Now there's a term most Christians in the West probably believe they can get along quite well without. But while Christians are either ignorant or indifferent about the whole idea of soundscape, Muslims have long since realized it's symbolic importance.

It all has to do with how the respective religions summon their people for worship. Historically, Christians called the faithful by the ringing of church bells (as early as the late 4th century). On a Sunday morning the soundscape was filled with the beauty of of church bells echoing throughout the city or countryside. In addition, these bells were used to call the faithful to prayer three times per day (morning, noon, and evening). They were used as a means of celebration after a wedding or feast day, or solemnly to signal death. Lastly, bells rang out as a warning whenever there was danger. The message is this: life was centered around the church. The church bells rang in accordance with the rhythm and cadence of that life--ecclesial life. It permeated the soundscape. It penetrated the culture. It was recognized and relied upon by both the sacred and secular parts of the community.

After the Islamic invasion beginning in the seventh century bells were generally outlawed and replaced by the Muslim call to prayer. Anyone who has visited North Africa or the Middle East will testify that calls to prayer dominate the soundscape. The calls to prayer ring out in a cacophony of voices. There is no competing voice. Calls to prayer define the pattern of life for the practicing Muslim. Perhaps even more than the landscape, calls to prayer are one of the most obvious and audible statements that you are in a Muslim country. In most cases, calls to prayer have completely replaced the ringing of church bells that used to dominate the same geography.

But what about those clappers? Well, in many places they have now been outlawed too. Clappers were wooden boards used by Nestorian Christians to call the church to worship after the ringing of church bells were made illegal. Thus far, in my travels to the region, I have never heard a single clapper even where the practice is still allowed and maintained. They are completely drowned out by the Muslim call to prayer.

Today in the West, bells and bell towers are disappearing form the soundscape with little notice and little resistance. However, if you listen carefully, here and there, you can faintly hear Islamic calls to prayer in the distance. Islam is here. They are establishing a visible and audible presence little by little. As Protestants de-emphasize the importance of buildings and bells (the visible and audible church) Islam is replacing them one mosque and minaret at a time.

Equipping Pastors International believes that Islam must be stopped at home and abroad. That is why we have established a new mission in North Africa and the Middle East. We desire to equip the church there, and help this region reclaim and recover its true heritage as the intellectual and theological capital of the Christian world. In order to do this the church must once again control the landscape and the soundscape.

(Part I) Islam's Vision for the World: Control of the Landscape

Islam is Christianity's greatest rival. This is not only true historically, but is playing out before our eyes on the pages of history that are being written today. Moreover, Islam appears to be gaining the upper hand. Many observers are worried that Europe is slowly becoming Eurabia due to Islamic immigration, and that the Christian West is crumbling before our eyes. The truth is that Christians from the South and East are also migrating in record numbers, and combined with the pervasive secularism of Europe, it is unlikely that we will see Islam take over Europe. The reality of Islamic success is much more modest than is often portrayed. Indeed, some have argued that Islam is collapsing internally even while making strides externally. This assertion is not without merit (see my blog Islam is Collapsing).

However, it is not the expansion or collapse of Islam that I want to address directly in this post. Rather it is the method used by Islam to spread a comprehensive culture, a complete and unified way of living wherever it has been established. The purpose for this investigation is to see what, if anything, Christians might learn from the strategy of Islam. Christianity and Islam are competing visions for the world. That is, they both have a global vision. In the first six centuries after Christ the successful spread of Christianity was unrivaled. The birth and spread of Islam from the seventh century on changed the geo-religious map significantly. How did they do it? And what happened to Christianity's global vision. Where is the so-called Christian culture? Where is the unified Christian global vision? Perhaps the best way to answer those questions is by looking at Islam as a mirror of Christianity (see my blog Mirror, Mirror on the Wall). In this way we will see that Islam has done a better job at executing its strategy for the nation of Islam than Christians have for the kingdom of God.

So over the next several days and weeks I will be writing a series of articles that look at the comprehensive Islamic strategy for a unified global culture. In part one, today, we will be looking at Islam's control of the landscape.

Control of the Landscape

When one travels in North Africa or the Middle East there is one image that can't be ignored--mosques and minarets. These are the dominant Islamic images. Islam knows that in order to dominate the religious culture they must control the landscape. This, of course, was understood by earlier Christians. Steeples and bell towers once dominated the landscape in what are now considered Muslim countries. Churches that once dotted the cityscape have now been relegated to obscure places or done away with altogether.

