Presidential candidates can register beginning tomorrow until June 3. There will be a brief time to campaign before the election.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Iranian voter turnout — a litmus test for election confidence — has decreased significantly. Only 8% of voters participated in the final round of parliamentary elections in Tehran, just one week before Raisi’s death.

In recent elections under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the pool of candidates who can put their names on the ballot is extremely limited. Moderate and reformist opposition candidates are blocked.

Lana Silk, CEO of Transform Iran, says, “An election in Iran, for the last 40 years, hasn’t been free. It’s been incredibly controlled. So that sounds to me like some kind of meaningless charade to put another puppet in place that will continue to carry Khamenei’s will.

“Of course, there is a constant power play happening and internal struggles with people trying to vie for positions of authority. And that will be interesting to watch to see who lands in those significant positions.”

Raisi was Khamenei’s protege and essentially next in line for the role of Supreme Leader. Whoever steps into the role of president in Iran will have notoriously large shoes to fill.

“In countries like this, when new people take on positions of authority, they want to make their mark. They want to be known for something and everyone wants to have significant actions associated to their role,” says Silk.

“So for now, with the way elections are controlled and with the way who gets to even run for election [is] controlled, I don’t see anyone more moderate coming into that role. I see it only becoming more and more hardline.”

(Photo courtesy of Transform Iran)

As they head towards another election, Iranians need hope. Transform Iran uses various media resources to connect with Iranians and point them to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

Check out Transform Iran’s ministry here.

Silk asks, “Pray that they hear the Good News, pray they connect with the message, and pray for us to continue to be able to minister to them, disciple them, and strengthen them as the Church grows in Iran.”

Header photo of Tehran, Iran. (Photo courtesy of Mohammad Amirahmadi/Unsplash)

The presidential election results are still being contested by opposition parties, and emotions were high going into gubernatorial elections.

Most reports of violence and voter intimidation came from the southern parts of the country in areas with majority Christian voters.

Greg Kelley with World Mission says, “During the election itself, this ruling party deliberately disenfranchised communities and targeted primarily the Christian communities. Voters were terrorized to stay away. We have firsthand accounts across the country of reports of being terrorized.”

(Photo courtesy of World Mission)

Nigeria is deeply divided between the Christian-majority south and Muslim-majority north. Christians who find themselves in dominant Muslim territory are often attacked by Boko Haram extremists and Islamic Fulani herdsmen.

Kelley says, “The Islamic agenda is not just emphasized, but aggressively installed throughout the hierarchy of the governmental system, which really causes a lot of problems because if you’re Christian, you’re persecuted from a business standpoint, from a family standpoint. Of course, we know about the Boko Haram activities going on.”

The winner of Nigeria’s presidential election last month, Bola Tinubu, is a Muslim, as is one of the other top three presidential candidates. The third candidate, Peter Obi, is a Christian.

President-elect Tinubu has made statements recognizing the threat Boko Haram poses in the country. But Nigerian Christians are wary, given Nigeria’s lackluster political history.

“They’re really quite honestly not looking at it so much from Christianity versus Islam. They just want a godly, moral leader in place, and Nigeria has just been carnage because of all the attacks and atrocities that we’ve been hearing about in the north by the Boko Haram [and] Fulani herdsman. There has been zero accountability. If there were a Muslim in power who was holding them accountable, quite honestly, Christians would be fine with that. But the Islamic agenda is being so rammed down the throat of the people in that country, it’s just really leading to a terrible place.”

However, Kelley reminds there is not just physical conflict taking place. There is a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12) for the hearts of Nigerians and their leaders.

“I think we can get caught up in the politics of it, but if you were to ask a Nigerian Christian and say, ‘What is the answer to Nigeria?’ they would say prayer.”

These disciples of Christ are passionately sharing God’s Word in North Eastern Nigeria.
(Photo, caption courtesy of World Mission)

Kelley says, “We have to be praying for the change of hearts. We don’t like what these people are doing. We don’t like being oppressed. We don’t like being victimized. We don’t like being persecuted. But when it’s all said and done, Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, not whoever happens to have the temporary title of president of Nigeria.”

