I am forwarding this urgent email to you all as I have received it from a trustworthy source. I don't know what I can say other than reminding all of us that there are more Christians in Syria and Lebanon than there are in Israel.
This is not to be prejudice at all, but to do justice to the family of Christ and share the theology of Paul our Apostle (between the Jews who hate Jesus and the Jews/Gentiles who were the family of our Lord).
I know that, here in the US, it is hard to clearly understand the Middle East without living there. The media has become more untrustworthy, and unethical in its coverage of events. But I assure you, and if you go to CIA website, surfing for countries information, you will read about each country and find out the Christian population in each. However, we all know that many are probably not born again (we don't know exactly who they are; this is God's business), but we cannot deny the fact that the name of Christ is still respected and honored among the majority of them, while mocked in Israel. I pray that Israel will come to faith in Christ so the effort made by our fellow Christian churches here in the US wont go in vain. Prophecy would be counted as a false prophecy if not read in light of the redemptive historical plan of God.
However, we do not have time to speak about eschatology now and our fellow brothers and sisters are being slaughtered by radical Islamists. After all the main purpose of eschatology, and specially in the book of Revelation, was meant to comfort the infant church under persecution. Its theme is rooted in one message, the controlling motif, that is clearly seen all over the book of Revelation; and it is as follows: Jesus Christ is the hero who is destined to win over Satan, the false prophet, and the beast (Dan 7; Rev. 19-20).
In this we have comfort.
Now and again, this is urgent. Please pray for the Christians in Syria. May God grant His comfort and peace to what is left over from those families.
May God grant them the power of testimony, of faith and repentance, and of making their blood, as usual (Tertollian), the seed of the church (more believers). This was the case with the infant church; every time there was persecution the result was God's work visiting a certain society and touches the hearts with His Majestic hand lifting up Christ and attracting many to Himself. This is the true revival.
The church in the west has been busy with wisdom and that is something important, we need in the family of Christ in the East, but the church in the East has been busy with blood and that is what we need here in the family of Christ in the West.
If the blood of the Spartans had a remarkable impact on the Greek wisdom (in fact their blood inspired Socrates to begin his philosophy by the famous term 'freedom' rooted in self knowledge), the blood of Christ and His family has always been the true freedom that no other blood can give it. Christ's blood for salvation and freedom and the blood of His Saints, in union and communion with Him, would press on the testimony of the gospel (life, bloody death, and resurrection of Christ) to participate in the seed of the church.
My dear brother and professor, Clair Davis, sent us his godly and wise words on revival. And he helps us see through the lens of Scriptures. Shall we pray for revival? It is a horrific situation for the church, in Egypt and more so, in Syria today. Would that lead to a great revival. Let us pray that God will send His Spirit and visit the Middle East so true revival would occur.
Let us leave what is political and stick into what is biblical. The Apostle Paul teaches us to pray for those in government positions, even the pagans among them (like Rome), in order for the church to live peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and holiness (2 Tim. 2:1-2). And yet, the heart of revival lies in the persecution of the church. As much as are squeezed God will make us little so the gospel of His kingdom will be enlarged, said Dr. McCartney. He rightly states it, as we all have, somehow, experienced it or at least tasted it.
The Syrian regime is evil, but no less evil than the radical Islamists who attacked our beautiful country in 9/11. And yet, Senator John McKain wants to arm those who attacked us in 9/11. Why is this inconsistency in Politics? Even conservative politics is evil some times.
Can good theology shape our political views as much as it can shape our lives? It depends what kind of theology are we talking about. Look at Abraham Kuyper and his political views, you will see what good theology produced in politics, and how it made a difference. Isn't that what we see in the lives of all the kings mentioned in the OT, not to mention Nebukhaz Nezzar (I hope I am spelling his name right by typing fast) and the difference he had between his pre- and his post- profession of faith in God.
Ask all Christians how were they living under this present Syrian regime? That is not to say that the regime is good, but to examine the difference between the life style Christians were having in Syria, and between the life style they are facing, with their brothers in Egypt, today. This democracy is an unwise term whenever is used in the Islamic radical views of government part of the Middle East. It was declared by our former president (Bush), and the result was chaos. Either he knew what he was doing, and this would be evil (blood is always the result of freedom in Radical Islam), or he had no clue about Islam.
A wise friend have told me that we need to defend the afflicted in our foreign policy. And he rightly said so.
The question to the decision makers in our country, the US: "how are they deciding to defend the afflicted Palestinians from Israel?" This become a delusion to them.
Or, how are we defending the afflicted Syrians by hoping to Arm the radical Islamists who attacked us in 9/11? This also would become an illusion to them.
Politics is unclean and the kingdom of man will always clash with the Kingdom of God until the latter fully prevails and is revealed.
Pray for those who are afflicted. But most of all pray for the gospel to become the light shining in the darkness.
May Christ be revealed to the hearts of those radicals and so, in this old time of our church, we may have more of Saul's conversion to Paul by dying for the Truth instead of killing the Truth.
I pray that all of you may take this email serious as I have received it, again from a trustworthy source and, from a Presbyterian pastor who is begging for our prayers.
It is in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ that I ask you all to raise your voices with us to the throne of Grace.
Your unworthy Lebanese brother, Imad Aubrey Imad is a friend of mine living in the states and knows the middle east ,he lived and served most of his life in Lebanon.
I Pray that you will pray and study the middle east situation ,for we need a lot of prayer and help.
URGENT PLEA from SYRIAN CHRISTIANS
Pastor Serop Megerditchian says --
“To God's people everywhere:
The armed Islamist Opposition in Syria have murdered more than 200 Christians in the city of Homs, including entire families with young children. These Islamic gangs also kidnapped Christians demanding high ransoms. In two cases, after the ransoms were paid, the men's bodies were found.
Christians are being forced to flee the city to the safety of government controlled areas. Muslim rebel fighters and their families are taking over their homes. We need your prayers and we need them urgently.”
* Please pass on this urgent plea on other churches and believers for their prayers.
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