Was the Bible Corrupted?

The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ's death for sin and resurrection alone. The Quran teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross. Therefore, Islam MUST claim that the holy books before the Quran were somewhat corrupted. But when you ask the questions of when, where, who, and how the previous holy books were corrupted, Muslims have no answer. 

I tell them that there was indeed corruption. But it happened in the Catholic church when they sold indulgences to forgive sin. It happens today when Catholics and Orthodox pray to Mary. The Bible says we should only pray to God. But to say that the TEXT of the Bible has been corrupted has no historical basis.

I tell them that this claim, especially without historical evidence, is very dangerous. We Christians do not claim that the Torah of Moses or the Psalms of David were corrupted. They are part of our Bible.

I tell them we have more manuscript evidence for the New Testament than any other book in history... by far. These manuscripts contain the same message in the original language of Greek that I find in the English Bible on my phone.

I remind them that Islam teaches that the corruption of the previous holy books did not happen until after the time of the Apostles. Yet if they study history, they will find that the Apostles took the Bible to Spain, India, and Africa during their lifetimes. How could someone collect all Bibles from 3 continents and change them to say what the Bible says now? This is historically impossible.

We know that the gospel is the power of God for salvation, not just believing in inerrancy. However, faith comes by hearing, and Muslims are more likely to give the gospel a fair hearing if they are persuaded that the source of the gospel (the Bible) is reliable. Pray for such Holy Spirit-inspired persuasion and ask a Muslim you know, "What did you learn that caused you to believe that the Bible was corrupted?"

Ministry in Dubai

The past two trips in September and January have begun in the city of Dubai. The United Arab Emirates is home to 9.5 million people but only 1.2 million are Emiratis. They are 99% Muslim but comfort and materialism may be more of a barrier to the gospel than Islam for most Emiratis. However, most would face at least moderate persecution if they openly followed Christ, especially if they shared their faith with Muslim friends and family members.

There are churches for the expat majority in UAE. Many Asian expats visit churches with Christian friends out of sheer loneliness. Then they hear the gospel and God saves them! There are also Arab churches for Christian Arabs who live and work in the Emirates. However, there is not as much ministry happening among the local Emiratis themselves. Some say that it is even difficult to get to know Emiratis unless you work with them. I'm asking the Lord to help me to identify and learn from those who are ministering to Emiratis, both online and face-to-face. I'm asking the Lord to show me what my little part to play might be in the Emirati church. Perhaps it is biblical counseling, house church coaching, family ministry, evangelism coaching, or a little of each of these. Would you ask with me?

Sudanese Arabs

Sudanese are either Arab (70%) or African (30%), generally speaking. While there are some churches for most of the African people groups, there are virtually none for approximately 35 million Sudanese Arabs. While I'm sure there are brothers exclusively focused on evangelism & church planting among Sudanese Arabs... I don't know of any. Would you ask God now to send more workers into that harvest field? Would you ask Him to raise up workers from within the harvest through targeted social media engagement?

I've known a former M from a Sudanese Arab tribe for 3 years. He has been a believer for several years, has 5 kids, and lives in Cairo so I get to see him on most trips and we zoom between trips. We talk about family, kids' schooling, evangelism to Ms, the war in Sudan, his house church, and the 2 other HCs he influences.

But the conversation in January was a difficult one. He and another brother in his church said that the situation for Sudanese refugees has become so dire that the 3 churches are not meeting because the believers have to work longer hours. They said that all of the humanitarian organizations are corrupt and that the aid doesn't get to refugees. They said that their gospel conversations have stopped because they can't visit homes if they don't bring a food basket. Would you ask God to give me both humility and discernment as I engage in this conversation and others like it?

I hope you find this Greek/English Bible to be as helpful in your study as I have.

Unsaved Or Unreached?

Romans 1 says that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. Romans 10 says that faith comes through hearing. Since 45% of Kentuckians claim to be evangelicals, we can guess that 95% of them will hear the gospel at least once before they die and have a friend who is a born-again believer. We should not be surprised when those around us reject the gospel, for Jesus told us in Matthew 7... "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

You can see here that the only Arab people group that is considered "reached" (>3% evangelical) are Egyptians, who are barely "reached" at 5%. That means that the vast majority of the Arab world will not hear the gospel at least once before they die, nor will they have a friend who is a born-again believer. This is the tragedy of the unreached. The vast majority of them are Muslims, who will begin fasting during their holy month of Ramadan next week. Would you click here to pray for them?

Jesus said in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations, or ethnos meaning people groups. He said in Matthew 24 that the end will come when the gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all people groups. There are still 7,000 unreached people groups representing 42% of the world's population. Would you pray regularly with Christian friends for Jesus to receive the worship that He deserves among all peoples?

Ministry of Friendship

I recently returned from 3 weeks in the Middle East. I was able to share the gospel with approximately 10 Muslim traveling companions or Uber drivers, then point them to gospel content online with good follow-up. Pray for an Uber driver named Khalid who said, "I have doubts about Islam sometimes." When I asked him to clarify, he sheepishly said, "I probably shouldn't talk about it... but I can't imagine the verses in the Qur'an about killing and wars are from God." It was wonderful to visit a few friends in Dammam, Saudi Arabia after not being there since '12. Surprisingly, my host lived close to the mall where I spent many hours/days meeting Saudis with whom I was in gospel conversation online. 

During this past trip, approximately 80 Arab brothers visited me to drink tea and pray together. Through this "ministry of friendship", I've begun to understand the importance of asking questions and listening carefully. From TikTok to podcasts, everyone wants to be heard but who wants to hear? These brothers will most likely live all their lives in the cities I visit. The Kingdom moves forward as they trust & obey Christ.

A mature, younger brother who lives in south Lebanon where the terrorist group Hezbollah is strongest, recently wrote to me, "Our church started a home church in another nearby area. They believe in it but the goal is not to reproduce it but to do it until it becomes a big church. I am considering maybe starting one at some point since my house will have a big living room. There is no such thing where I live."

Church Change

We love the folks at the house church we have attended for the past 3 years but most of them live at least a 30-minute drive away.  We live a 30-second walk from a Baptist church!  So we've started attending. We know most of the families there so it's not a difficult transition. What is difficult for me personally is not being able to model house church for my Arab brothers. We've made it our goal to attend house churches for the past 20 years. That was easier to do overseas than here in our home state where there are SO MANY solid churches that virtually no one considers attending a house church.

Since everything needs an acronym :-) there are PERKS when it comes to gathering in a smaller, house church...

(1) more thorough discipleship by allowing PARTICIPATION during the church gathering, under the oversight of the pastors

(2) EATING the Lord's Supper weekly as a full meal together like the churches in the New Testament

(3) Kingdom expansion through private churches (not public) that are more REPRODUCIBLE among all people groups

(4) KNOWING one another well enough to discern one another's salvation through baptism and church discipline if needed

(5) STEWARDING financial resources more strategically by giving more to missions.

Our elders at the Baptist church know that we would like to see biblical house churches planted in our city and are supportive of that. Until then, we will enjoy growing in Christ and serving God with them together.

I leave soon for my next trip. Pray for new friendships as I may add 2 or 3 new cities in the Arabian Peninsula to the itinerary. I will most likely not be able to visit Nazareth due to the war.