World Mission works with Nigerian believers to distribute solar-powered audio Bibles called Treasures. Ultimately, it’s the Gospel that will change hearts. Much of their ministry efforts are focused in northern Nigeria.

“The southern part of Nigeria does not need the Gospel. It doesn’t need our international mission investment. They are very strong, they’re stable,” says Kelley. “We need to get the Gospel and put our energies and resources and deploy them into the northern part of Nigeria. So for people who are involved in missions, we need to start thinking that way. We need to be praying that way.”

Pray for Nigeria’s new leaders to walk in wisdom. Ask the Lord to open Nigerians’ eyes to His love, justice, and truth. Pray for the people to know Jesus Christ as King.

You can donate to World Mission here.

Header photo courtesy of Emmanuel Ikwuegbu via Unsplash.

Nigeria’s current President Muhammadu Buhari is finishing his last of two terms and will be stepping down in May. Although there are 18 candidates running for president, the frontrunners are considered Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

One of the major discussions surrounding the election is northern Nigeria’s growing insecurity and radical Muslim violence. Minority Christians in the north are often the target.

Greg Kelley with World Mission says, “The frustrating part of it, I think, when you look at it internally is that the government within Nigeria is not holding anyone accountable, so the atrocities continue. The people continue to suffer.”

(Photo courtesy of World Mission)

The two presidential candidate frontrunners are Muslim, and they both vow to defend religious freedom in Nigeria. Will anything improve for Nigeria’s Christians with new leadership? Time will tell.

For World Mission though, hope does not rest in political postures but in getting the Gospel to northern Nigeria.

Most ministries focus their efforts in southern Nigeria where it’s safer, and where there is also already a Christian majority. Kelley says, “There are major churches, what we would consider mega churches in the southern part of Nigeria with zero mission emphasis on taking the Gospel into the northern part.”

However, World Mission works with believers to reach the volatile northern region with solar-powered audio Bibles.

“The strategy becomes finding Muslim background believers who have come from the Kanuri and the Fulani and the Hausa who were formerly Muslim and who have had an encounter with Jesus. They’re the ones who are distributing our solar-powered audio Bible in literally dozens of different languages — sharing the Gospel in these places, in many instances, for the first time in history because there’s just not a missionary emphasis.”

(Photo courtesy of World Mission)

Pray for the Gospel to spread through northern Nigeria and changes the hearts of those who have committed radical violence.

Kelley says, “We need to pray for the maturity of the Body of Christ as it relates to Nigeria and some of these other African areas where there’s a refusal by the national leaders to take the Gospel where it’s not been.

“Then, those people that are doing it, we need to pray that God would continue to give them courage and boldness as they are taking the Gospel into the most hostile places you could imagine.”

You can also directly support this work by giving to World Mission here.

Header photo of Nigerian flag, courtesy of Emmanuel Ikwuegbu via Unsplash.

But let’s pause for a second. Is it ever acceptable for a Christian to be anxious? And if the candidate we voted for doesn’t get elected, is it okay for us to despair?

Carl Moeller of Biblica describes what a godly response looks like after the results are in.

Step one: Self-assessment

There’s no denying this was a difficult election. That’s an understatement. Given the choices, every Christian taking their faith seriously has faced a moral dilemma.

That’s because the top candidates are, as Moeller puts it, morally challenged on many levels.

He says, “The character qualities of a godly person are very, very different than the character qualities we see in our politicians today, especially the main presidential candidates.”

But our future, even on this earth, is not hopeless. It all begins with perspective. Start by asking yourself where you’re at this moment.

“One of the most important factors in any election season is: what are God’s people turning to for security and assurance? I can tell you this, if you turn to your Facebook feed, you’re not going to get confident assurance about the future.”

But, he continues, “I’m convinced the Bible presents to us a pattern for how we can actually move forward in this very confusing and difficult season.”