The idea of control of the landscape as a means of creating a unified Christian culture is something that is lost on most Christians here in the West (especially here in America). The Western mind is pragmatic. Therefore, Christians in the West want buildings that are practical, multipurpose, functional, and non-desrcript. On the surface there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with this approach. It may even have much to commend. For one thing it's more affordable. Some have even argued that it is better stewardship. Others approach it from a more theological point of view--The church is not a building, they say. Often Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan women in John 4 is used as a basis to justify this approach. Worship, said Jesus, is in Spirit and truth. Advocates of the more practical approach to church architecture use this as their proof text to support the thesis that buildings and physical space don't really matter.

The reality, however, is that the dominant ideas embraced by a culture will ultimately determine what the landscape or cityscape look like, and this goes a long way in shaping the overall culture. In the secular West the skyscrapers erected by banks, insurance companies, and corporate headquarters have become the new cathedrals of out time. Human beings will always build temples to their gods. Those temples will reveal something of the nature of the god or gods they worship. In that way they speak volumes. In addition, someone, or some religion is going to control the landscape. That religion, whether secular, Jewish, Islamic, or Christian is going to be the dominant force in shaping the culture. As the landscape goes, so goes the culture.

The question for us is what religious buildings are going to dominate the Western cityscape in the future. Is it going to be the mosque or the church, the minaret or the steeple. You may not think it matters all that much, but history shows that it matters a great deal. Furthermore, the change of the landscape and cityscape will also show us to what extent Christianity will be successful in it's mission especially in the North Africa and the Middle East in the same way that the mosque and the minaret demonstrate the success of Islam over the centuries.

This is something that Islam has know from the very beginning. It has been part of their strategy all along. The Islamic conquerers have always known that if you control the landscape and cityscape you control hearts and minds of the people. Architecture is a means of inculturation. It is part of what it means to build a unified culture. In this regard, Islam is presently doing far better than it's rival Christianity.

If christianity is going to be a cultural force it must control the cityscape. If it is going to defeat Islam then Mosque's must be turned into churches and minarets into steeples.

*For further reading see Philip Jenkins, The Lost History of Christianity, pp. 214ff. I have profited much and borrowed liberally from Jenkins' ideas.

The Most Dangerous Religion on the Planet

Last week a colleague of mine made the statement that Islam is the most dangerous religion on the planet. I have heard that before, and I know what he meant, but there is something that has always bothered me about that statement. On it's face the statement seems true. Since 9-11 many people in the West, especially evangelical Christians, certainly believe it. It is even relatively easy to find statistics to prove it (easy, that is, if you already believe the assertion). However, the truth is that only a very small percentage of Muslims are violent or dangerous. The vast majority of Islamic peoples are cultural Muslims and present little or no danger to other peoples in the world.

I would like to propose a different candidate for the world's most dangerous religion. I believe that Christianity is the most dangerous religion on the planet. There are two ways I believe that Christianity warrants this designation.

First, I believe that Christianity is the most dangerous religion on earth, not as a result of it's expansion, but as a result of it's demise (especially in the West). We are witnessing the death of Christianity in the West, and that death makes the whole planet a more dangerous place.

Historically, Christianity has practiced violence against other religions (especially Islam), against other nations and peoples (the Jews), and against those who resisted it's teachings (inquisition et al). For this the world still awaits an apology (and rightly so). I believe it was C.S. Lewis who said that an apology would go along way if Christians would own up to their past sins against other peoples which they have done in the name of Christ.

But there is a far greater danger than a violent church--a dead church.

A violent church can apologize and repent of its misdeeds. A dead church can only be buried, and leave the world a more dangerous place as a result. To the extent that Christianity fades off into the proverbial sunset of the West the world will become a much more dangerous place. While the Christianity has certainly gone through some dark and troubled times which made it a danger to the world, it has for most of history been a source of moral good, kindness, compassion, and charity.

Indeed, Christianity can be credited with much of the social reform of society: the abolition of slavery, universal education, the formation of hospitals, helping the poor, establishing homeless shelters, orphanages, adoption agencies, women's rights, workers rights, and civil rights. Of course, more importantly, Christianity's greatest contributions are not merely social but moral and spiritual. Jesus came into the world to save sinners, to redeem them and the earth in which they live so that God's will and kingdom will be established on earth as it is in heaven. No other religion makes such comprehensive truth claims as Christianity, and because of this where ever Christianity disappears or dies it leaves the world a more dangerous place.

The death of Christianity makes it a dangerous religion. But Christianity is also dangerous when it is believed, practiced, and lived out in the world. Indeed, properly understood, it could be said that Christianity is a violent religion. Jesus said: From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12). This is a very troubling verse, and it has also given translators a fit. I have read as many as seven different translations of this verse, and many more interpretations trying to explain what Jesus meant.

When Jesus says that The kingdom suffers violence...I take it to mean that the church suffers assaults from it's three arch enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Sometimes this results in physical violence and even death. Other times the violence is moral and spiritual in its nature. We don’t like to think about this very much. We have a very triumphant view of church history (The church, from the days of Pentecost has been marching gloriously on). We quote the North African Tertullian who said, The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Meaning that the more your persecute her the more she grows. Of course, that was not true for Tertullian (he was martyred), nor North Africa where he ministered (the church almost completely died there), nor for the church in much of the world. The church has suffered much violence of every kind.

