How Barack Obama and ISIS helped start people-group evangelism with Muslims

How Barack Obama and ISIS help start people-group evangelism with Muslims.

Three times so far in various places in Pakistan, Muslim people have gathered in large groups to meet Jesus.  How large?  250,000 to 750,000!  (Imagine a group of people, standing, 3 miles wide and deep.)  When the call to accept Jesus was given, about 80% of the attendees raised their hands.

This is the first time I know of where Islamic evangelism worked the powerful, most effective “people group” way.  When families and clans have the opportunity to accept Christ in toto, together, without fear of being ostracized, then conversion becomes a spiritual act alone, rather than a spiritual and social decision.  (The social part is typically a show-stopper.)

Before, evangelizing a Muslim meant the new convert must practice Christianity secretly – with the continual risk of losing families, jobs, friends – essentially everything if found out.   Now Pakistani Muslims can accept Jesus into their hearts and stay with their families, and keep their jobs.  

This is an amazing breakthrough in world missions, utterly unprecedented.  There are three key reasons why this is happening.  First, Harold Eberle (Worldcast) is broadcasting a very solid evangelistic message into Pakistan (and the entire Middle East) in a popular radio program twice a day.  Second, ISIS.  Third, Barack Obama.

The ISIS part is fairly obvious.  Many Muslims’ confidence in their own religion has been shaken to the core by the blatant evil atrocities of ISIS.  

The Barack Obama part is more subtle.  According to Eberle, the #1 reason Muslims stay Muslim is “my father is Muslim.”  In the case of Barack Obama, his father clearly claims to be a Muslim – but the son, the leader of the free world, consistently proclaims his Christianity.  Many Muslims have concluded:  “If the leader of the free world can do it, maybe it’s OK for me as well …”

Here in Colorado Springs most everyone I know is an Obama-bashing evangelical Christian.  When I brought up the above in my Tuesday men’s group, the leader (my friend) didn’t even want to hear it.

Which got me thinking about Daniel.  Would your average Evangelical Christian want to work whole-heartedly, as to the Lord, for Barack Obama?

However bad you think President Obama is, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was 100 times worse.  Yet Daniel found a way to work with him, and if we follow the Biblical account, it appears Nebuchadnezzar is in heaven today (Daniel 4).  

In fact, God used the same wicked Assyrians to bring one of the most evil of Judah’s kings, Manasseh, to repentance (2 Kings 21:13 ff).  The account starts “They captured Manasseh, put an iron hook through his nose, bound him in heavy bronze chains…”  

Years later in 605BC, Daniel was likely treated the same way, with the distinct possibility that he was castrated as well.   Yet he found a way to go beyond mere survival to have HOPE (e.g. Daniel 2:16) in God’s faithfulness while working with one of the most egomaniacal tyrants in all of history.

The point:  In working with Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was doing exactly what God wanted, even if it deeply offended the right-wing Jewish sensibilities of his day.  And God advanced the Kingdom of God through the evil Assyrians – even today, when we study Daniel or Jonah or the Prophets.

The same must be true for our kids – they must be willing, able, and wise enough to work with “evil” people (Rom. 3:23) while staying true to their faith, and even bringing bosses and colleagues  to saving faith in Christ.  I firmly believe that all our Obama-bashing does not set the right example for our kids.  Whatever he believes, Christian or not, evil or not – God is using Barack Obama to advance His Kingdom.  And so, as commanded in scripture (1 Tim. 2:2), we pray for him. 

Harold Eberle has written over a dozen books.  Christianity Unshackled is perhaps one of the most important, but I can hardly wait for his 800+ page systematic theology, which will be out in a few weeks.

(c) 2015 Dan Krause GraceWorks Ministries All Rights Reserved