Moeller says God’s Word fits our needs no matter the situation. It helps us remember this world is not our home. And now we come to the second step of a godly response.

Step 2: Remember

So, let’s take a look at Scripture. Moeller points out Romans 13:1 which says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (ESV)

This is probably not first time this past year that someone has brought this verse to mind. But are you taking it to heart?

“The way in which we respond to authority and those in power, first of all, has to be seen through the fact that God is sovereign. He’s in charge,” Moeller says.

So before we despair that our party has not been elected, we need to pause and remember God is not constrained by human mechanisms. Nor is His power portrayed through the strength of mankind. When we forget this, we worry.

“God is not moved off His throne one bit in relation to the chaos we find ourselves. And yet, because we’ve invested so much in the political process and put our hope and our trust in that process, we frankly find ourselves very nervous and very scared about the future because the future looks quite bleak when we look at the candidates we have.”

Step 3: Pray

Voting is open until late this evening. After that, it’s over. So when we wake up tomorrow with a new president elected, what can we do?

Consider this. Moeller says don’t look to social media. Don’t turn on the television, and don’t even celebrate if your candidate has won.

Instead? Pray.

Pray for those who have been elected, pray for those in power. Pray in faith, not fear. God can do so much to change our perspective while we engage in conversation with Him.

Step 4: Live it out

If we are serious about remembering God’s truth through Scripture and praying, this next part becomes possible. In a culture that is increasingly counter to the Gospel, we can follow Jesus.

“I think this is a wake-up call to the Christian Church, regardless, again, whoever wins this election, for us to live more like Jesus Christ in a culture that is obviously not embracing the Christian message as we do, as believers.”

If we don’t trust the Bible to speak to our needs, we won’t read it. When we don’t read it, we lose perspective and become ineffective.

Moeller believes by reestablishing our Biblical worldview, we’ll trust the Holy Spirit to work through us to redeem our culture. Clearly it’s not happening through the political process.

“The Bible is, more than ever, our road-map through the confusing, conflicting times. We don’t have to go very far — we can go to the New Testament and look at the first-century believers who lived in a culture where they literally were being arrested and thrown into prison simply for preaching the Gospel. So if they can live their life joyfully before Jesus and before a watching world, we certainly can.”

In other words, we can successfully be the salt and light in a decaying and darkening world. And that means we still have a platform from which to share the Gospel.

“I believe the confident assurance God’s Word gives us — to walk humbly, to love mercy, and to do justice around us while a world that may be hostile to Christianity thinks we’re irrelevant — I think it will be, ultimately, the salvation of those we love around us and we care for, and a redemption of our culture.”

To learn more about the resources at Biblica, click here.

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia/CC)

This cycle has been a historically ugly campaign that has dragged on for over a year.  The result is the majority of voters are disgusted by the state of American politics.  A last minute New York Times/CBS News Poll reveals doubts loom large over whether we can put the angst to rest after the votes are counted.

Vicious attacks and counterattacks are plastered all over social media feeds along with posted links to articles ‘proving’ a poster’s point.  What’s more, among Christians, the arguments are visceral.  Civil discourse quickly unravels to castigation and snide comments and often ends with a contemptuous ‘smh’ (shaking my head).

The reality is religious beliefs do influence how people vote, but fewer Americans are going to church these days.  Fewer still Americans are reading their Bibles on a regular basis, according to studies released by the Barna Research Group.  Popular media influence heavily sways about 20 percent of religious people headed to the polls tomorrow.

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia/CC)

What does any of this mean?   The outcome will have long-lasting impact, so it’s not to be taken lightly. This is the reality, says Chris Ruge, director of Prayercast, a sister ministry to Mission Network News. “There will be very real consequences for the way we interact with our government and the way we’re viewed by the rest of the world, and the influence we have.  We need to pray and go into that polling place very near to God, trusting in Him to use us for His purposes.”