"The Qur'an is a Lie"

On a flight from Dubai to Jeddah, I noticed a Sudanese man sitting near me who looked like he was from one of the Arab tribes. I greeted him and told him that we lived in Khartoum for 2 years and that we had been praying against the current, devastating civil war in his country. He is from the Jaliyin tribe, one of the largest of the Sudanese Arab tribes, with a combined total of 33 million with few known believers among them. Before I could engage him in gospel conversation, he invited me to dinner the following night. 

At dinner he told me that he had left Islam years ago, knowing that "the Qur’an is a lie". As a successful businessman, he seemed to think that Christianity is better than Islam because the Christians he knows are more honest in their dealings than the Muslims he knows. I told him that, while this may be true, all of us are sinners in need of forgiveness from a holy God, who paid our sin debt at the cross. He said that he was interested in learning more if I could connect him with another Arabic-speaking Christian in Jeddah. The Egyptian brother with whom I connected him seems to be hesitant to contact him. Will you pray for both of them now?

There are so many physical needs among all Sudanese refugees who have fled the war in Khartoum. Several Sudanese brothers, Egyptian brothers, and Western missionaries in Cairo are talking about how to reach the least reached of the Sudanese refugees… the Arabs… through both humanitarian aid & social media outreach. Please pray that this collaboration will lead to more Arabs from Sudan clearly understanding and believing the gospel, and that reproducible churches would be planted among them.

Shepherd The Flock

Is it possible for a large church to know its members well enough to discern their salvation and ensure that they are growing in Christ-likeness? Perhaps it is possible if each member is engaged in personal conversation at least monthly by a mature believer representing the church, even if not a church elder. This could be done 1 on 1, or in a small group which would require attending a meeting in addition to the Sunday gathering. Thankfully, in a house church, those interactions happen at least weekly by eating the Lord's Supper as a full meal together and allowing participation while teaching the Bible, under the oversight of the elders. "Shepherding the flock" and "exercising oversight" (1 Peter 5) imply that a pastor/elder knows those he serves personally and interacts with them intimately and frequently.

But why is this question even important? Because after Jesus explained the process of church discipline in Matthew 18, he said, "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." It is the responsibility of the elders of each local church to lead the entire congregation in using the "keys of the Kingdom", knowing its members well enough to discern their salvation & ensure that they are growing in Christ-likeness. It is not loving to give someone false assurance of salvation if the fruit of his life does not show it. This is one of the primary responsibilities of a local church. Would you pray that Arab churches in the Middle East would fulfill this biblical mandate well?

While we see in 1 Corinthians 14:23 that unbelievers sometimes attended the early churches, the local church was primarily a gathering of true believers. Acts 5 says that "none of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord." How were unbelievers in Jerusalem added to the Lord if believers didn't invite them to church? They invited them to Jesus. They shared the gospel with them. Would you pray that Arab believers would do the same?

Grace-Filled Accountability

I have an Egyptian friend who was once a volunteer leader in a very solid ministry. After marriage & kids, he began seeking his identity in success at work more than in Christ. We've been meeting weekly online. We've talked about how his depression is more about him responding unbiblically to life's realities than it is a chemical imbalance in his brain. We've talked about how he doesn't feel like he can talk to anyone at his church because there is little fellowship. They all attend the worship service & then leave. I met his wife and we've talked about marriage & parenting. We've talked about his heart issues related to online sexual lust. He has installed Accountable2You on his devices. Yet sometimes immoral activity online flies under the radar of A2U's "suspicious" notifications. Would you pray that he would glorify God BY enjoying Him forever, and serve God BY serving others? Also, would you (or someone you know who is not tempted by sexual immorality online) be willing to volunteer 30 minutes per week to help monitor the online activity of the Arab brothers who ask for it? I don't need to be looking at that garbage! Grace-filled accountability SHOULD be the role of the local church but... quite simply... we are not there yet... but moving in that direction. We will not see reproducing churches of gospel-centered Arab families if there is secret sexual immorality among those husbands.

Support Christians in Sudan

During my trip to the Middle East last month, I sat with approximately 80 friends in 5 countries. Unfortunately, one of those countries was not Sudan. The civil war in the capital Khartoum has gone from bad to worse. After getting advice from several people who serve the Sudanese church, I have discerned that the best investment of our Kingdom donations would be to support Sudanese evangelical families through MRDS by clicking here (account code “RapidIN.080”). Two of my American friends who both lived in Sudan are heavily involved in this project. I will join their weekly conference calls beginning next week. You can read his description of the project here. If everyone who receives this email actually read it and gave $10, the minimum need would be met. I can't think of a more pressing need in our world today. I can't think of a better way to support Sudanese evangelical families and their Muslim neighbors. Would you please give sacrificially to help these families who are unable to find work due to the war? I know some of them personally.

When The Ground Is Shaking...

Please pray for peace and stability in Sudan. For the past 40 years, there have been several conflicts in South Sudan, Darfur, and the Nuba Mountains. These conflicts had little effect on Sudanese Arabs, who are 70% of the population of Sudan. But now the fighting is in the capital Khartoum. As one brother said on a prayer call this past week, "When the ground is shaking, the hearts are breaking". Would you pray that the Lord would break the hearts of Sudanese Arabs over their sin? Would you pray that African Christians in Sudan would be so full of grace that they would extend grace to their Arab Muslim neighbors by sharing the gospel with them? Would watching this 4-minute prayercast for Sudanese Arabs help you pray more sincerely? I do not yet know of a church or organization that I could recommend to steward relief funds well but I am working on it.

Got Questions?

A Saudi friend Ahmed was telling me how his wife, his brother, and his sister-in-law are meeting for Bible study. Three of them are believers and his brother is close to salvation but has two questions… How were people before Christ saved? Will God send to hell those who will never hear the gospel? Such honest questions that all of us have asked before. I sent him an answer from Got Questions, a website that I literally use multiple times each day. Many of the answers are translated into other languages, including Arabic. Would you pray that Abdulahi would trust that God's sovereignty, justice, and love are higher than his own?

Click here to join the prayer movement for Muslims during Ramadan, which begins this month.

It is worth 7 minutes to hear Paul Washer respond to this question about speaking in tongues.

"I believe Jesus died...."

In September, I was walking to a friend's house in Irbid, the second largest city in Jordan. I saw a guy taller than me and by the way he walked, I could tell that he was a hooper. So I engaged him and his friend in conversation, friending each other on Facebook as we departed. When I returned to Irbid a few weeks ago, I was able to meet with his friend, whom we'll call "N". We talked about basketball. We talked about life. I started to talk about faith and how the Qur'an says that Jesus did NOT die on the cross. To my shock, "N" said, "I believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins!" He began to tell me how his Muslim family had sent him to a Baptist school as a child. When he heard praise songs about the cross, he knew in his heart that Jesus had died for him. "N" thinks that maybe his older brother also believes but they feel like they cannot tell each other, much less their family. I was able to connect him with two believers who can disciple him, one in his hometown and one in the city where he attends college. One has yet to hear from "N" and the other said that "N" said he is busy but will contact him later. Would you pray that God would give "N" the courage to overcome any fear or whatever it is that would keep him from being in fellowship with other believers?

