OBSERVATIONS ON TODAY'S WORLD

Before God called me in such a dramatic fashion many years ago, I worked and traveled in and through many countries. Most of those places were what we might today call third-world or developing. Some were not developing at all. As I went to several of the countries in the Middle East, for example, I remember seeing and telling others that the people there were held back by their own religion. I didn’t know how true that was then, but of course it is obviously true. Following a false god, believing incorrect things, is disaster for humans. So too is taking harmful actions against Israel (remember God’s words - I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you). And all the strange and unpleasant restrictions placed on people in Islam, especially women, are just that, strange and unpleasant.

But then all these Muslims are lost and will stay that way until they realize who Jesus is and accept him as their Lord. That does happen, usually with great pressure on Muslims making the conversion, often with the need to get away from where they are, often with resulting persecution, even sometimes death. I heard at a missions meeting back in the mid-1990’s of how Jesus had been appearing in dreams/visions to some Muslims, even Muslim religious leaders, leading of course to conversions of those people. Some in the mission field call that a power play. It certainly is, isn’t it! That continues. I don’t know how many have received such power plays, but it has happened and is happening.

In a similar way, when I was in many of the sub-Saharan African nations I experienced the wretched poverty of the areas and saw the results of corrupt governments and just lack of funds and lack of knowledge and education. A question that frequently came up was what it will take to get Africans out of this, referring of course to the economic level and quality of life. The answer should be obvious – knowledge of and faith in God. They needed true Christian leaders who would not be corrupt. All the people themselves needed to know Jesus, to know the truths of the Bible, to know how to go forward in living and applying the truths of the Bible.

I remember at one program in the US when I mentioned something about God’s provision, perhaps the verse that God provides all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus, a woman sarcastically said, “tell that to the Africans!” But she missed the point. All that God wants people to have will not come to them unless they know him, unless they accept Jesus as Lord, unless they know the various truths and principles in the Bible and actually apply them to their daily lives. That has now begun to happen, with really great changes afoot. Some giant missionary efforts have brought great numbers coming to Christ, and Africa like China is at least in some areas a hotbed of new and serious Christians.