However, as followers Jesus, there is an intellectual assent to the idea that the White House cannot save America — that no leader in this country is our hope.  Heads nod when people say, “Our hope is in God alone.” But Ruge wonders, “Do we really believe that?  Do we live our lives knowing God alone is our hope, or do we earnestly fret over how this election is going to go, as if there was some fear inside that God wasn’t totally in control?”

It’s the difference between ‘religion’ and ‘faith’.

Old Pennstation, now a NY Post office. Taken by Frederic-JG Blanque : www.frederic-JG.com

The elections come on the heels of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.  So much is at stake for those naming the name of Christ in other nations.  The body of Christ in North America has been on its knees sharing the burden.  Reflecting on that, Ruge prays:

“…even now, Father, for Your will for our country. We know Your ways are higher than our ways, Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  We pray that You would reflect Your power and authority in what happens, not only in this election, but (also) in what happens Wednesday and Thursday and in the weeks, months, and years to come, as well. We pray for all of the candidates, that they would soften their hearts; that they would know You are God, and that they would fall before You in humble submission. God, for Your glory and for the good of Your people around the world, this is our prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

USA (MNN) — Yesterday, we talked about the United States Presidential Election and our nation’s crisis of hope in its wake. Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries challenged Christians to be known, not “by our political affiliation or by our anger or by our anxiety,” but by our hope in Jesus Christ.

According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, hope is used in the Bible meaning, “To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.”

When we meditate on hope and trust in God’s sovereignty, it frees us to have thoughtful conversations laced with truth and love. It frees us to turn attention off ourselves and see our hurting neighbor. And it frees us to choose actions and words that share the hope we have in Christ.

Today, we want to look at some tangible, real-life examples of how we can be ambassadors of Christ’s hope to others.

Because deciding to embrace hope and express it to others is one thing. Actually choosing actions and words that are based in hope and reject despair with the people in our circles can be difficult.

Hope in… Our Hearts

Before we can effectively communicate hope and joy to others, we need to take a look inward, says Hutchcraft. And, first and foremost, hope comes with immersing yourself in God’s Word and being open to the Holy Spirit’s conviction.

“To bring it back to the least common denominator — How is my heart? How am I? I think if we encumber our Jesus-identity with baggage, be it some kind of political identity or we become known for things we are against rather than the Jesus we’re for, we actually poison the well.”

Hutchcraft says when we bring it back to our identity in Christ first, it refocuses our priorities on God’s mission.

“Our job is always to lift people’s eyes out of the moment and towards our Jesus.”

Hope on… Social Media

The next area of our lives we can display hope is often the area where we have the least self-censorship: social media.

Our posts feel safe. They feel bold. But often we forget about the friend or family member reading our words on the other side of the screen.

“Facebook is a battlefield right now,” Hutchcraft says. “It’s a political battlefield and it’s a very opinionated battlefield. The fact is, like on social media, in our everyday demeanor with people, we ought to be the person who lives like we know Who is really in charge. Whoever is in the White House, God is on the throne, and there is no doubt about that.”

However, saying “God is on the throne” is not meant to shut down posting or tweeting about hard topics, like wisdom in voting, or how policies affect our nation. But remembering our true hope in Christ can positively influence the tone of our posts, so we don’t comment from a place of desperation… which could lead us to say harsh things.

“Do we have concerns? Yes. Are we concerned about some of the dark currents in our culture and some of the dark clouds on the horizon?… Yes, I’m concerned about all those things. I live in that world. I’m not floating in another sphere somewhere,” states Hutchcraft.

“But by the same token, I know that my personal life and my family is anchored in a God who has been there for people through every empire, every ruler, every dictator, every depression, every recession, every war, every battle.”

Hope in… Conversations

So how can we, as Christians, respond when speaking with fellow believers who seem overwhelmed by fear and dread of the future?

Hutchcraft encourages us to a look at Psalm 11:3-4b: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.”

If you are searching for a handhold of hope to share in conversations, that verse is an encouraging reminder. “A lot of people feel like things that have never moved are moving now. But, here we go again, whoever is in the White House, God is on the throne.”