But what does Jesus mean when he says that...the violent take [the kingdom] by force...?

I believe that Jesus is saying that violence is absolutely necessary for the kingdom of God to come on earth as it is in heaven. Now here's where we need to be very careful. I do not think Jesus is talking about the church practicing physical violence to that end. Indeed, I believe the opposite. The church has not been given the power of the sword. The churches use of the sword would only ensure it's death by the same. If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword. Rather the church's authority is moral and Spiritual.

My point, however, is to show how morally and spiritually violent (and therefore dangerous) Christianity really is.

Our salvation is one of the most violent acts in redemptive history. Not only did it require Jesus suffering the physical violence of the cross, but the even greater violence of the unmitigated wrath, justice, and judgment of God being poured out on him (Matthew 27:45-46).

Our sanctification requires violence. When Paul speaks of sanctification he uses the terminology of mortification (Colossians 3:5). Mortification is the act of putting someone to death. So Paul speaks of sanctification in terms of killing our flesh. This is a violent act. Furthermore, when Jesus talks about eradicating sin from our lives he uses violent language. He says, If your eye offends you, pluck it out. If your right hand offends you, cut it off (Matthew 5:29-30). This is violent language.

Prayer is also a violent means. When we pray for thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven we are praying a violent prayer (Matthew 6:9-10). This means nothing less than the total destruction of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and all of their followers. It is total annihilation of all His and our enemies. To pray, Come, Lord Jesus, come, is also to pray a violent prayer (Revelation 22:20).

And finally, the word of God is a violent weapon. Do you remember what Paul calls the Word of God in Ephesians chapter 6? He calls it the sword of the Spirit. A sword is a violent weapon. The author of Hebrews in Chapter 4, verse 12, also likens it to a two edge sword which cuts so sharply it divides between the soul and spirit, bone and marrow, and the thoughts and intents of the heart.

So you see my point now. I am arguing that, properly understood, Christianity is a violent religion, and as such, it deserves the designation as the most dangerous religion on earth. We do not use physical violence against our enemies (God forbid), but only this spiritual violence can separate us from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Only this spiritual violence can cause us to triumph against all his and our enemies. All the means of grace are violent: word, sacrament, and prayer.

So with this in mind, perhaps we should begin to think of Christianity, not Islam, as the most dangerous religion on the planet.

Michael Jackson and Everyman

I heard it multiple times yesterday by a variety of different people. They all said the same thing:  I had to get out of the house to get away from all the Michael Jackson hoopla on TV. I had fled to the same place for much the same reason. I'm a news junkie, and like many of my friends who work from home, the news is always on playing in the background as I work. 

But yesterday I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get out of the house. So I went to my favorite cigar store to work where I found many other acquaintances doing the same thing. We turned on sports center to play in the background as we worked. Interestingly, though, every time someone walked into the store we all kept talking about Michael Jackson. What's the fascination? Why is it that even people who were trying to get away from all the Michael madness found themselves talking about him? 

Well, for one thing, we all have more in common with Michael then you might think (or more than we want to believe). The typical schtick on Michael Jackson is that he was strange, bizarre, weird, waco, sicko. The truth is Michael was normal. When I say normal, I don't mean that he was a typical guy, or an average Joe. I mean he was, in a sense, everyman. 

During the Middle Ages a new genre of allegorical literature emerged called the morality play. The most famous of these was Everyman. The title of the play is based on the leading character Everyman who personifies each person's journey from birth to death encouraging a moral way of life. 

In this sense, Michael Jackson is everyman. Hence our fascination with his life and death. In a rather perverse way he represents all of us. 

He wore a mask. That is, he hid his true identity. Whether this was from self-love or self-loathing doesn't really matter. We wear masks too. We all have secret lives we are trying to hide from everyone else. We all want makeovers. There is something in us that doesn't like the way God made us. 

He anathematized himself. Michael was obviously a man in pain. He was hurting deeply. In order to cope he not only took drugs, he took anesthesia (a word by the way that means without sensation). To be sure, most of us don't take such drastic measures, but we all try and dull the pain. Perhaps I don't use anesthesia, but I do use distractions. Indeed, as a culture we have overdosed on distractions. It's as if the pain of life is too great so we anathematize ourselves with distractions.

 

He lived in a make-believe world. Michael lived in the now infamous Neverland--an amusement park/ranch of sorts. He seemed stuck in childhood, and he created a make-believe world in which to live. The message seems to be that Michael couldn't cope with the real world. So he built a world of his own to which he could escape. Again, we are not all that different. We have built our own little worlds too. Perhaps they are not as extravagant as Neverland, but they are every bit as fictional and utopian. 