I just returned from 4 weeks in the Middle East. I was able to connect with 100+ brothers individually and attend 10-15 gatherings of believers. Many of these brothers have the potential to plant reproducing churches of gospel-centered, Arab families. Please ask God to give them the faith and courage to make it happen.

Here is an excellent 15-minute house church video by prof J.D. Payne.

Preach!

The three Greek words that are translated as “preach” appear in the New Testament 128 times (kerusso, kerugma, and euangelizomai). Can you send me one instance in the NT of any of these words referring to a speaking activity that is clearly happening inside a church gathering, such as a sermon? Almost always, these words refer to evangelism. What most Christians refer to as "preaching", I believe the Bible refers to as "teaching". Solid teaching during the church gathering is important but according to 1 Corinthians 14:26 (didache=teaching), that teaching should be open to participation by others attending. I don’t promote “house” church but I do promote “participatory” church. Can you think of one verse in the New Testament that describes, much less prescribes, only one person teaching? If so, please send it to me.

My missionary friends are on all points of the missions spectrum. On one end of that spectrum, I have my gospel-centered, reformed friends. They emphasize clear gospel presentation, expository preaching, and biblical eldership. On the other end, I have my movement (CPM, DMM) friends. They emphasize abundant gospel sharing, house churches, and rapid reproduction of disciples. Being in the middle of the spectrum, I feel like I am constantly telling one side what we can learn from the other side. Would you pray for me as I engage in these conversations almost daily?

Reproducible Churches

Our family was sick over Thanksgiving but at least we spent time together. Heidi and Anna visited from Colorado. Sam is looking for full-time work. He was the assistant coach on the youngest 3 kids' cross-country team. They are now playing basketball. Henry & Nehemiah ​can't beat me in ping-pong... ​nor cornhole... ​nor airsoft. Petra is working part-time at a retirement home.

I have been affiliated with the Jordan Baptist Convention since we lived there in 2015. The vision statement of the JBC is “to glorify God by planting reproducible churches in Jordan, the Arab world, and to the end of the earth.” However, if you look at our 22 Baptist churches in Jordan, none of them are actually reproducible for 97% of the population of the country. If a Jordanian or Palestinian Muslim began following God according to the Bible, he could not reproduce a public, church building. The vast majority could not even consistently attend such a church due to persecution from the government, the community, even their own family. However, they could consistently attend and reproduce a private, house church. Pray for Arab believers from a Christian background to plant churches that are reproducible for all Arab believers in all Arab countries.

This resource is helpful to find how many times a particular Greek word is used in the Bible.

Where is Afghanistan?

Before my trip to the Middle East in September, Henry and I spent 4 days in New York City. Most meaningful to me was the visit to the 9/11 memorial. On that date in 2001, I began asking questions like, "Where is Afghanistan? What do these people believe about God?" The Lord began to burden our hearts with unreached people who had never heard the gospel. In 2004, we ended a wonderful 8 years of full-time ministry and moved our family of 7 to Jordan... then Sudan... then the US... then Egypt... then the US again... then Jordan again... now back to the US again. Along the way, 3 more kids were born, along with many failures, much grace, and many friendships deepened. Please pray for these "iron sharpens iron" friendships through lots of video chat, voice messages, and texting over the next 2 months before I visit them again in January.

Would you please watch this 3-minute video about missions to the unreached?
Great 3-minute video here about how teenagers should handle dating.

Awwal Marra

My wife & I were on a date night, strolling a park, when I saw a Sudanese man dressed in Islamic garb. What?! We knew there were Sudanese Christians in our city but Sudanese Muslims?! I greeted him and he took me to a pavilion with 25 men dressed just like him! They are all refugees from a region called Darfur, where genocide was taking place in the early 2000s. They were gathered for the Islamic holiday Eid Al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice. I was introduced to the community leader (shaykh) and sent home with enough food to feed our family 2-3 meals. 

This past Sunday, on my second visit to the leader's home, I was able to explain the gospel and answer the common objectives Muslims have. When I asked him if this was the first time in 8 years of living in our state that he has had a faith conversation with a Christian, he said in Arabic "awwal marra", which means "first time". Would you pray for Abdulaahi, his family, and the community he leads? Would you also pray that God would give you opportunities to engage in gospel conversation with immigrants or students from unreached people groups?

Here is a wonderful way to get your family or small group thinking about missions to the unreached.

Give Until It Hurts

How can I be faithful to write to you without again including an opportunity for you to financially support either this ministry or this ministry, both recommended by a senior SB mission leader who lived in Yemen? Would each of you who are reading this choose one of these two ministries and give something that you would consider to be "sacrificial" (Mark 12:41-44)? You may not think that you are rich but compared to these precious Arab image-bearers of their Creator... you are. God has blessed us Americans so that we can be a blessing to others. But we need to be able to discern between our needs and our wants. 2 Corinthians 8:9, 13-15 says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich.... For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, 'Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.' "

Before summer, we prayed for work opportunities for our 3 youngest kids and God provided. Petra is working fast-food and hopes to begin a cleaning job when she gets her driver's license soon. Henry is working in concrete as he did last year. Nehemiah is working two half days on a farm & looking for more work.

A Cup of Cold Water In Jesus's Name

Ramadan has begun. Muslims believe that fasting during this month will erase sin. Would you click here to pick a country and a 15-minute prayer slot, then forward this link to your Christian friends? 

Financial support in missions doesn't always accomplish what we hope to accomplish. I've often had to ask myself questions like, "Does my Sudanese brother visit me because he is truly interested in planting churches among Ms, or does he want to immigrate?" or "Did my Egyptian friend genuinely click 'agree completely' with my online points about house churches or is he looking for financial support for his ministry?" When we missionaries don't have the linguistic or relational success we hoped to have within the first few years overseas, it is tempting to turn to the one thing we can do... partner financially with nationals. But that has its own challenges. So when I am asked by an Arab brother to connect him with financial partners, I send him the Arabic version of this.

Yet as I mentioned in a past e-newsletter more than a year ago, we certainly have a biblical precedent for cross-cultural financial support in times of crisis. Humanitarian organizations are rightly investing in refugees from Ukraine, who are "barely reached" with the gospel at 4% evangelical. Yet how much more should we the church support gospel-centered relief work for Yemeni Arabs (0.00% evangelical) who have endured civil war for years? This ministry was recommended for funding by a senior SB mission leader who lived in Yemen for 25 years and has been a friend for the past 10 years.

I'm not a Baptist but....

...I think they got it right when it comes to church government. When I read Scripture, I am persuaded that the congregational form of church government (church decides) is more biblical than the presbyterian form (elders decide) and the episcopal form (the bishop decides). Of course, all churches would agree that Christ Himself is the true head of the church. As I talk to Arab brothers, it seems that one of the major barriers to them planting a house church is related to the issue of authority. From whom should they get permission to do so? Should they be formally ordained by a registered denomination, or is it enough to receive the informal blessing of other Arab pastors whom they know? Should they follow their evangelical cultural norm of a single pastor, or is it more biblical to have a plurality of pastors/elders? If the congregation has ultimate decision-making authority, what does it mean to "obey" and "submit to" the elders? This article has been helpful in answering some of those questions so I had it translated to Arabic and share it often with Arab brothers.