Hope in… Witnessing

Something that a large number of believers find difficult to do is explain their faith in God to someone who is not a Christian. But it shouldn’t be that way. And our culture desperately needs loving, hopeful witnesses for Christ.

“We already know that our culture is moving from sort of pro-Christian to post-Christian to now increasingly anti-Christian. The public platforms for the Gospel may be increasingly restricted. But 78 percent of the people who come to Christ do it through a relative or a friend. It’s because of a believer they know. And yet some have estimated that 90 percent of believers never tell about the hope they have. So those people are going to be lost because of our silence.”

Here’s one tangible way Hutchcraft says you can approachably share your hope and faith. And it doesn’t involve going door-to-door.

It simply involves listening to people, and then caring in the best way someone who knows God can: by praying for their needs.

Hutchcraft shares, “Over the years, when people have talked about the bad news from the doctor or the struggle in their family or their worry over even what’s going on in the world, I have — as prompted by the Lord and when there’s a private moment — said, ‘I’m going to be praying for you. I want you to know that, because that’s what I do when I’ve got concerns like this, or someone I love does. I take it to the most powerful person there is. By the way, would you mind if I started right now? Could I talk to God right now about what you talked to me about?’ I’ve never had anybody turn me down.

“When you do that, you are literally embodying the hope in your heart. And many times when I’ve opened my eyes, I’ve found tears in theirs because they’ve never heard their name in a prayer, and they’ve certainly never heard anybody talk to God out of their heart. You just had your relationship with God in front of them. You just had your hope in Jesus right there in front of them.”

Materials

If you’d like materials to learn more about boldly sharing your hope in Christ, check out Ron Hutchcraft Ministries on their website!

“Our ministry is committed, and my book, ‘A Life That Matters’ is all about this. Our training series, our 13-step video small group curriculum is about how an everyday believer can become a rescuer of the lost people around them. This is a passion of this ministry, to help God’s people be motivated and equipped to be the rescuer on their ‘stretch of beach’.”

You can also check on Ron Hutchcraft’s blog here.

Hutchcraft reflects, “I believe the individual believer is going to be, and is already, the primary messenger of the Gospel of Christ. Not a program. Not a website. Not an evangelist. Not a pastor. It’s going to be the everyday believer in the world where lost people are day-after-day. Guess what? We’re right back to the beginning of missions.”

From apocalyptic memes to the shredding posts on our Facebook feeds, there’s a tone of despair from this emotionally-charged election season.

Ron Hutchcraft with Ron Hutchcraft Ministries says, “Let me quote one of America’s leading historians I saw in an interview yesterday who said, ‘This is America’s wildest election in modern history.’… Every time we watch the news, it’s like, this is beyond belief! This is beyond description. This is beyond the pale. A lot of us have gotten anxious or discouraged or despairing or angry about this.”

The View from Higher Up

So what’s to be done about this despair in America today? Well, Hutchcraft has a few thoughts. But first, he takes us no farther than the streets of Manhattan to explain.

“I’ve driven to Manhattan a lot of times, and the streets of Manhattan are crazy. You’re pushed around by buses and taxis and surging pedestrians and you can get really unhinged by the horns and the screaming sirens and everybody’s so pushy.

“But if you go up to the top of the Empire State Building, you get the view from up there and you’re above all that mess and stress and it’s a pretty breath-taking view…. It all looks different from higher up.”

Similarly, says Hutchcraft, “I have found that this crazy, swirling, highly-charged, emotional time looks a whole lot different if you take the elevator to the top floor and begin to look down and see it through God’s window.”

A Crisis of Hope

Hutchcraft says right now there’s a crisis of hope in our culture. And Christians need to have a different perspective.

“One of the things I really believe God is seeing as He looks at this, and He wants us to see it as His people, is going to take us right to the very bottom line of what missions is all about. Remember, the charge was, ‘You shall be my witnesses.’”

God’s call for us be witnesses for Christ exists at all times, in every season, no matter what’s happening in our nation, or on Twitter, or in your office. The Great Commission has lasting implications for how you interact with others.