He practiced religious multiple choice. It is almost comic to hear people talk about Michael's religious views. He has at one time or another been a Jehovah's Witness, Muslim, Christian, and Jew. Like so many others in our time Michael's approach to spiritual things was a religious smorgasbord. It was religion by multiple choice. It too is the American way. 

In all of these ways, Michael Jackson is not as strange as he first seems. We are more like him than we may want to believe. He is Everyman, and that's why everyone is so fascinated by his life and death--even those of us who tried to get away from it all yesterday.

However, no matter how much we want to get away from it all, we can't escape the reality that we have more in common with Michael Jackson than we do with Jesus (the ultimate Everyman).

Jesus wore no mask. He unveiled the true identity of God. He showed us the truth about God, ourselves, and our world. And he told us the truth about salvation.

Jesus didn't anathematize himself. He who was without sin took all our sin and misery upon himself being subjected to great physical and psychological suffering. He endured the Father's wrath, anger, judgment, and justice which was poured out upon him on our behalf while he hung on the cross.  

Jesus didn't live in a make-believe world. He was a real person in the real world. Heaven is no fairly tale or utopian fantasy. It is the real world. 

Jesus didn't practice religious multiple choice. He showed us that there was only one way to the Father, namely, through him.

It's a scary thought, that we might actually have more in common with Michael Jackson than we do with Jesus. But what else could explain the trajectory of our culture, the impotence of the church, and our fascination with ourselves vicariously through celebrities like Jackson?

What Do George Bush and Barack Obama Have In Common?

David James

Equipping Pastors International

At first glance, former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama don't appear to have much in common. However, that assumption deserves what has been called the philosophy of a second glance. This subsequent look reveals more affinity between the two than most people think. Surprisingly, the area of agreement is precisely where they appear to differ most--foreign policy. 

According to the conventional wisdom the two men could not be more different on the subject. There is some truth to that line of thinking. President Bush was extremely pro-Israel in his approach to foreign policy. President Obama is pro-Arab. The difference is obvious, right?

Not so fast.

Once you get past all the rhetoric Bush was not exactly anti-Arab, and Obama is not anti-Israeli. In some respects it's a matter of emphasis. Even many of the talking heads have noticed that Bush has said many of the same things to the Muslim world that Obama has said recently. He just didn't get any credit for it. Likewise, Obama has said things to let Israel know the USA will not turn it's back on its old friend and ally. He received little or no credit for those comments. At the end of the day this apparent dichotomy is a moot point. 

The real issue, and the one with the most severe consequences is this: both Bush and Obama have conducted their respective foreign policies with total disregard for Christians in North Africa and the Middle East. The results have been devastating for Christians in the region. Whatever else may be true, the Iraqi and Afghani wars have had at least one negative result--millions of Christians have had to go into exile. Both wars simply exchanged power from one sect of Muslims to another (allegedly more moderate) sect. This may be better for some Muslims than others, but it is equally disastrous for Christians in the region. 

In the same way that Bush and Obama's foreign policy are more similar than most people think, Israel and the Arab world share something too. They are both hostile to Christianity and the gospel. For Christians in the region, it doesn't really matter whether one president supports Israel and the other the Arab/Islamic world. Both approaches to foreign policy will result in the further disappearance of Christianity from its birth place.

This is why it is appalling to see so many Christians in the West blindly support either approach to foreign policy. It is tantamount to religious genocide. The Christian West is completing the work of Muhammad and the Islamic invaders of the seventh century. Unintentionally they are engineering the disappearance of Christianity from North Africa and the Middle East. 

At Equipping Pastors International we believe that the best way to defeat Islamic dominance in North Africa and the Middle East is by strengthening the church that is struggling in the region. In order to accomplish this task we need your support. A door of opportunity has opened for us in the region and we are on the ground and working diligently to see this region returned to the place of prominence it enjoyed in the first six centuries of Christian history. This region was once the intellectual and theological capital of the Christian world, and we are committed to helping it recover its true heritage.  It is crucial for the survival of Christianity in the region that the church in the West get fully on board to prevent the further disappearance of Christianity in North Africa and the Middle East. 

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

David James

Equipping Pastors International

What is the proper way for Christians to think about Islam? As Americans, so much of our thinking about Islam has been influenced by a post 911 mentality and led us in the wrong direction. The chief error here is that 911 caused most Christians in America to think of Islam as public enemy number one.

As I've been preparing to minister in North Africa and the Middle East I have spent much time trying to determine the right way to think about Islam. Can Islam be thought of as a revealed religion like Judaism and Christianity? Or is it best to think of it as a natural religion like Hinduism, Buddhism, or Shintoism? Or should we think of Islam as a Judeo-Christian heresy of some kind?