For most of May, I was in the Middle East. I was able to visit friends in Nazareth for the first time since covid began. Therefore, I was also able to connect with brothers in Irbid in northern Jordan before traveling down to Amman. Please pray for continued conversations online with both old and new friends. I was unable to visit Sudan last month. Especially, pray for brothers there who are all struggling economically & socially.

You're In Charge

I was in Nazareth for 3 days for the first time since before covid. Then I was in Jordan for 5 days. I am in Beirut now for 3 days. I will be in Egypt for 6 days and then Saudi for 4 days. Would you ask the Lord to raise up reproducing churches of gospel-centered Arab families?

We all need counsel when it comes to parenting. A Jordanian couple in full-time ministry with whom we were friends when we lived there called me last month. Their older kids are doing well but their younger son was not submitting to his teachers at school. The mom said she found herself yelling at him sometimes. After asking questions and listening for 30 minutes, I suggested that they read chapter 4 "You're In Charge" of Shepherding A Child's Heart and each write 2 obedience points to apply to their parenting. I was a little concerned that the dad might not follow through but he actually shared 3 obedience points when we met the next week online! We talked about the difference between discipline and punishment. This family is loved and respected by many in the evangelical community of Jordan. Pray that they would be "strict but kind" to quote the dad. Have you and your spouse ever considered asking an elder in your church for parenting counsel? Sometimes just expressing the problem out loud and answering a few of their questions is enough to help us see it more clearly.

Hell's Best Kept Secret

When leaving the airport in Sudan, I saw two younger guys who were wearing shirts from American universities. I assumed that they were both Muslims so I took a seat beside them to engage them in conversation, hoping to share the gospel with them. Turns out that one of them actually grew up at the evangelical church where our kids attended a children's ministry years ago! He and I connected online yesterday and had a wonderful conversation. He told me that he listens to Christian teaching online so I asked who he listens to most and he said, "Ray Comfort", famously known for street evangelism and a sermon called "Hell's Best Kept Secret". He said that most of his friends are Muslims and he is learning how to respond to their objections to the Bible. Would you pray for this brother, that his apologetics would lead to his Muslim friends having a more thorough understanding of the gospel? I'm looking forward to meeting his parents when I return to Khartoum. Would you also ask God to give me opportunities to befriend more younger, teachable brothers in the Middle East?

A helpful perspective on Ukraine/Russia here.

What Counts?

What counts? What really matters? According to Galatians 5:6, "the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love" (NIV). Let's think deeply about that.

 
I am writing this from the airport in Amman, Jordan after visiting Egypt, Sudan, and Lebanon also. I was not able to visit Saudi because the embassy website did not clearly explain that those who enter Saudi within 2 weeks of visiting Egypt must quarantine for 5 days. (Sense a little bit of agitation?!) But it was a great trip. I was able to meet with approximately 80 guys. Some had to cancel or do it via Zoom due to covid cases and the largest snowstorm in Jordan in 7 years!

There were demonstrations in Khartoum against the Sudanese military who appears to be disrupting the transition to a democratic government. During the largest demonstration, eight people died. From the Nile Theological College, the smell of tear gas was strong and we could hear people screaming. Please pray for peace, justice, and stability in Sudan.

Not Going Alone

I leave soon for 3 weeks in the Middle East. I'm traveling alone... but there are a lot of people "going" with me. Roger is going with me because he gave me a used laptop last month. Charlie is going with me because he gave me his old iPhone. Holly & Alex go with me because they let me use their Delta buddy passes. The teachers at the classical school are coming too. They help my wife educate 3 of my kids while I'm gone. Ron, John, and Steve go with me as the elders of our house church, overseeing my family and my ministry. Each of them checked up on me two weeks ago when they learned I had covid (only mild symptoms.) Steve, David, and Steve are going with me because they have been so influential over the years in developing me as a missionary. Approximately 40 of you are going with me since you have financially supported us over the past year. Approximately 80 of you are going with me because you receive the daily prayer texts with the names of brothers whom I will meet each day of my trip. My closest companion on this trip will be my wife, who will homeschool, crack the whip, teach at school, cook, handle bills, feed chickens, and help me stay connected to the family daily online. Would you pray that even in my sometimes laser-focused engagement of Arab brothers while traveling, I would recognize that many people have a role to play in me being there... and that I would be thankful?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Most Arab Christians are Coptic, celebrating Christmas on January 7.

The Kiz fam is looking forward to Christmas. Then I'll be in the Middle East for a few weeks. Lebanon is experiencing one of the worst economic crises in recent history. Sudan experienced a military coup two months ago. But I will most likely visit both, as well as Jordan, Egypt, & Saudi. Nazareth is questionable due to travel restrictions to Israel. Would you ask God to raise up local shepherds/elders in each of these locations who are modeling gospel-centered families and reproducible church planting?

Some friends in the Middle East are requesting Arabic-speaking biblical counseling online, especially for some believers from countries where there are very few Christians. Would you ask God to give me wisdom as I begin to connect with several potential online counselors, mainly Egyptians?

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Regardless of what season it is, grace-filled accountability helps all of us repent of sin, or simply develop better habits. For the past few years, I've been using the app HabitShare. Would any of you brothers prayerfully consider downloading the app to share habits between the two of us? You can try it out first without sharing habits with others.

Why House Church?

"Why does your family attend a house church?" I get this question fairly often. It is not really about having church in a home. It is more about experiencing and modeling and promoting the biblical principles of...

(1) Kingdom expansion through smaller churches that are more REPRODUCIBLE among all peoples

(2) more thorough discipleship by allowing PARTICIPATION during the church gathering, under the shepherding and oversight of the elders

(3) knowing and LOVING one another more by gathering more like a family and eating the Lord's Supper weekly as a full meal together

(4) STEWARDING financial resources more strategically by giving more to missions.

These principles are easier to apply in house churches. These principles are further explained here if you have 10 minutes to respond to my introductory points about "reproducible churches". Keep in mind that the target audience of this form is Arab believers. If you live in the Kentuckiana area, you are invited to join us any Sunday at 10:30 am. Please pray for our house church and ask God to raise up house church planters in the Middle East.

My Vision... "To Befriend"

Israel will reopen in November and I could probably visit Lebanon by then but it seems most effective to continue developing relationships online and wait until January to visit them. My role in Saudi and Sudan is becoming more clear but please keep praying for even greater clarity. God used the visit to Saudi to cause me to think more about the potential for using native speakers and chatbots in social media evangelism. Please pray for this around the region.

Would you take 5 minutes to pray for these brothers? After reading my prayer requests, you may assume that I have some kind of pastoral role in their lives but I don't. I tell them that I want to be one of their many "good friends" and an "older brother in Christ''. I encourage them to share these prayer requests with an elder in their church. For most of them, it is easier for them to share these things with a foreigner whom they don't have to see on a weekly basis.

I send specific prayer requests via text every week or so. When I'm overseas for 3 weeks, those texts are sent daily and include the names of the guys I'm meeting with. If you would like to receive these prayer texts, reply to this email with "I'm in!" You can always say, "I'm out" later and it won't hurt my feelings.

My mission/vision here.

May Your Kingdom Come

I'm writing from Cairo, Egypt. It has been a good trip but a little sad since our youngest kids got covid last week, then my wife tested positive. Her symptoms have been mild and she has lots of help but it's hard to be so far away. I'll be home soon. 