“That’s where God’s people become the hope carriers,” says Hutchcraft, “and this whole turbulent time is elevating the importance of the individual believer as the epicenter of hope for the people they know, the people they work with, the people they go to school with, the people they are in a club with, whatever it is.”

Not Just a ‘Pollyanna Perspective’

Sharing Christ’s hope isn’t a trite answer, and it’s not a call to disengage from the real world. Yes, resolutely participate in the political process, but with hope. Humbly submit to authority and petition for needed changes, but with hope. Meet up with friends and acquaintances to talk about the agonizingly hard and authentic things in life, but with hope.

Hope is raw, it’s real, and it’s what our neighbors need to hear from us now.

“The people around us, they’re seeing apocalyptic things that may happen, they see unsolvable problems, a culture that’s unraveling, leaders — no matter which leader — they all seem to have all kinds of baggage that seem to limit them as leaders in our eyes.”

Hutchcraft says, “We heard from Peter in the Bible that the magnet of a Christian is supposed to be their hope. He said in 1 Peter 3:15, ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.’

“What is it that’s going to make people interested in our Jesus? It will be that we have hope in the world where it’s hard to find. And we know that hope has a name…. The Bible says about Him in Hebrews 6:19, ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ Where are you going to find that anchor these days? The hope isn’t the beliefs you have, it’s not the church you go to, it’s not all those meetings you go to, it’s not the rules you live by. It’s a person. It’s Jesus.”

You are the Living Proof

But what does that even mean? To radiate the hope of Christ?

Hutchcraft reflects, “To me, the definition of hope is things you never thought could change, can change. Things you never thought you could handle, you can handle. Because of Jesus.

“So, right now, you are living proof that through Jesus, a husband or wife can change.

“You are living proof that a parent can change or a lonely person can change, that a depressed person can change, that a temper or an addiction or somebody who’s an ‘all about me’ person can change.

“You are living proof that there’s Someone who can give hope when the doctor can’t.

“You are living proof that there is hope for a ‘hopeless’ marriage.

“You are living proof that there’s hope at the depths of grief when you’ve lost the most important person in your life.

“You are the living proof.”

In closing, Hutchcraft shares this thought: “My view from higher up says to me and to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, this isn’t a time to be known by our political affiliation or by our anger or by our anxiety. It’s a time to be known for our hope.”

Check in tomorrow as we continue with part two, talking about how to tangibly express Christ’s hope in our day-to-day interactions in a tumultuous post-election season.

The Washington Post recently published an article saying many evangelical Christians feel abandoned—not by a candidate but by a party. And Christians who do not agree with the remaining candidates on either side feel they are left to choose the lesser evil.

Carl Moeller of Biblica agrees it’s a tough call. However, he has some words of advice for Christians that could be helpful in the coming months.

The old rules don’t apply

People typically vote within the same party year after year because they agree with its main values and goals. But, regardless of which party that may be, it’s not guaranteed to be a safe way to vote.

Within each major party, candidates have a spectrum of values, something which is especially apparent this year. There is room for the candidates to have personal goals that are not contrary to the party’s main values, but which would oppose personal convictions of the voters.

Photo courtesy of DonkeyHotey via Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/axjAxe

Moeller says, “I think we need to be convicted that our moral stances are not subject to a political process but that we vote our conscience and that we vote and we stand for candidates who will support our moral convictions.”

Researching candidates: it matters where you start

It’s important to make an informed decision when voting. You might start by researching some of the fundamental disagreements between candidates. What do they believe about abortion, same-sex marriage, taxes, etc.?

But for Christians, that’s not the best place to start. We need to make sure we know how we stand on those issues by knowing what God thinks about them. And we can learn what He thinks when we read His Word and spend time in prayer.

“It’s high time that Christians spend more time in their Bibles than on the political websites and watching political television. Then when we’re invested in the political process, we’ll actually be able to have something of value that we bring to that process,” Moeller says.

This is not to say that Christians should withdraw from the political process or vote blindly. Rather, they should view the situation through a Biblical lens.