It seemed to me that, as a Christian, the first of these options must be ruled out even though this is how Islam perceives itself. The revelation Muhammad reported to receive from the angel Gabriel is at odds with the revelation of the biblical writers of both testaments and therefore cannot be accepted by Christians as legitimate. So from a Christian point of view, Islam cannot be perceived as a revealed religion. 

Eliminating that view, however, did not solve my dilemma because Islam doesn't fit easily into the mold of a natural religion either. The third option is rather intriguing and I first read about it in a blog posting by Peter Leithart who was commenting on the work of AlainBesancon. For Besancon, Islam does not fit neatly into either of the categories of revealed or natural religion. So he has postulated a third way of viewing Islam as a "natural religion of a revealed God." I need to do more reading and research on this view before I can comment on it at length, but for now I'll just say there is much to think about here. 

It is Peter Leithart, though, who I believe has done the best thinking about this so far. Leithart argues that Islam is a religion raised up by God as a mirror of Christendom to show it all its flaws and corruptions. I believe that Leithart is really on to something here. In much the same way that God raised up the enemies of Israel as a mirror of their flaws and failings in order to call them to repentance, God has raised up Islam as a mirror of Christendom to point out her errors and corruptions of faith and practice to call the church to repentance. In this way God has used Islam as a parody, a kind of distorting mirror that exaggerates our flaws and corruptions. 

According to Leithart, the flaws or corruptions we should see as we gaze into the mirror of Islam fall into four categories:Christological, ecclesiastical, sacramental, and political.

The first sight we see as we gaze into this mirror is an impoverishedChristology. Islam came into being during a time when the church was in crisis over the nature of Christ and the nature of the Trinity. Much of the church where Islam flourished did not follow the orthodox view of the ecumenical creeds and therefore held to an unorthodox view of Christ and the Trinity. It is possible that Muhammad  never heard the orthodox view of either doctrine. Would to God that we could say there has been much improvement in this area, but the opposite is actually the case. Broadly speaking the church's theology and Christology are more impoverished than ever. Looking into the mirror of Islam ought to cause us to conscientiously preach and practice a more TrinitarianChristianity. 

The next reflection we see as we gaze into the mirror of Islam is an impoverished view of the church. The church in the time of Muhammad was a deeply divided church into multiple schisms. A party spirit characterized the day. The various sects of Christianity had gone the way of courting political power as a means of gaining power for their particular party. The oppression of the Byzantine church during this time was so great that many Christians felt they were being liberated by the conquering forces of Islam. It seems, though, that the old cliché is right, the more times change, the more things stay the same. The party spirit in Christianity is rampant, and the churches never ending efforts to court the power of the state is as predominant now as it ever was in history. In this case the mirror of Islam is to be seen in contrast. Islam has always seen itself as a nation, a civilization, a people of God in unity. To be sure their are sects of Islam, and it is in reality far from a monolithic religion, but it has always thought of itself with a certain global self-consciousness. The church must abandon its tribalism, and strive for the peace, purity, and unity of the church. We must remember that we are churchmen, ambassadors of the kingdom, and not agents of the state. 

The third image in the mirror is an impoverished view of the sacraments. Islam emerged from within a Christian world that was deeply ascetic. Monasticism had become the definition of what it meant to be a disciple. While Islam has in one sense moved away from the most severe monastic practices, it may be best seen through the idea of the fast of Ramadan. Fasting is one of the five pillars of faith for Islam. It's part of who they are as a religion and a people. It is part of their self-identification. Jesus and the disciples, however, came eating and drinking. Biblical Christianity is much more a feasting religion than a fasting religion. Yet for centuries we have worshiped and celebrated the sacraments in an austere way that is not at all unlike a reflection of Ramadan. From this rather severe practice which is supposed to be a marriage banquet one would hardly believe that the bridegroom has actually arrived. In this way Islam is God's instrument to call the church back to a frequent and joyous practice of the Lord's Supper.

The final image in the mirror of Islam is political. Islam has always understood itself as a civilization, a body-politic, a nation. It is not merely a set of beliefs or teachings; it is a part of the world that has been subdued by Allah, for Allah. Faithful Muslims will not be satisfied until the whole world is under Islamic law and Islam has infiltrated every area of life. This reflection, of course, is a rebuke to the kind of Christianity practiced in the west today. We have lost this all-encompassing vision of and all-embracing faith. Christianity is a civilization, a holy nation, a culture, with its own language, customs, and laws. We have a King who has subdued the earth and filled it with a new people, in a new creation. This is the meaning of the resurrection. Only we don't believe it. We do not believe, as Leithart, has said, that it is inevitable. Rather, we think it is impossible. We think it's impossible because we really don't believe the gospel--the power of God to everyone who believes. 

