22 Responses

1. *Hand clap and virtual standing ovation*

   Okay, so how do you top yourself? I dunno…but your doing it! LOL

   These last two episodes of real missional reporting within the “belly of the beast” and how God is sovereignly using what was intended to be evil and oppressive through ISIS instead is what we see as the great working of God for his glory is awe-inspiring! I just love this! Did I say I love this? No, I really, really love this! LOL

   I am so encouraged and not in despair about how MSM portrays the gloom and doom of those within the Middle East and we in the west are powerless to make a difference. Your last two episodes show that is as far from the truth as it can be and most in the church is not even aware of it! Yes, it is important to discuss current events in relation to biblical prophecy and you should when warranted, but it is reporting like this is what give believers hope to know that God is not done with the Middle East and is working mightily to help those in darkness and willing to help as the Holy Spirit so lead them.

   Such an inspiring episode and so glad your willing to share it with your regular posters on your web site!

   Blessings

2. Glad you loved it. Billy and his family, as well as their partners Tim (featured in Sheep Among Wolves) and his family are so well worth our support.

3. could you please give link to the websites that were mentioned in this video – the sound is a little off and I would like to go to the correct link. Thank you. We have been praying that we would know who to be a part of the solution and help with the refugee situation and this seems to be an answer to those prayers. I love what I heard!

4. http://therefugeinitiative.org

   http://worldorphans.org/the-refuge-initiative/

5. Joel,

   I ran across this on FB and I wanted you to see it. Do you see this as accurate in your travels among the churches when you speak? Many are seeing this on social media and I thought you might wanna know about it.

   http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/12/07/the-middle-east-events-that-have-79-percent-of-evangelicals-convinced-that-the-end-times-are-nearer/

   Blessings!

6. Excellent comment about Jesus including judas, never considered that in regards to the isis challenge.

7. Joel, I love this too. Billy’s approach that builds self reliance and indepenence is the best way to do any poverty alleviation program. This is especially true for refugees who have a history of being independent and only recently lost their means of support. In combination with Antecessor.com (Balkan Ministry)that you shared with us previously, your listeners have a choice of several ways of “doing something” to help the refugee crisis.

   We should all consider helping with local Christian refugee resettlement programs in our local areas as well. There are many of these available. Developing a relationship with these families puts the refugee crisis and Christ’s love for the “least of these” in proper prospective IMO.

8. Thank you Joel for faithfully providing us with these deep insights. I am especially grateful for how you look at prophecy responsibly. This has helped me to read God’s Word more carefully.

   We as a family have been praying for the persecuted church around the world. Our biggest challenge is finding specific churches/people groups to pray for. Would you be able to make some suggestions on who we could pray for?

   Thank you so much

   Brad in Manitoba, Canada

9. Hi Joel,

   I have heard and read a lot of your teachings and support you very much.

   However, I find it difficult to agree with what you are saying now. I know that as Christians we are to give of our lives but surely we have to consider national security because it isn’t just our lives at stake but others in our nations also who may not know the Lord and may die from being blown up or gunned down as has happened in Paris recently.

   So how do you balance between helping refugees and protecting our nations? Are the lives of refugees more valuable than the lives of our own countrymen and their children?

   – Jacqueline

10. I just wanted to comment that these last two videos have been a terrific challenge to me. They have opened my eyes to the reality of God using crisis to bring those who desperately need to hear about Jesus to parts of the world where His messengers can reach them. The videos have put faces on those who are doing His work with the refugees, and have helped me to more fully appreciate the stories behind the refugees themselves. With that said, I also think there is a very fine line here when it comes to political considerations. The state has a God given mandate to restrain evil from my understanding of Romans 13. That would include preventing those intent on spreading evil from entering our country, and I think we need to keep in mind that the calling of our politicians may be different than those in the mission field. I’m conflicted, to be honest, on how we as a nation need to approach this crisis!

11. Thanks Nelson.

    Yes, there is much we can do for sure. It’s truly my honor to be able to help put good folks in front of my audience to give them the opportunity to partner in what the Lord is doing.

    Amen. Bless you bro. (PS, you show is coming up here in the next three weeks.)

12. I have been thinking about the refugee situation for a while now. I have observed that academics have engaged in it from an all or none perspective. Christians and politicians have been caught up in both extremes as well, that is, we either help refugees and need no security in place or we close our borders completely.

