Pastor's Circle - Daniel Ketchum

In today's Pastor's Circle: Daniel Ketchum, Director of Nazarene Missions International. Dr. Ketchum talked about the Middle East and how God is moving.

You just got back from a prayer journey to Israel. What's that all about? 

We rented a car and prayed over the country.

 

We were meeting with several leaders, including Israeli government leaders.

If something needs to happen in the Middle East, what needs to happen for the Gospel  to move? 

We were praying that the hearts of both Jews, Arabs, Palestinians, Muslims, and other hate groups that are all over that nation would have their hearts and minds opened...to come to a personal faith of Jesus Christ.

 

We were praying that there would be an alertness...that people would wake up and be ready for when Jesus comes a second time.

 

When Jesus comes again, he's not coming for salvation; he's coming to gather those who believe in Him.

I fear we begin to mock the possibility that Jesus will come again. Do people around the world still yearn for the second coming? 

Oh, those a readiness that the Holy Spirit is pouring out. It's a gift of God to long and desire for the King to come back.

 

We're hearing stories and knowing people in Muslim faith, in Hindu faith, in Jewish faith who are seeing visions of Jesus.

 

He Himself is actually evangelizing the nations.

 

There is a longing and a readiness for the return of Christ.

One of the ways Christ works is through dreams. How does that work?  

Let me tell you one story, Matt.

 

A young man whom we actually met at a Bible College...his name is Ali, I won't mention his last name for security reasons.

 

He heard about Jesus when he was just a boy...but Jesus appeared to him when he was just six-years-old in a dream and said. "I am Jesus, the son of the living God, and I love your and your family."

 

He had learned he was supposed to resist Jesus.

 

When he was twelve, someone gave him a copy of the New Testament...he hid it.

 

He realized that this Jesus in the New Testament was the same Jesus who appeared to him.

 

He became aware that there was a denomination that had a school in Europe.

 

He wanted to go back to the Muslim world and share Jesus...that's what he's doing today.