Islam is God's rebuke and chastisement. It is God's mirror reflecting our biggest flaws and corruptions. May we gaze into this mirror and see that public enemy number one is not Islam, but a church that has failed in four ways: Christologically, ecclesiastically, sacramentally, and politically. 

At Equipping Pastors International we are looking into the mirror of Islam in order to learn of our flaws and corruptions, repent of our sins, and help the body of Christ to have a truer understanding of itself both at home and around the world. It is only then that we will see North Africa and the Middle East return to the glory of it's Christian past. Please join us in this effort.  

Barack Obama

David James

Equipping Pastors International

As I was traveling in Cairo a few weeks ago something strange happened that caught me off guard. Security was relatively high in the city due to a terrorist bombing that took place just a few days earlier in the Khan el-Khalili market. This was compounded by another incident involving a Muslim man stabbing an American  just a few days later in the same place.

As we went from place to place there were check points, and metal detectors, and requests for identification. All of this was fairly routine and to be expected due to the circumstances. I was traveling with two Egyptian companions who, at each security post, were always thoroughly questioned, asked to show their identification, and subjected to body searches. 

On one occasion when I was following my Egyptian friends through a security check they went through the usual procedures as mentioned above. As I approached the security check myself, I was not subjected to any of the same treatment. Just before I walked through the metal detector I reached for my passport in my back pocket, but before I could pull it out the head of the security team said, Barack Obama and waved me through without having to show my identification or being subjected to a search. 

I was stunned.

The popularity of President Barack Obama was never high among conservative Christians in America, and it has been falling rapidly. Yet in North Africa and the Middle East his popularity remains very high.

However, I'm not so much interested in what Americans think about our 44th president. I'm not even concerned with sharing my political views at this time. What I am desirous  of is convincing conservative Christians that the most important thing for us is how we can capitalize on the popularity of this president overseas (especially in Arabic speaking nations). 

As Americans we are not wrong to be concerned about America, but as Christians we are obligated to be more concerned about the advance of the kingdom. We must always look at these things providentially. God has put this man in power at this time in our history. 

Why? 

So Christians in America can rally together between now and the next election in order to get their guy in the Oval Office? I'm afraid that's all the foresight many of my friends and colleagues have. 

What if, providentially, God put this president in office so that what is bad for America is good for the gospel and the kingdom (especially in Arabic speaking nations). Remember, the spread of the gospel in the first few centuries was made possible by an imperial superpower that shared none of our Christian values. 

At Equipping Pastors International we believe that, in God's providence, the time may be right for the gospel to spread throughout North Africa and the Middle East. It may be that what is bad for America is actually good for gospel and the advance of the kingdom in Arabic speaking nations. Please join us in this mission. 

David James

Equipping Pastors International

How realistic is it? This was a question I was asked by a friend of mine recently. We had been talking about North Africa and the Middle East once again becoming the intellectual and theological capital of the Christian world. It was a good question. 

Before answering that question, though, let's lay out the strategy for those who may just be getting in on the discussion. My thesis, simply put, is that Egypt is the key. If you control Egypt, you control the entire Mediterranean region. This has been the understanding of every great historical leader from Alexander the Great to Napoleon, and every great Empire from Greece to Great Britain. Islam knows this to be true today. That is why Egypt remains one of the largest exporters of Islam today. Historically, however, Egypt was one of the chief exporters of Christianity in the first six centuries. I believe that it is possible for Egypt to return to her former glory as one of the leading nations in the Christian world. 

So the question is, "How realistic is this thesis." 

In answering that question let me sate that one of the reasons Egypt is the key is because the Christian population of Egypt has never been less than 10 percent. Now this is unusually high for the region. Yet the numbers are somewhat misleading. I say misleading because these are the official numbers. The real numbers are most likely much higher. The number I hear bantered around the region is something like 20 or 30 percent. The truth of the matter is that no one really knows because people who convert from Islam to Christianity don't usually advertise their conversions--it's simply too dangerous. So surveys, and statistics are pretty unreliable. But let's say that the number is approaching 30 percent in a country that has little outside evangelical missionary involvement, very few Christian books in their mother tongue, and little historical knowledge about their own Christian heritage that dates back to the time of the evangelist Mark. Here is a nation that under these extraordinary circumstances has grown to around 30 percent of the population. 

Imagine that we are able to radically increase missionary involvement, translate hundreds of books of the best Christian literature available in the west, and educate these peoples regarding their true Christian heritage. If we were able to do this, do you think that we would be able to increase the Christian population by at least 20 percent of the general population? If you answer yes to that question then Christians would then make up 50 percent of the Egyptian population. 

What kind of change do you think that would bring to the region?