On my previous trip to the Middle East in May I visited Sudan, where we lived in 2006 and '07 but had to leave after our residency visa was denied. A multiple-exit/re-entry visa for Sudan is not looking possible in the near future. On this trip, I was able to visit a country that I had not visited since 2011... Saudi Arabia. We never lived there as a family but I was traveling to and from KSA to visit the Muslim guys with whom I was engaging in gospel conversation online. In 2012 and '13, I served with a team of mobilizers under the Saudi Advocacy Network, mobilizing the church to reach the 100,000 Saudi students who were studying in the US at that time.

Saudi has changed a lot over the past 10 years. Women now drive, the religious police have much less authority, and I was able to get a multiple-exit/re-entry visa online in a few minutes! Would you ask God to give me wisdom as I process whether or not to add KSA to my itinerary on regular trips to the Middle East? I desire to do so but my role there is unclear for now. Israel is still not open but a Jordanian friend introduced me to several brothers from Irbid with whom I will begin connecting online. I was advised not to visit Lebanon on this trip.

Summertime

Would you take 5 minutes to read this article about modesty?

Conversations online with Sudanese brothers are going... okay. I will most likely not visit Sudan during my September trip but may reconsider if I am able to get the multiple exit/re-entry visa. Please pray for this. It is still not clear whether or not Israel will be open to individual tourists by September. Pray that I would be able to visit friends there in Nazareth like this couple, as well as wisdom whether or not to pursue developing relationships in nearby Irbid, which is Jordan's second-largest metro area.

We are grateful that a friend allowed us to use his lakehouse at Rough River last week for a couple of days. All 8 of our kids were there. Kendra and Trent are busy with their photography business. This will be Sam's last year of running while completing grad school. Anna will graduate from college next summer. Max just got promoted to a supervisor position at UPS. Heidi soon begins her last year of high school online and is working at Wal-Mart. My wife and I prayed for summer jobs for Petra (15) and Henry (14) and God provided! Nehemiah (12) is playing on a homeschool soccer team. The three youngest are all attending a classical school three days a week and running for the Homeschool Tommies cross-country team. My wife will move from being a 4th-grade assistant to teaching KG this year. Lots of swimming at grandparents, cornhole, basketball, fishing, and watching Little House on the Praire this summer.

Taxi Accident In Beirut But Recovering Well

Near the end of my trip to the Middle East last month, I was involved in a taxi accident in Beirut. The elderly driver and I were taken to the hospital but sustained no major injuries. I'm still very sore in my shoulders and neck but PT and massage are helping. A friend in Beirut sent me this news report of another vehicle accident at the exact same location two weeks after my accident. Please offer a prayer of thanks that my accident was not serious and my injuries were minor compared to what I initially thought they were. The single American brothers who hosted me helped with meals, transportation, and allowing me to continue my meetings with Lebanese brothers in their living room.

Please continue to pray for my discernment regarding the feasibility of future trips to Sudan coupled with online conversations with approximately 35 younger Sudanese church leaders whose quality of internet service varies. I'm testing this now and over the rest of the summer.

And if you have five MORE minutes to pray :-) would you pray for these brothers in the Middle East?

Visiting Sudan After 13 Years

From 2006 to 2008 our family lived in Khartoum, Sudan. I was denied a residency visa and therefore had assumed that I should not try to visit. After government changes over the past 2 years, Sudanese pastors assured me that I could visit without bringing unnecessary attention to them. It was a wonderful visit! I stayed in a small hotel in the middle of the market where I spent most of my time the first year learning how to share the gospel in Arabic. To get an idea about what the market is like, you can watch my 5-minute commute to work here. Pray for a few Sudanese believers to have a vision for social media outreach (through Facebook advertising) now that sanctions against Sudan have been lifted. Pray for gospel-centered Sudanese families to plant reproducible churches among all Sudanese peoples. Pray for discernment regarding the feasibility of future trips coupled with online conversations with younger Sudanese church leaders who may have weak internet.

I also visited Cairo, Alexandria, Amman, and will return home soon from Beirut. Pray for ongoing relationships online with the 100+ guys that I have met with individually over the past 3 weeks.

Hear God Speak?

Do you remember the popular Bible study from the early '90s called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby? It was the first Bible study in which I ever participated. I was 18 years old. From the beginning of the study, it was assumed that born-again believers could somehow hear the "voice" of God. Well, I am no longer persuaded that believers should assume that God “speaks” to us through our thoughts. I have this conversation often with brothers in the Middle East, where the hyper-charismatic movement has influenced many churches.

When God spoke to people in Scripture, it seldom happened and it was clearly God speaking because it happened in supernatural ways (audible voice, angels, vision, donkey). I see nothing in Scripture that says that He cannot still speak to someone in a personal, supernatural way today. Yet trying to subjectively discern whether or not a particular thought we have is the "voice" of God is never prescribed or even described in Scripture, except for the inspiration of Scripture itself as mentioned in 2 Peter 1:21.

Some might say, "But the Bible doesn't tell me who to marry, where to live, or which career to pursue. I need to "hear" from God on those things." James 1 tells us to ask God for wisdom. Romans 12 tells us to discern the will of God by renewing our minds and testing. Philippians 1 tells us to pray for discernment. Then, God will give us the wisdom to make decisions that we ourselves discern will glorify God, along with our understanding of Scripture.

I've been sharing the Arabic version of this short article about "God told me" with several Arab brothers. Would you pray for them to have biblical clarity regarding the "voice" of God? Pray also for traveling mercy to four Arab nations next month.

More Zooming

I received the single-entry visa for Sudan but there are just too many complications to travel to four Middle Eastern countries right now. Almost ten separate PCR tests would be required, flights are limited and expensive, and my Arab friends seem to have varying comfort levels when it comes to visiting with someone who has traveled internationally from a "red country". Thank God for Zoom! Would you take 3 minutes to read here how you and your church can partner with churches in Lebanon to provide relief to so many who are suffering there?

Speaking of Lebanon, please pray for a brother there. He was pursuing a young lady in marriage but she recently ended the relationship, primarily due to some trust issues related to his lack of online purity. He now has online protection and accountability but... he is heartbroken. He also recently took on a different role in full-time ministry online which gives him more opportunities to share the gospel abundantly and follow up with seekers face-to-face.

A few more thoughts about "no grounds for divorce" here.

No Biblical Grounds For Divorce?

Looks like I will need to wait until at least February to visit the Middle East. I'm still waiting for my passport to return from the Sudanese Embassy in DC. Plus, Lebanon just entered a 3-week lockdown due to COVID. So more zooming.

 
In my conversations with Arab brothers, we discuss many issues related to the family. We don't often discuss divorce and remarriage because it is not as prevalent in Arab culture as it is in western culture. I've been persuaded by Pastor John Piper here that there are actually no grounds for divorce, not even adultery. He says that the exemption clause of "sexual immorality" mentioned twice in Matthew is related to fornication during engagement rather than adultery during marriage. However, I'm open to interpret the relevant passages of Scripture differently if persuaded otherwise. (You can view Piper's longer version here which I don't completely agree with.) Also, what would qualify as "sexual immorality"? Does a believer have grounds for divorce if their spouse kisses someone else? What about if they look at pornography daily? Or once? Even though I interpret the Bible to say that neither adultery nor abuse is grounds for divorce, counseling and a redemptive separation would be needed until repentance is proved.