“It’s really important for evangelicals to remember that ultimately the ends that we serve— the Kingdom of Jesus Christ—are not served by political means.”

Hope is not found in a candidate

Within the Christian community and within both major parties, some have pulled so aggressively for their candidate that they forget their candidate doesn’t hold the fate of this country in his or her hands.

“As Christian followers of Jesus Christ, as evangelicals who are committed first and foremost to His Gospel, our Hope is found not in the political process, but it’s found in God’s Word and it’s found in God’s will,” Moeller says.

If we put our hope in man, we will be disappointed. If we expect positive, radical change to happen through government, we will be frustrated.

The biggest cultural impact we can have

Shannon McGee via Flickr. https://goo.gl/iXJvlT

Regardless of how you vote, if you vote, and who wins this election, our calling is the same. That is, to live for Jesus, and to tell others about him. Furthermore, it’s to exemplify Christ’s love in our lives by loving other people.

“If we live a life that is so dedicated to serving Christ that we actually serve our fellow man and woman as a result, well I think that’s the best political process we can be engaged in.”

Moeller says that even people who disagree with Christian beliefs will notice that we are not driven by a political agenda but an agenda of God’s love, and that might make them take notice.

Biblica

Biblica is an organization that is driven by God’s command to share the Gospel around the world.

“At Biblica we’re anything but political. We’ve said for over 200 years that the most important thing that Christians can be doing is getting God’s word into people’s hands and hearts so that they can meet their real Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be changed and join His mission for the world.”

You can support Biblica here.

Homepage photo credit: Becky McCray via Flickr.

President Goodluck Jonathan (Photo via Wikimedia commons, public domain.)

Nigeria (MNN) — Whether you’re pondering what you to get your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, or rebelling against the holiday altogether, consider this: presidential elections in Nigeria are taking place February 14, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: What will Boko Haram do to try and stop them?

Already, tension is building. The Islamic militants have stepped up their game of violence. Just minutes after President Goodluck Jonathan left a campaign rally earlier this week, a suicide bomber blew herself up.

We spoke to Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs to get some background on what this would mean for Nigeria as a country and for Christians.

He says, “As we come into the final days of the campaign, heading into the election on Valentine’s Day, both presidential candidates are saying, ‘Hey, I’m the guy that can take on Boko Haram. I’m the guy that can restore order,’ and Boko Haram is doing their very best to prove ‘nobody can control us.'”

Currently, the militants are pushing up into Maiduguri to gain control of the city.  They’re expected to continue ramping up attacks in the days leading up to the election.

“It really seems like, as we head into the final days of the campaign, that it’s not looking good for law and order,” Nettleton says.

The two presidential candidates, President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, are using the discussion of Boko Haram in their campaigns. People just want the violence to stop.

Mr. Jonathan comes from the South and is a Christian. He claims he can control Boko Haram. But many are asking how–after four years of growing violence–he could do anything different to change the situation.

Mr. Buhari is from the North and is a Muslim. He also says he can break the violence of Boko Haram.

Nettleton says regardless of who is elected, they will need help from the military. The scary thing, according to Nettleton, is that there have been repeated reports and allegations that some members of the Nigerian Military are sympathetic to the Boko Haram.

For now, the election itself is in jeopardy. If the communities where Boko Haram is most active are prohibited from voting, it could threaten Mr. Buhari’s vote as these communities are Muslim.

West Africa Aid

Meanwhile, according to Voice of America News, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Benin are contributing troops to fight back Boko Haram. The number is 7,500. Cameroon and Chad especially have been helping Nigeria fight the Boko Haram. They reportedly killed 200 militants in a battle outside of Fotocol on Tuesday this week.

However, Boko Haram once more attacked Fotocol a day later and killed over 70 people.

What about you?

Nigeria (and Cameroon)  may seem far away for most of us. We might have a hard time connecting with the politics or even understanding their terrors. However, there is something we can do regardless of where we are.