I believe that a 20 percent change in the religious population in Egypt would probably be enough to tip the scales in that country toward the favor of Christianity and quickly lead to a Christian majority. And if my thesis is right, the rest of the region will soon follow Egypt. 

So "How realistic is it?" It could be a reality within our lifetime. 

Imagine, we could see the decline and fall of the Islamic empire in our life time. 

The prospect of that reality is what now motivates me to devote all my time to that effort. Please join us at Equipping Pastors International to make this thesis a reality. The realization of a Christian Egypt, North Africa, and the Middle East is going to require our mutual cooperation for the good of the Kingdom of God. 

What's Missing?

David James

Equipping Pastors International

I recently visited the Egyptian National Museum at the Cairo Citadel. Near the entrance of the museum there is a wall that depicts the four periods of Egyptian history frame by frame: the Pharonic Age, Islamic Age, Modern Age, and Present Age. As I stood in front of this wall staring at the panoramic history of one of the worlds great nations I was struck, not by what I saw, but what I didn't see--nearly a thousand years of Christian history was missing. 

Where are the historians--real historians--who care about the truth? Of course, secular historians have never seemed to mind the erasure of history as long as it's Christian history that is being rubbed out. I have come to have no expectations for most of what passes for history in the secular world. Revisionism is the rule of the day. 

However, I had a different set of working suppositions when it came to sacred history. It is one thing for Islamic governments to wipe away nearly a thousand years of Christian history, and for secular historians and observers to look the other way while it happens. It's another thing altogether for sacred historians and Christian observers to be almost entirely silent while it happens. 

I was appalled. Not at the Islamic government of Egypt. Nor at the revisionist. I have no expectations regarding these two collaborators. No, I was disgusted with myself. Why did it take me so long to get it. I have been a Christian for 23 years, and involved in the ministry for most of that time. How could I miss it? How could I be so caught up in my own little world that this escaped my attention?

There are multiple reasons, but none that excuse personal responsibility. I was not taught this at Bible college. I was not taught this at seminary. I was not taught this at church. In short, this simply was not taught. I'm sure it was probably mentioned in passing somewhere. I'm sure a professor, or journalist mentioned this in class, or wrote about it in an article for a journal or Christian periodical. I'm sure.

Regardless, all my dismay is with myself.  

Therefore, I will not be silent anymore. I will not be complicit in the erasure and the revisionism of Christian history. That is why I have joined Equipping Pastors International to focus all of my efforts on resurrecting and recovering the lost Christian heritage in North Africa and the Middle East. If you would like to partner in this ministry than here's how you can help.

First, get mad. There is a lack of appropriate outrage regarding the lost history of this region from the invasion of Islam in the seventh century to the present. Righteous indignation will precede any meaningful action. Our maxim here is found in Paul's words to the Ephesians: Be angry, but do not sin. 

Second, get the word out. Write, talk, share in any way you can. Refer people to this blog, the EPI web page, or to me personally. Use every bit of influence you have.

Third, give to this cause. There is no way around the reality that this cause is going to cost money. I am completely unashamed to ask for your support. I am so convinced of the importance of this mission that I have no reservation or shame about asking you to support it with sacrificial giving. We are talking about the overthrow of Islam. It will require nothing short of giving until it hurts. 

Fourth, Pray. I do not say this casually. I make sure to never ask for prayer in a meaningless, trivial way. For that reason, I do not call my newsletter a prayer letter. In my newsletter I am attempting to accomplish two things: distribute information about our mission, and raise financial support to accomplish this objective. I will not cheapen the mission or the medium with a cloak of prayer. That being said, however, we will not defeat Islam, and all the principalities and powers of spiritual darkness that surrounds it without much labor in prayer. 

Please join me in this effort. Get mad, get the word out, give until it hurts, and pray without ceasing for this mission. 

The Myth of a Muslim Country

David James

Equipping Pastors International 

I keep hearing pundits use the phrase Muslim countries when talking about the nations in North Africa and the Middle East. It makes me wonder about the criteria used to arrive at such a designation. Do they ever speak of Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, or Christian countries? I think not. 

It bothers me that most of these so called Muslim countries have significant minority populations of Christians that are almost completely ignored. But what really bothers me is the subtle prejudice that is betrayed by the designation. To call a nation a Muslim countryis to imply that Islam is the true heritage of that particular nation. Yet, in order to arrive at this conclusion one has to over look nearly a thousand years of history--Christian history.

The conventional history goes something like this: these countries were traditionally Islamic, Christianity came with colonialism in the 19thcentury, both Christianity and colonialism were rejected by these respective Muslim nations at various times in the 20th century. 

Of course, what makes maters worse, many Christians have perpetuated the same line of reasoning tracing Christian involvement in these countries to the modern missions movement in the 19th and 20thcenturies. In this view, Christianity is primarily a European and North American phenomenon that moves from north to south into North Africa and the Middle East. 