Would you pray for a born-again Egyptian friend who recently committed fornication but is engaged to another woman? I don't think that he is taking this as seriously as he should. Also, would you take a few minutes to pray for these brothers?

For the past few years, I have prayed (but not enough) for a tech-savvy believer who could turn something like this into an online assessment of Christ-like character for counselees. Would you prayerfully consider forwarding this idea to any tech-savvy believers you think could help?

Grateful

For 25 years now, I have been financially "freed-up" to serve in ministry full-time. My wife and I say "thank you" to so many of you who have supported us over the years. Your donations have allowed her to homeschool 8 children. We understand that our arrangement of being under the authority of our local church without a mission organization or a monthly salary is unusual. Yet you continue to entrust us with the stewardship of a portion of your Kingdom dollars.  We are also grateful for those of you who pray for the Arab brothers in our e-newsletter from time to time, and especially for the 75 of you who are praying for specific requests weekly, even daily whenever I am overseas. 

Let me tell you about an Egyptian brother named Samuel. We met 10 years ago when his older sister was in the homeschooling group. (How is it that all roads lead back to this group?!) In his late 20s, his life's ambition was to be a missionary. He is now planting house churches among Syrian refugees in Iraq! Two weeks ago he was stateside and passing through our city, so he stopped for an overnight visit. No mention of a fiance... then recently he tells me that he is marrying an American girl who also serves in Iraq! Please pray for Samuel and Lindsey as they return to Iraq to make disciples among the unreached.

This week I sent my visa application to the Sudanese Embassy. Would you pray Romans 8:28 over my possible trip to Sudan, Egypt, and Lebanon next month? Complications abound.

Possible Visit To Sudan

Recently, our president facilitated the recognition of the nation of Israel by the Arab countries of Bahrain, UAE, and most recently, Sudan. We lived in Khartoum, Sudan for 2 years but were denied a residence visa in 2008. Now that its long-time president has been ousted, Sudan is trying to remove itself from the US state-sponsored terrorism list that it has been on for the past 27 years. I hope to visit old friends there in December, as well as be introduced to several younger pastors with whom I will develop online friendships and visit twice a year. I hope to visit Egypt and Lebanon on the same trip. Unfortunately, Jordan is requiring a 2-week quarantine. Would you pray for God's perfect will to be done regarding travel and visas for this complicated trip?

Last week I zoomed with a wonderful Egyptian father. As a college student, he was trained by Cru on how to share the gospel with the Ms. That led him to find oil work in neighboring Libya, one of the most unreached countries in the Arab world. After years of serving there and even recruiting a few Egyptian families to join them, he led his family back to Egypt due to increasing instability. His wife is now part of the homeschooling group that I mentioned last month. They attend the Brethren Church which is known to be open to 1 Corinthians 14-style congregational participation but not known for outreach to Ms. He told me that he wants to learn how to discipline his young kids in a way that pleases God so I sent him this.

Lebanon Relief

Over the past 16 years of serving in and out of the Middle East, one of the more difficult things to discern is how involved I should be in the process of financially supporting Arabs in full-time or part-time ministry. This has been especially difficult in a country like Egypt, where our US dollar has great buying power. However, if this financial support consistently comes from wealthier western believers, the local Arab believers will be tempted to consistently neglect the biblical principle of giving to support their own ministries. Yet it seems like there should be an appropriate way that we can give. This 1-page document is my attempt to do so. I send it to Arab leaders who request financial support. I also ask them to respond to my points about financial stewardship in both the introduction and part 1 of "reproducible churches".

While there is no biblical precedent for cross-cultural financial support of church leaders, we certainly have a biblical precedent for cross-cultural financial support in times of crisis. 2 Corinthians 8 describes how the Gentile churches not only financially supported the believers in Judea during a famine but found great joy in doing so. Can the same be said for each of us American believers during this pandemic? Are we “begging earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints” (verse 4)? I beg you to read about this important opportunity currently among the churches in Lebanon.

Church Like A Family

my wife's mini-farm

A professor at a seminary in the Middle East introduced me to an Arab student who desires to plant house churches so that even believers from a Muslim background can attend. He grew up in a Catholic family but was saved after seeing the change in his older brother's life as he began attending an evangelical church. He is married with 2 young kids. When I asked him about his ministry passion, he said, "Rather than seeing 1,000 people in my church, I want to see 1,000 house churches." He asked if we can meet online every other week. In the past 2 conversations, we have discussed my fatherhood questionnaire. Pray for this brother, as well as these other Arab brothers.

I want to invite any of you to visit our house church here in our city. Of course, you may continue attending your church but just know that we meet at 10:30 am on Sunday mornings. We are currently team-teaching through the book of Acts, then the guys and ladies separate to pray for each other. We eat the Lord's Supper as a full meal and kids play together outside.

Coronavirus and Christ

In 5 minutes read Piper's "Coronavirus & Christ" at bit.ly/coronachrist

It is important for Christ-followers to be humble during this pandemic. It is tempting to let our insecurities get the best of us in one of two extremes. Not only the insecurity of the fear of the future but also the insecurity of wanting to come across to others like we know more than we really do. May God give us the grace to take captive insecure thoughts and make them obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5), finding our ultimate identity in Him. He knows what will happen and He will be using it for His glory and our good (Rom 8:28). But we must define "good" as being conformed to Christ's image (v29) rather than defining it as "comfortable" or "easy" or "going my way". Let us pray for our governing authorities (1 Tim 2:2), assuming that they are doing the best job possible with the counsel they are receiving.

Thanks for asking God to move some of my Arab "acquaintances" to become "friends". He actually has been doing that! The strict lockdowns that many of my Arab friends are under have given them more time to connect online. I've been reminded that video chat is more than a little better than audio-only. It's a lot better! Please pray for these brothers and see their updates. Also, pray for our house church as several families are moving from our city and we have faced some challenges.

Iron Sharpens Iron

A younger Egyptian brother told me today that he appreciated my ministry of "serving in the shadows". He described my ministry well. Though I promote many things like reproducible church planting, biblical parenting, and abundant evangelism online, I'm mainly focused on "personal ministry". Paul Tripp defines personal ministry in his book Instruments In The Redeemer's Hands as "the careful ministry of Christ and His word to the struggles of the heart that have been uncovered by good questions from a committed friend." With most of these younger Arab brothers, I'm only a "friend" by Facebook's definition. More like an acquaintance. Friendship requires logging lots of listening hours, doesn't it? In these weeks of quarantine in the Middle East, through online conversations, would you ask God to move some of my acquaintances to become friends as we sharpen one another by God's grace?


Our son Sam is living with us while finishing his junior year in college online. Our younger kids are homeschooling 5 days a week rather than two. Now may not be the best time, but let us know if you know of any work opportunities in our city between now and the end of summer for our 16 and 14-year-old girls and our 12 and 10-year-old boys.

