The River That Can't Be Stopped

"...Wherever this water flows, everything will live." Ezekiel 47:9b

One of our favorite holiday spots is in Jasper, Alberta where we have rented a cabin beside the ever flowing Athabasca river. I can sit mesmerized  beside that river for a long time and wonder where the river is coming from and where it is going. Its journey seems mysterious to me. I also see another River in the supernatural realm. It is flowing all over the Muslim world. Can you see it? Perhaps you are actually in the River going along with the flow. Or maybe you are still waiting to see the River.  In some places the River is moving swiftly but most of the time it is gently moving and if you look close the waters are sparkling with the glory of the Spirit of God. Occasionally the River looks muddy but it is moving nonetheless. And sometimes it appears the River is frozen and we have to wait for Spring to come in order to see the water melt. Surely it will flow again.

Terrifying things are happening nowadays across the globe.  We need some signs of hope and encouragement!  Well, the Holy Spirit is making waves these days. Technology has opened the cyber waves to send the Good News of Jesus Christ to all the nations in the world where the presence of outside Christians is not allowed. Even cyber church is going on in the privacy of homes of Muslim seekers and believers from Muslim background. Muslims can download the Bible to read or listen to in their languages. If they have questions they can ask an expert on Answering Islam (click) or they can chat on-line. Check out the evangelistic websites listed on the left side bar of this blog. There has been a surge of Somalis visiting The Voice of New Life (click). Large numbers of Muslim adults, youth and children are accessing the excellent programs produced by Arab World Media (click). 

And if that is not amazing enough then discover how the Spirit is stirring and speaking to Muslims in dreams while they are asleep. The book, “I Dared To Call Him Father” documents the phenomenon of God revealing Jesus to a Muslim woman through dreams. I once met a renown Muslim woman at an airport. After introducing myself she asked what brought me to visit that city. I replied, “I will be speaking at a conference.” “What about?” she asked inquisitively. “About how Muslims are seeing Jesus Christ in their dreams.” There was no argument or debate. What can one say to such mysterious working of God? Internet, satellite television, dreams, and books are all very exciting means of getting the River of God to move across the globe.

But wait, there is more. There’s YOU ministering to a Muslim woman in Minneapolis,Toronto, London, Sydney, or Paris. Perhaps no one sees what you are doing except God. You love Fatima and prayed for her and patiently tried to explain new truths about Jesus to her. One day the light bulb turned on in Fatima’s awakened soul. She understood and gave her life to Jesus. A new mysterious River started moving through her and flowed on to Zahra…then to Maryam….and on to Ayesha. 

Christian women are becoming increasingly more aware of the opportunity to reach Muslim women with the Gospel. Now we are starting to run with the vision. It is certainly a marathon of long term investment and friendship...even for decades.... but with perseverance and anointing from the Holy Spirit we will run the race right to the finish line. We will take precious Muslim women into the River with us.

There is no limit to what God is doing. We have the privilege to live in the midst of this kairos time in history. No one can stop the River which gives Life wherever it goes. Some try to stop it but it is impossible. No one can control the Holy Spirit. He is untameable. Yes!  

Dear heavenly Father, I am no longer content to hear of or watch your River. Take me into your rushing River. And I want more of my Muslim friends to join me in the River of Life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Good Laugh

“A cheerful heart is good medicine….” Proverbs 17:22a

The other night we had some guests over and had such a good time laughing. It felt so liberating! Laughing has a way of washing away heavy burdens weighing me down. It was a positive sign that Ramadan seriousness was not getting the best of me.

Ramadan can be a time of spiritual oppression for those of us who are set apart full time to minister among Muslims. It can be a long stressful month! Some Christians won’t be able to identify with us in this area because they don’t know any Muslims personally. But we see up close what happens to our Muslim friends. They talk constantly about being tired or feeling irritable. They don’t normally take holidays or engage socially as much with each other. My Muslim friend was exhausted from moving into a new place. I asked her if people from her community helped her out. "No, it's Ramadan," she replied.  It is a serious time of introspection for them. Even their children feel the effects. Eating and sleeping patterns are disrupted. Sometimes their relationships with us are put on hold for the month. This week I visited a lovely Muslim friend whose close relative had died. She was grieving deeply and also fasting diligently. It was painful observing her suffering, like she was beating herself. All of these things can weigh us down as we observe their suffering. We can't do much about it so we pray for them. The more we pray for them the more oppressed or depressed we can become. Nobody ever told me that. We enter a spiritual battle when we spend time in prayer for Muslims especially during Ramadan. It is one thing to pray through the guide “30 days of Prayer For the Muslim World” when we don’t know anyone and the far away places sound exotic, but quite another matter to pray for our dear friends.

I have to consciously guard myself from getting spiritually oppressed during Ramadan. My heart becomes so burdened for my friends whom I love dearly. When they yawn and tell me, “I’m so tired!” I want to ask them, “What is it all for? Who is it all for - you or God?” I want them to know that their sins have already been atoned for by Jesus Christ on the cross. The punishment has been removed. Forgiveness has been granted. Their guilt has been lifted away. Just receive and enjoy the beautiful gift of grace. But apart from the revelation of the Holy Spirit, they won’t grasp it. The gift of God’s grace towards them is illusive.

When I get oppressed I just want to stop praying. It becomes too laborious and draining. That is, of course, Satan’s scheme. Prayer is a mighty weapon and Satan is afraid of our prayers. We can see the oppression Muslims come under during Ramadan but we, too, can come under an oppression observing their efforts to fast.

We not only have faith and the Word of God as our weapons in this spiritual battle. There is another unlikely weapon, if you can imagine it, which is for our survival during Ramadan seriousness...laughter.  Laughter is amazingly liberating. It is a de-stressor. So, enjoy a good laugh today. It will feel wonderfully refreshing. Don't let Satan steal away your joy in the Lord.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for carrying my burdens which are too heavy for me to bear. Bring Your cheer to my soul. In Jesus’ name, Amen.