The reality, though, is quite different. 

Historically, these so called Muslim nations were actually Christian nations from the first to the seventh century. Even more, this region was the theological and  intellectual  capital of the Christian world. It was from North Africa and the Middle East that Christianity spread into Europe and North America, and not the other way around. These nations were some of the first to follow Jesus and the apostles, and they spread their teachings throughout the whole world.

I find it ironic that Christianity became the dominant religion of the world through the efforts of those who live in what some insist areMuslim countries. How long does a a nation have to be Christian before it can be considered a Christian country, or before it's history can be considered Christian. Is a thousand years enough?

What's interesting, however, is how all this happened. The Christians in North Africa and the Middle East, like Jesus and the apostles before them, used preaching and persuasion to spread their teachings throughout this region and the world. Islam, on the other hand, used the sword to conquer these Christian nations. 

The realist in me knows that those who propagate the idea of Muslim countries are not going to be persuaded, but I hope that those who engage in Christian missions in this region will be convinced. The true history and heritage of this region ought to inform our practice. 

First, we should stop talking about unreached people in this region. They are not unreached, they are forgotten, and the Christian history in that region has been erased. Therefore, we should talk about resurrecting and recovering Christianity there. To do that we must use the literature and liturgy from their true Christian heritage to remind them of their true Christian identity. I believe that all but a minority of people in these nations know that something is missing from their history, that something has been systematically erased and revised from their heritage. Deep inside they know that part of their identity has been stolen from them, and their is a longing to return to what they were, and what they really are. 

Second, we need to stop thinking of Christianity in the region as if it started in the 19th century. That only feeds the notion that these areMuslim countries rather than Christian countries. Remember, that while Christians are minorities they still number in the millions and they are not without their influence. However, they need to be reconnected to their Christian roots. So many only know their Christian history from around the 1860's to the present. We need to take them back to their roots.

Third, we need to put our resources (time, energy, money, literature) into this effort. Too little is being done in this part of the world. It is shocking to discover how few of our great Christian books have been translated into Arabic. It is equally surprising how little our Bible colleges and seminaries are focusing on preparing our future pastors and missionaries to focus in this part of the world from a more historical perspective. Too often they have bought into the myth of theMuslim country. 

Fourth, the Christian future is very bright in this region. As I said in my last post, Islam is not growing and flourishing as much as you might think. Rather, it is collapsing and dying. The time is right to labor in these fields. 

At Equipping Pastors International we are doing just that--we are focusing significant resources to this region. Please join me in this effort for the glory of our King and the good of his Kingdom. These countries belong to him, not Islam. In that way, they are Christian countries. Christianity is not only their true past, it is their future as well. 

Islam Is Collapsing

Equipping Pastors International

Islam is collapsing and will be gone in ten years. 

These are the words of Massab Youssef, the son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Youssef, who recently converted to Christianity. If Massab is right, Islam is not rapidly spreading as it is portrayed in the media, it is dying. The reason it is dying, according to Massab, is not because it is being defeated, rather it is imploding from within. Islam is dying simply because it's not true, and because it cannot deliver on the promises it makes.

As I was ministering in Cairo, Egypt last week I observed a phenomenon that caught my attention, namely, that the Islamic call to prayer that is issued five times per day, goes largely unheeded. Very few Muslims actually stop and pray. The streets of Cairo are teeming with activity throughout the day. The calls to prayer ring out all through the city in a cacophony of voices. Yet nothing happens. No one pauses. No one stops. No one prays. In fact, no one even seems to notice. The call to prayer is issued to summon the faithful, but it's as if no one hears. The faithful are no where to be seen. 

There is an Arabic expression that has become something of a cliché. It can be loosely translated like this: Islam is easy. 

The idea here is that everything about Islam is easy compared to other religious systems (especially Christianity). Islam is easy doctrinally (I don't have to use complex logic to explain the Trinity or the two natures of Christ), and it is easy in terms of practice (if I can't stop and pray now I can make it up later, or if I want to get a divorce, no problem).  Islam is easy. 

Yet it seems to me that this approach to religion has not resulted in the desired outcome. It has not produced faithful practitioners, rather it resulted in a people that no longer even hear the call to prayer. 

While all of this is anecdotal, it seems to lend credibility to the assertion of Massab that Islam is not really growing, or thriving. At least not an Islam anyone would recognize. The question then is how long will this cultural form of Islam last? How long before this religion collapses and implodes on itself in much the same way communism collapsed in the former Soviet Union. 

However long it takes, the church needs to prepare now to minister to those coming out of Islam. This is why at EPI we are focusing significant resources to North Africa and the Middle East.

If we begin to equip leaders to train their own people now the church will grow strong and healthy and be ready when Islam finally collapses.