A Typical Day

Some have asked, "What do you actually do?" A typical day for me usually begins at 5 am online because it is already noon in the Middle East. Breakfast with the fam then we read one of the 3 chapters from the Bible that will be taught by us men at house church that Sunday. Then I'm back online to continue relationships through conversations and messages. After lunch, I usually take a 20-minute nap. So much screen time means I need to do burpees, squats, run, walk/talk with my wife, or shoot basketball with the kids in the church/school gym... which is a huge blessing. My schedule is very flexible... which is another huge blessing. I usually finish my work online at 6 pm then walk 30 seconds to my home for dinner... another huge blessing! In the evenings we might play games (current favorite is Monopoly Deal), sing these worship songs, or watch these videos. For a few hours each week, I usually visit a few friends to discuss family or church or missions. Saturday is the day off so we do fun stuff... anything but screen time.

Click here to see prayer updates for 12 friends/leaders from my December trip. I leave next week for 3 weeks in the region, including 4 days at a conference to connect with leaders from the Middle East and North Africa to discuss shepherding in the home and in the church. Please pray for these conversations and for relationships to continue online.

Jesus of Nazareth

Merry Christmas from where it all began with the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary... Nazareth, Israel... where Jesus grew up. Tourists and families walked downtown last night with Christmas paraphernalia everywhere. It makes me wonder... what % of the Muslim majority of this city have ever truly understood the purpose of the annunciation, sinless life of Christ, crucifixion, and resurrection. Evangelicals here are less than half of a percent of the population. This trip has been good. I return home tomorrow. Would you take 5 minutes to pray either once or regularly for these 12 friends/leaders in the Arab world? I will update this document if God allows me to see any answers to these prayers.

Some American brothers in the region are doing an EXCELLENT job finding Arab seekers online. Would you click here and support them either financially or prayerfully?

Morocco and Tunisia

This coffee shop in Tunisia offers customers a swipe of roll-on deodorant. How kind!

Whew! The dialect of Arabic in North Africa is very different from the Middle East! But the main problem is that I just don't know the Arabic language well enough, in general, to communicate with Moroccans and Tunisians at the level of family counseling. I need to first improve my Egyptian Arabic. Also, North African believers are already gathering in smaller, private churches due to persecution. It seems to me that God would get more glory if I invest more of my time encouraging believers in Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon to embrace reproducible, biblical principles for gathering. Pray that God will give me discernment regarding when/if I should return to Morocco and Tunisia. Pray for the opportunity that I now have to serve 60+ missionaries and a few English-speaking North Africans online in family ministry and counseling.

One of the Tunisian leaders simplified his Arabic for me. When he was a teen, he and 3 of his friends began asking a lot of questions about their religion. This led them to meet a young lady who was already a believer. God saved all 4 of these friends together, making the discipleship process much easier. One of them is now married to that young lady! Please pray for this leader who wants to connect me with a few younger, believing fathers who speak English well and can train other parents.

Are You A Good Person?

Did you know that Hudson Taylor, pioneer missionary to China, was saved by reading a gospel tract? How can giving someone a small piece of paper bring that person to faith in Christ? Because the gospel itself "is the power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16).

For the past 20 years, I have tried to develop the habit of not missing an opportunity to hand this gospel tract to anyone that I interact with. I usually say, "Here is something to read when you have time." There is also this 6-minute video version of the same tract. I am now trying to develop the habit of giving it to believers also, encouraging them to develop the habit of sharing the gospel also. But let us not use gospel tracts as an excuse for not engaging others in gospel conversations. Whenever I think I might see the person again, I usually say with a smile, "I'm going to ask you what you think of this message the next time I see you."

A Lebanese man in full-time ministry wrote to me, “I kept the copy of Shepherding A Child’s Heart that you gave me and bought more copies that I gave to my friends.” In the past week, I have visited brothers in Nazareth and in 3 cities in Jordan. I am now in Egypt and will go to Beirut next week. Please pray that those who have completed this parenting questionnaire will follow through on their personal commitments to learn and promote biblical parenting.

Change In Sudan

Protests in Khartoum, where we lived for 2 yrs, led to the ousting of Sudan's dictator in early May.

A few days a year, we get to be with all 8 of our children at the same time. Easter was one of those days! Kendra and Trent are busy photographing (now videoing) weddings. Sam recently qualified for NAIA track nationals in Gulf Shores, AL where we will vacation next month. Anna is rowing and wrapping up her classes. Max turns 18 this week & is pursuing a different full-time job. Heidi just purchased her flight to visit friends in Jordan in July. Petra finds joy in household chores and serving each of us. Henry is really into rollerskating. Nehemiah is really into fishing. My wife is really into teaching at a classical school, walking, eating healthy, Sam’s track meets, and looking forward to moving nearby. Please pray that it would be soon. Details coming later.

Please pray for the following....
1) an Egyptian in full-time ministry who is struggling to parent his 2 young sons.
2) my Iraqi neighbor with young children who is open to faith conversation.
3) an Egyptian pastor whose wife is beginning a homeschooling group in Cairo.
4) a Syrian engaged to a Lebanese girl who wants to serve in children's ministry in Lebanon.
5) Sudanese refugee church leaders deciding whether or not to return to Sudan and when.
6) accreditation options for the homeschooling group in Alexandria, Egypt.
7) two street preachers in our house church as Derby & other events approach.

"Can Anything Good Come Out of Nazareth?"

Most of my meetings are at the Nazareth Baptist School, established in 1937.

I am writing from Nazareth, Israel where Jesus grew up. Nazareth is the largest predominately-Arab city in Israel. Approximately 1% of them would consider themselves to be born-again or "evangelical". Someone once said about Jesus, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" (John 1:46). Would you pray now that reproducible churches of gospel-centered families would come out of Nazareth into Galilee, the Holy Land, and throughout the Middle East?

Thanks for praying for my family while I was away. We video chat daily while I am away or else I miss too much happening there. Thanks also for praying for the 5 North African brothers whom I met with at a conference at the beginning of this trip. I am seeing God's hand of grace in each one of those Kingdom-building relationships. Brothers from Morocco have invited me to promote biblical parenting there. They asked if I would speak at a gathering of parents from their network of churches. I suggested that they identify several couples that I could invest in over the next few years who would eventually begin modeling, promoting, and teaching biblical parenting in their churches themselves. Would you join me in asking for wisdom regarding the timing of when to begin visiting new countries? I also have been invited by a house church planter in northern Iraq to train Syrian and Iraqi parents who are new believers.

North Africa

On my way to the Middle East next month, I will attend a gathering that focuses on Kingdom expansion in North Africa. Would you pray for these brothers below whom I met last year and have continued a relationship with online, as well as new brothers whom I will meet?

1) two Moroccan brothers who want to promote biblical parenting among the churches they serve.
2) a Libyan brother who is discerning whether or not to return to Libya now that his family is more accepting of his faith in Christ.
3) a Tunisian brother also interested in promoting biblical parenting among churches there.
4) a Moroccan brother asking for prayer for his marriage.
5) an Algerian brother who will not attend but is asking for prayer for his health & his weight.

Winter activities for our kids include street hockey with neighborhood kids, basketball & chess club, attending a church with neighborhood kids on Wednesday nights (date night!), roller skating, and spending time with older siblings. Pray for my wife as she juggles all of this while I am overseas.