“As far as the Church is concerned, this is something that really needs to be a significant item on our prayer list because they want some of the same things that we want here in the United States,” Nettleton says. “They want the freedom to gather and worship safely. They want to be protected against radical Islamic terrorists that would come against the Church, that would come against Christian schools and other schools. And, they want law and order.”

There’s another item you can pray for. As the tension builds and the Boko Haram threat grows, a couple of new trends are rising.

The first trend is that churches are more security-conscious and paying better attention to who’s entering their buildings.

The second trend, though we’ve discussed it before, is always encouraging. Nettleton explains, “I think it’s also created a little bit of a new hunger for the Gospel. There are Christians that are taking their faith more seriously because they recognize the closeness of eternity; they recognize the fact that we’re not guaranteed tomorrow.”

And it’s not just current Christians who are becoming excited about the Gospel, either. Many we would consider moderate Muslims are turning to Jesus because of what radical Islam promotes. They’re not interested in a religion that encourages them to kidnap girls and bomb churches and schools. They are open to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus.

“I think that’s another thing we can pray for: that there will be that hunger and that openness in the Muslims of Nigeria as they see what radical Islam really means,” Nettleton says.

SAT-7, a Christian satellite television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa, is airing a series called Wars and Faith, featuring many presidential candidates.

(Photo Courtesy of SAT-7)

Earlier this month, the seventh election event failed to see full participation from lawmakers. The eighth session is scheduled for July 23.

The indecision in Parliament is made worse by growing threats to the country from Lebanon.

Last month, ISIS claimed responsibility for a string of suicide bombings, according to the Associated Press. On Monday, a Lebanese military prosecutor charged 28 people for belonging to ISIS and planning attacks within the country. ISIS reportedly has vowed to take over Lebanon.

The Daily Star says that leaked documents indicate that ISIS is planning more attacks in the country. Iran is offering to help Lebanon fight against the threats of ISIS.

Meanwhile, the country is having difficulty selecting a new president, with resistance on all sorts of fronts.

Marking the occasion of Lebanon’s presidential elections, SAT-7 produced and is airing Wars and Faith (in Arabic, Haroob wa Iman). The powerful 10-episode series features interviews with presidential candidates. Presenter Hiam Abou Chedid, a renowned actress and TV presenter, asks the politicians about their experiences living and leading in the war-torn country.

(Photo Courtesy of SAT-7)

Wars and Faith takes viewers beyond politics, to the personal aspects of candidates’ lives. They discuss everything from childhood memories to marriage, and how they see their relationship with God in the future. Each episode includes a confession segment, allowing guests to admit mistakes they have made.

Production Manager Maroun Bou Rached says, “The series will promote peace and show that there is a second chance with God. It lets Christians see that leaders also need Jesus; He’s not just a Savior for ordinary people. Everybody needs Jesus.”

Guests included:

Dr. Samir Geagea (leader of Lebanese Forces Party)

General Michel Aoun (former Lebanese Army Commander, Prime Minister, and leader of the Free Patriotic Movement)

Sleiman Frangieh (leader of the Marada Movement and former President)

Dory Chamoun (son of a former president and leader of the National Liberal Party)

Amine Gemayel (former President)

(Photo courtesy of SAT-7)

Two interviews, in particular, recounted life-changing experiences. Dr. Samir Geagea, the former leader of a Christian militia, shared that his 11-year prison sentence was what led him to consider spiritual issues and think about eternal life. It was only after the Syrian Army entered Lebanon and imprisoned Geagea that he started reading the Bible and growing closer to Jesus.

Another guest, Sleiman Frangieh, lost his entire family during the civil war. He testified that he has now forgiven his family’s killers and even ordered the release of the person who killed his sister.

Wars and Faith quickly attracted the attention of local industry leader, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC). LBC purchased and aired the groundbreaking series on its own network, multiplying its reach to a wider audience.

Lebanon’s National Assembly will elect the next president for a 6-year term. Elections began on April 23, 2014, but thus far, no candidate has secured the 86 votes required for victory. Another vote is expected to take place this month.

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Here are some more stories about SAT-7.