The Gospel Advances In A World Of Terrorism

I have a good friend who spends most of his time outside the United States working with missionaries, many of whom are working in "closed Muslim countries."  This past week, with the TV news filled with stories about ISIS threatening Japanese nationals, Islamist rebels advancing in Yemen and backlash against the French handling of the Charlie Hebdo affair I got a secure email from him.  I can't pass it along as it contained information that could compromise missionaries that he works with, but I will pass on - with names and locations deleted - this much:

The latest from FOX NEWS, CNN and the BBC is really: (you pick your phrase...) "making me nervous", "rising fear up inside of me", "really scary"!  Islamic terrorist cell groups being activated in Europe, the news channels are roaring with more news... all of it grabbing our hearts... YET!

Did you know: that more Muslims have become followers of Jesus Christ since 2001 than all the years before.. combined? XXXXXXX,  with whom I am staying in XXXXXXX, shared a few statistics that he has been tracking... and brothers and sisters... the news is really GOOD NEWS...


Did you know they can confirm there are over 260,000 faithful followers of Jesus Christ in Iran? Want some encouragement? Look for the book, whose title comes from a statement made by an Iranian policeman: "Too Many To Jail" by Mark Bradley. Or this...

After 90 years of trying to plant a church in Algeria without much success, a growing community of 80,000 are worshiping our Savior. 

And then just today, I heard about a small group of 40 Muslim background believers forming in the northern Pakistan/Afghanistan area.

AMAZING!
 
SO IF in the next week or month, you find yourself watching the news and you begin to feel fear, or be afraid, or get angry.. turn off the media... go take a walk and lift up prayers and PRAISE to our Father. And .  .  .  ., let HIS peace grow into a hope for more to know and follow Jesus!

CLICK HERE to go to Amazon.com and look at the book he mentioned Too Many To Jail.  Amazon's product description:

(This book) Documents the remarkable rise of the Iranian church, despite fierce persecution, as Iranians grow disillusioned with Islam

In 1979, there were fewer than 500 known Christians from a Muslim background in Iran. Today there are at least 100,000 new believers. Church leaders believe that millions can be added to the church in the next few years--such is the spiritual hunger that exists. The religious violence that accompanied the reign of President Ahmadinejad drained its perpetrators of political and religious legitimacy, and has opened the door to other faiths.

This book sets the rapid church growth in Iran in the context of the deteriorating relationship between Iranians and their national religion. There is a major focus on the Ahmadinejad years, but the author also covers the history of the church before 1979, developing the central idea that the spark may have become buried in the ashes but has never been extinguished.

Careful, proportionate, well-informed, and accurate, Too Many to Jail is a powerful reminder of the Christian revival that the headlines ignore. The stories of faith, persecution, and encouragement will inspire every reader to see anew God’s work in the world.

Friends, there are not enough bullets, survellience cameras or armies to "fix" the "problem of terrorism."  Besides, those things  can never really "fix" anything.  That is because the "problem of terrorism" is rooted in the same problem that produces my own self-righteousness, pride and sin.  For that there is only one answer.  For terrorist and for pastor and indeed for all people, only the Gospel can reshape a heart.