Wednesday 3 June, 2009

World
Politics
Middle East

Barack Obama speaking at a campaign rally in Abington, PA

By Charles Gardner

With President Obama due to send a conciliatory message to the Muslim world on his visit to Egypt this week, he is clearly hoping to ease tension in the Middle East in general and Israel in particular, especially with the apparent escalating nuclear threat of Iran, committed to destroying the Jewish state.

But Mr Obama shouldn’t pin too many hopes on a quick fix (judging from his BBC interview this week he doesn’t) and could learn a lesson from the experience of German evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, who caused a serious riot in Kano, Nigeria, with a planned gospel outreach there back in 1991.

Bonnke has written an account of his narrow escape – and how the largely Muslim city went up in flames with many killed – in a book entitled Even Greater, a chapter of which he has recently sent out to supporters of his Christ for all Nations mission.

The booklet – Into the Lion’s Den – seems to serve two purposes, reminding people of the power of Pentecost and at the same time of the strength of opposition to the Christian faith, especially from Muslims.

Everything had been set up for their mission back in 1991 when, inspired by mullahs, many of the Muslim faithful went on the rampage, attacking Christians along with their churches and businesses. Bonnke himself, whose image had been posted all over the city to publicise the evangelistic meetings, was the chief target. And a hasty evacuation was arranged, with Bonnke and his team miraculously escaping with their lives. Unfortunately many indigenous believers were not so fortunate. And the evangelist, who has seen 54 million people turn to Christ (mostly in Africa) during his extraordinary career, became persona non-grata in Nigeria.

He kept persevering and praying, however, and after eight long years was re-admitted to this vast country, teeming with 140 million people. In due time he returned to Kano, the scene of carnage and devastation on his earlier visit, and was greeted by a crowd of over a million on a single 25-acre site where he preached the gospel with great power.

Bonnke records the thinking behind his initial mission to Kano: “In order to follow God’s vision of a blood-washed Africa (redeemed by the blood of Christ), I knew that sooner or later Christ for all Nations would have to penetrate Muslim strongholds in the northern part of the African continent… For that reason, the northern part of Nigeria represented a test case for us. It was home to the kind of fanatical Muslim resistance we would eventually meet as we pushed further north.”

When he finally returned, a massive 1.6 million people gathered to hear the gospel in a single meeting with well over a million of them registering decisions for Christ. And in six days of preaching, an astonishing 3,450,000 accepted Jesus as their Saviour.

I have just returned from an anniversary weekend trip to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales where, on a visit to How Stean Gorge in Upper Nidderdale, my wife Linda and I were both struck by how apparently stagnant water can suddenly become a torrent.

We watched fascinated as a wall of rocks initially held back a large body of water, keeping it still and calm until its force and weight finally broke over the defences. But once it overflows there is unstoppable momentum. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit in this way as “rivers of living water” in the heart of man. But the Christian faith, empowered in this way, stirs up fierce opposition, as I was also reminded at the weekend by the suspicious activities of a couple of apparently fundamentalist Muslims taking photographs of the reception area of a popular café linked to an ancient Christian site.

All too aware of the terrorist threat in this country after my brother was badly injured in the 7/7 attack on the London Underground, I reported the incident, which was a stark reminder that we are engaged in a continuing battle between light and darkness, and of how much we need the armour, and wisdom, of the Holy Spirit to equip us.

Clever arguments or appeasement will not deal with the Muslim threat to our way of life. But we can rely on the Holy Spirit sent from God to continue Jesus’ work.

Photo: Bbsrock