Smaller, Participatory Churches

Our current house church

Since we began house churching in 2005, it has been challenging. Not just because we have moved 13 times since then and have attended 8 different house churches, but also because these churches have functioned more like a family than a worship service and... as we all know... relationships are messy, challenging, sanctifying..... and worth every minute of it. The primary reasons we model and promote smaller, participatory churches are 1) Kingdom expansion through churches that are more reproducible, 2) more thorough discipleship through participation, 3) knowing & loving one another more thoroughly, and 4) stewarding financial resources more strategically. Read more here.

Currently, we meet weekly with approximately 15 other adults to eat the Lord's Supper together as a full meal, teach one another from the 5 chapters of the Bible that each of us have studied over the past week, then the men share prayer requests & pray together while the women do the same. We recently met to finalize elders then discuss giving, church discipline, speaking limitations for women, authority, and reproducing another church soon. Sound messy? It is. You are welcome to visit. We alternate between Sunday morning and evening. Pray for our church but also for my Arab brothers with whom I am also having this conversation daily.

I send a few specific prayer requests each week via text or email. Email me at kizfam@gmail.com if you are willing to pray with us.

Please delete 502 712 1988 and use 502 445 4985 to text or call me.

Recent Trip to Jordan, Egypt, & Lebanon

It was a privilege to teach on biblical parenting at Heliopolis Community Church in Cairo. Sermon here. 

It has been a good trip to Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. I'm on the way home now. Let me tell you about one guy I sat with. I was visiting a school for Syrian refugee kids from Muslim families founded by a wonderful ministry in Lebanon. When I asked the principal if there are any male teachers, she introduced me to the only one. Emad is about 30 yrs old and started teaching the Arabic class 2 weeks ago with no classroom experience. We talked about the difference between discipline and punishment when dealing with the students and looked at Hebrews 12 together. His dad died in the civil war when he was 1 yr old. Though he has been saved for the past 8 years, he says that he has never had a spiritual father in his life. When he told me that he prays in tongues over each classroom every morning, we talked about the gift of tongues while affirming our unity in the gospel. Later I sent him this article about tongues to consider. Though many of the mothers of the Syrian students attend the weekly church service, very few dads do. Emad is praying for a partner to go with him to visit the fathers in their homes. Would you pray with him for such a partner, as well as for a spiritual father in his life?

When I found out that the booklet Help! He Is Struggling With Pornography has been translated into Arabic, I bought a bunch of them while in Egypt and gave one to each of the brothers whom I met with on this trip. Egypt has one of the highest percentages of porn viewers in the world. I explained to my friends how I have asked 3 older Christian men if I may confess to them if I entertain a lustful thought beyond a few seconds. Repenting of the sin of lust immediately makes it much easier to resist the temptation. Pray that these brothers would walk in purity and help other brothers do the same.

Shaykh Sanders!

What percentage of Kentuckians, during their lifetime, do you think will hear the gospel in a way that they can understand it, and have a born-again friend? Of course, we can only guess but most people to whom I have asked that question say around 90%. I agree. Kentucky has the 2nd highest percentage of evangelicals in the US with 49% (Tennessee 51%), though certainly not all who claim "evangelical" status are born-again believers.

I've asked that same question to 5 career missionaries in Saudi Arabia. Three of them guessed that "1%" of Saudi Arabs will hear the gospel in a way that they can understand it, and have a born-again friend during their lifetime. Two of them said "single digits", so less than 10%. This is the tragedy of the unreached, most of whom live in the 10/40 Window. Jesus is not receiving the worship that He deserves among them. All Arab people groups are unreached since less than 3% of their population considers themselves to be "evangelical", except Egyptian Arabs at 4%.

For the past year, I have been using the app HabitShare to hold myself accountable to form several habits. For example, one habit is "less than 20 minutes a day on Youtube and none after 9 pm". Every evening I rate myself "red" (failed) or "green" (succeeded) for my 8-10 habits. If I were able to share my habits with friends, I would be more motivated to succeed! Would you try using HabitShare by downloading the app, creating a habit or two, sharing them with me at kizfam@gmail.com, and rating yourself daily for a week or so? I'll share a few of mine with you too. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" ~ Proverbs 27:17

Just before we finalized buying the home near our kids' homeschool co-op, someone told us about the possibility of a low-rent home in the same area, possibly available in a few months. Pray that God's will be done regarding this rental home. Also pray for my visit to friends in Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon in late November and early December.

Listening & Moving

When I served with a sports ministry for 8 years, many times I would walk into one of the 30 schools I served, ready to challenge the coaches & teachers to take their ministry to the next level. Yet after sitting down with a coach for a few minutes, I would realize that he needed someone to encourage and listen to him. By nature, I am a good challenger. I can have a wonderful plan for your life! I'm realizing more and more that my role is to be an active listener, a good friend, and then challenging them will naturally come out of me later. It was a joy to listen to, encourage, and challenge approximately 45 men during my 10 days in Egypt last month. Please ask God to give grace to me and my Egyptian tech partner as we fix problems related to the chatbot that trains parents biblically.

This was my 3rd trip to the Middle East after moving from Jordan to our home state. Since trips are going well and our younger children are settling into the homeschool community, we think we should purchase a home here in our city. I can see us growing old in that home, as long as the wifi keeps me connected to the Arab world and I can keep going back there every 3 months! 

Naz, Amm, Alex, & Cairo

It has been a great trip so far. I spent two days with my good buddy Noy Castillo in NYC prayer walking and encouraging missional families there with the biblical principles of Shepherding A Child's Heart. They now are reading the book and sharing one thing they want to obey from each chapter with each other via Whatsapp. I then spent two days in Nazareth, Israel visiting pastors and leaders for the second time. Then I spent six days in Amman, Jordan seeing both old friends and making new ones.

I'm writing this on a flight to Alexandria, Egypt. We lived there in 2010 and were part of the homeschool co-op group of Egyptian families. In God's gracious timing, they will have their annual retreat on two of the four days I am there! I will also attend a half-day of training in biblical counseling in Cairo. Finally, the country director of Cru has invited me to attend their 3-day staff retreat. Pray that "as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another" as I spend time with these young dads.

Only 25% of my conversations in Nazareth & Amman were in Arabic because they know English better than I know Arabic. However, in Egypt, I anticipate that it will be more than 50%. Please pray that God gives me the ability to understand, express myself clearly, and not tire easily.

Finally, please pray for my wife to manage homeschooling, teaching/coaching at the classical school, serving in our refugee community, & now a bedbug infestation, all while I am not there.

Preparation

This month is the Islamic holiday of Eid Al Adha, a celebration of Abraham's deep trust in God. During this time is the pilgrimage to Mecca. Watch the video here and join our family and thousands of other believers around the world who will be praying and fasting for Muslims during this time.

August is a month of preparation for our family. Kendra is preparing to get married to Trenton at the end of this month. Sam has worked all summer on his campus and is preparing for his cross-country season. Anna is preparing to take classes and be on the rowing team at the local university. Max is working at McD's and preparing to enlist in the Air Force. Please pray for some lab results related to his military medical process. Heidi, Petra, Henry, and Nehemiah are preparing to attend a classical school three days a week while homeschooling two days a week. My wife is preparing to coach cross country at the classical school and will be an assistant teacher two days a week. I am preparing for my next trip to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt at the end of this month.

Since 150 of you opened the link from last month's e-newsletter regarding smaller, private churches but only two of you actually commented on each point, I assume that it was too long. See the much shorter version here.