    I think that God is creative and has creative solutions. Maybe we shcould ask Him for creative solutions.

    The solutions presented by this video is great for Northern Iraq. What is the solution for the rest of the world when both extremists and political Islam is trying to take control?

13. @Jacqueline-

    I know you are addressing questions to Joel, but I want to talk about at least one questions you raise. First, Jacqueline, I want to admit to you that I am scared. My “flesh” doesn’t like the way things are going at all. I have to be real with God and my brothers and sisters in the faith and admit this fear. It is the only way, I think, that He may deal with my weakness in this area and make me bold.

    I think Joel’s point is that since we citizens can do nothing to stop the inflow of refugees, we had better be showing them the love of the Savior. Our government has put us in a position (unwittingly for many) where we are, like it or not, ambassadors for Jesus to these people. What will their impression of Christ be through us? Are we communicating the message that the one true God is as hostile and unwelcoming as the places they have fled?

    Your question of “are their lives more valuable than ours,” to me, might be based on a (perhaps subconscious) assumption that they are mostly terrorists. Mostly, I have been told, they are not. Even so, of course their lives are not more valuable, but their souls are in eternal peril, so a Christian can argue better for us to die (once) than they do so (twice).

    This is not to say that some more practical laws should not be instituted, rather than the door thrown wide open. Joel is not answering the big question you raise of what our country’s legislation about refugees should be. He says, merely, that since the door has been thrown wide open, like it or not, we are now ambassadors for Christ to these people. It’s more a matter of making lemonade from lemons than it is a political discussion.

    As few missionaries have dared to go into the Middle East, perhaps those who have been chased this way can be reached with the Gospel. What an awesome opportunity. Evangelize some folks from the Middle East as they come to us; as the barbarism of the enemy defeats itself. 🙂

14. @Jaqueline-

    I want to make clear that I do understand, from your post, that you are embracing the idea that we Christians are to lay down our lives, but your concern is for the unsaved citizens of our nation.

    That is a deeper question, and I want to just throw this out there: most everyone in this nation has had opportunities to get to know Jesus. There is a stony heart problem here, both within and without the church. It could be that in reaching out to refugees with the extravagant love of Christ, fearlessly, we can heal our stony hearts, and maybe even the stony hearts of those unsaved citizens within our borders. They may finally see that the Gospel of Christ is not just talk if we can meet this challenge in a Christlike way…

15. Hi Joel, great video as they all have been. I’m feeling the urge to learn Arabic with the goal to communicate and evangelize to this influx of refugees we expect here in Canada. What is your opinion on which form or dialect of Arabic to learn to effectively dialogue with these people? Thank you for your time and blessings.

16. There are many dialects, but anything is going to be helpful. This is ideal:

    http://www.pimsleur.com/learn-arabic-eastern

17. Joel, are these episodes available in downloadable audio format so I can listen to them in my truck?

18. I do not have them available as such, but its actually pretty easy to use any number one of these many Youtube to MP3 file programs and just rip it from Youtube. Just be careful as some of them will give your computer a virus if you don’t have good antivirus.

    Just google Youtube to Mp3 and try those. Some work way better than others. They will give you an MP3 file that you can stick on an Mp3 player or burn to a CD.

    I hope this helps.
    Blessings!
    Joel

19. I really like Billy mentioning the refugees in Jordan too.
    Jordan has been taking in several million.
    I was just over there a week ago and confirmed this with one of the locals.

20. Thanks,Joel! I managed to download the videos to mp3 and got through episodes 1-21 on my trip. Need more input! (Meaning I’d like to know more – esp on the Russia/Iran/Turkey topic) Another question – can the film sheep among the wolves be purchased for download?

21. Glad it worked. Will talk more about Russia and such here soon. Yes, the Sheep film can be purchased for streaming. Not sure about download.

22. Principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness…

    2Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/opinion/political-dark-money-just-got-darker.html?ribbon-ad-idx=4&rref=opinion

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/opinion/sunday/a-fearful-congress-sits-out-the-war-against-isis.html

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/world/middleeast/us-foreign-arms-deals-increased-nearly-10-billion-in-2014.html

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraqis-think-the-us-is-in-cahoots-with-isis-and-it-is-hurting-the-war/2015/12/01/d00968ec-9243-11e5-befa-99ceebcbb272_story.html

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/world/middleeast/us-strategy-seeks-to-avoid-isis-prophecy.html

    Psalm 110:1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.