CHRISTIANITY IN ISRAEL: 5 facts that will surprise you
Following my previous article on the Church in Lebanon, I received questions about why I “never report on the church in Israel.” Although I have frequently discussed the Church in Israel, I felt this comment warranted a more comprehensive approach to help Christians gain a deeper understanding of the body of Christ in Israel. I believe that a thorough exploration of faith in Israel will also shed light on the broader challenges faced by Christians in the region.
FROM TRAGEDY TO ATROCITY: Standing with the Church in Gaza and Lebanon
If we don’t share the pain of Christians in Gaza and Lebanon, we are either not part of the body of Christ or we suffer from diseases called spiritual leprosy and spiritual AIDS.
DEMONIZING THE ENEMY: Israel and the manipulation of shadow projections
Holocaust and Genocide never, repeat never happen without lies about an evil “Other.” A single human being may hurt, or even kill, another human being. But in order to kill a hundred, a thousand, and certainly hundreds of thousands, the victims must be turned into something sub-or nonhuman. This is how the manipulation of shadow projections operate
COMPLICIT CHRISTIANITY: How Gaza is shaping missions in the Middle East.
Complicit Christianity, pro-Israel advocates who support the military engagement in Gaza, will ultimately lead to the extinction of the Palestinian Church, the increase of persecution for local believers and a decrease in regional mission activities. The influence of Western Christian leaders and their vocal commitment to the destruction of Gaza could be compared to the Crusades which started in the 11th century, and will be equally devastating for the future of missions endeavours in the Middle East.
LEBANON: The People’s Reaction to the War.
At diaLOGOS (www.dialogos.co.za) and The Third Way, we are grateful to have friends, partners, and co-workers in regions that are impacted by the current conflict in Gaza. One of our partners currently serving as a diaLOGOS field journalist in Lebanon, wrote the following report:
DENYING THE TRUTH BY DEFENDING IT: A lesson from Peter, the man of three swords
So, there I was, Peter, the man of three swords, the only one standing between my Master, his enemies and his imminent crucifixion (John 18). Just me, my sword and my short temper. My loyalty knew no bounds and I knew I would be tested in a level not tested before. And I was resolute not to fail. You might just qualify as a defender of faith as well and just like me you might miss more than the target, you might miss the point. In my loyal zeal, by defending the truth, I actually denied Jesus. Got that? I denied who He was, what He came to do, and why He willingly surrendered His life. By defending the truth, I actually denied it.
A COLLECTIVE CALL TO THE GLOBAL CHURCH – from Middle East Evangelical Leaders
We, Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Lebanese, Syrian, and Iraqi evangelical leaders representing various churches and Christian ministries, warmly invite our brothers and sisters in the global Church to engage with us, listen to our stories, and together acknowledge the power of unity and the gospel to transform our broken and divided region.
A Christian Response to Evil in Israel/Palestine
Defining evil in politics is notoriously complex. While politicians often reduce evil to ideologies, extremism, or oppression, the Christian point of view delves deeper. Christian theology views evil as a fundamental flaw in human nature, rooted in a broken relationship with God. This understanding shapes a radically different approach to addressing evil.
BE STILL: A Christian Response to an Olympic Offense
My friend and ministry partner for the past 3 decades wrote me a message responding to my Facebook posts after the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games with the following request: “Mike, you’ve been telling us what NOT to do on Facebook, now tell us what to do”. So, Bennie, brace yourself brother, this is not for the fainthearted … Spiritually there are three guidelines: 1. Add an AND 2. WWJS 3. Mission impossible: show some respect.
I FEEL I HAVE TO SAY THIS: I apologise
I feel I have to say this: I want to issue a public apology to all people who witnessed the knee-jerk reaction of so many Christians after the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games. I want to publicly state that the Christ of the Bible was not the Christ that you witnessed on Social Media. And I will tell you three reasons why I say that.