​MannaBooks –  the free mobile phone application that offers the ability to both read and publish Christian books and devotionals.
 
Launched in 2018, MannaBooks is a relatively new ministry based in Abuja, Nigeria.  Founded by Anthony Joseph and Gideon Oyediran, it is a non-denominational Christian ministry aiming to serve the whole Christian community.  

What makes MannaBooks different, and the reason you need to know about them, is the unique approach they have taken to publishing the gospel.  As their website explains, “Our mission is to make great Christian books available to the world.”  This goal is being accomplished in both established and novel ways.  First, MannaBooks produces a free app that works on any recent android smartphone (4.4 and up). The app not only allows searching their catalog for Christian books and downloading and reading them, but also provides access to tools and help for Christian writers to publish their work through the MannaBooks platform.

Looking at these aspects individually,  the MannaBooks app functions smoothly and with most of the “bells and whistles” that can be found on the best e-book readers.  It is a cleanly designed program and very straightforward to use.  Rather than just being lumped together in a jumbled “catalog,” titles can be selected from a number of useful categories.  The reader uses the ePub e-book format and displays books flexibly for comfortable reading, so font size, layout, and background color can all be customized.

Although selection is not yet extensive on this new platform, there are a number of good books already available (including all of our LivingBelief and TacticalBelief e-books) and more titles are being added all the time. Current titles include classics like The Pilgrim's Progress as well as works by  selected modern Christian writers.  All the books in the current selection are free, and although selected titles will be added for purchase as time goes on, free Christian books will always be featured. Audiobooks are also planned, as is an iOS application for iPhones. 

The second aspect of the MannaBooks app is equally impressive, and perhaps unique. The free services available through the app and website help Christian authors to prepare and publish their works. In an area of publishing already crowded with established authors, MannaBooks publication services can be a tremendous help for new authors trying to get their work out who may find it difficult to meet the costs associated with self-publication. 

Once written and prepared for publication, the app also gives authors a platform to share their books with a focused audience that will be interested in them.  Basic publishing services are offered free, and premium services like book distribution and editing, ePub conversion, cover designs, and ISBN registration are also offered to authors.  A book publishing arm of MannaBooks, where new titles that do exceptionally well on the app can be published physically, is also planned. 

For those not involved in Christian writing themselves, the MannaBooks app is still worthwhile in giving readers access to a growing array of Christian books and devotionals on the go. The app is great for use during commutes or at any time and is an excellent way to be able to have a Christian library with you without having to carry a bulky laptop or e-book reader. There is no cost for the application or for downloading any of its free books, which may be a blessing for many people around the world.

So this is an app that deserves to succeed in its goal of making Christian books available to people everywhere, and we might think about ways in which we can help bring that success about. MannaBooks staff members are working as volunteers to make the project possible, so consider contributing to MannaBooks to aid its development. Even by simply downloading and using the free app you can help support this worthwhile ministry.  By doing so you will have a dedicated Christian e-book reader on your phone with access to many free titles, and you will also be helping to provide an audience for Christian writers everywhere. 

You can download the free MannaBooks e-book app directly to your phone from the Google Play Store, here, and from the Apple App store soon.

Today, Sunday September 22, is widely observed as Freedom Sunday – a day dedicated to stopping the human trafficking and slavery that is rampant in the world in which we live. 

Many people think of slavery as something of the past, but the problem is far greater than is often realized in our own age.  It is estimated that there are now over 45 million people enslaved throughout the world – actually more than at any other time in history! 

Modern slavery is also incredibly widespread.  Slavery or human trafficking for the purposes of slavery has been detected in 167 countries of the world.  This includes Western nations such as the United States and Great Britain, but 58 percent of people in slavery are living in just five countries: India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. The International Justice Mission, which organizes the annual Freedom Sunday efforts, also lists Guatemala, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines as being particularly problematic.  Even this long list does not include totalitarian regimes such as North Korea where virtual slavery as political punishment and repression is also a fact of life.

Slavery can take many forms.  Although modern slavery includes people literally being owned by other people – just as in the past – it more often takes the form of people being exploited and completely controlled by others, without the possibility of escape. But in all cases it involves the use of kidnapping, trickery, lies or violence to force a person to work for little or no pay – often in demeaning and destructive circumstances.  Even apart from the physical dangers involved for those who are kidnapped or manipulated by traffickers, the psychological and emotional problems suffered by those enslaved are often devastating.

As a result of the horrendous nature and extent of the problem, many governments are acting to curb human trafficking and slavery, but the sad truth is that nowhere near enough is being done to truly eradicate this curse.  In countries where the problem is most pronounced, the governments themselves often turn a blind eye toward what is happening. Yet there is much we can do as individuals. 

Four Ways to Fight

Consider the following four possibilities for involvement in the fight against slavery:

Educate Yourself:  It is hard to successfully fight an enemy we know little about. But educating ourselves about modern trafficking and slavery is relatively simple and can supercharge our own desire to fight these evils.  Take a few minutes to read about the basic facts of slavery today by looking at the Wikipedia article on Slavery in the 21st Century  or at the information on websites such as those of Anti-Slavery International or International Justice Mission.

Spread the Word:  This weekend, thousands of churches around the world will dedicate part or all of their services to share stories and facts about the reality of slavery and to urge congregants to get involved in the fight.  If we have educated ourselves in relation to the problem, there are various ways (using social media, for example) in which we too can spread the word as individuals.
  
Support Organized Efforts:    Anti-Slavery International  and the International Justice Mission are leading the fight internationally against slavery, though there are other organizations also doing valuable work in this area.  Checking out their websites may give you ideas for ways you can support this kind of organized effort.

Pray:  Even if we do nothing else in the fight against slavery, we certainly can, and should, pray for those actively working to stop the problem at different levels, especially those working in law enforcement and international justice.  We can also pray for the eyes of those in positions of authority around the world to be opened to see the evil of slavery and what must be done to end it. 

Free the Oppressed

As Christians we should take seriously the many biblical injunctions to help those who are oppressed.  Isaiah 1:17  tells us: “Seek justice and defend the oppressed” and Isaiah 58:6 shows us that even our spiritual activity can be meaningless if we do not do what we can in this fight: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”  The fight for freedom is ongoing and applies just as much to us today as it did to those who fought to curb slavery in the past.

Does the Bible teach peacemaking (the avoidance of conflict when it is possible) or pacifism (the complete avoidance of conflict under any circumstances)?  It’s especially confusing for many people because some claim that the Bible teaches the first of these ideas while others claim it teaches the second.
 
Nevertheless, both the Old and New Testament give a consistent picture when it comes to this question, so rather than try to look at all the possible scriptures on the subject we can focus on one or two clear examples.  

In the Old Testament
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One of the clearest examples of the Bible's approach to this question can be found in the story of the patriarch Abram/Abraham – the “father of the faithful” as he is called (Romans 4:11) – and his nephew Lot. In Genesis 13 we read:

“… quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s….  So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” (Genesis 13:7-9).

We need to notice that this was not a simple parting of the ways of the two men.  The “quarreling” that erupted between Abram’s servants and Lot’s was apparently intense (the Hebrew is translated “strife” and “adversary” in other passages).  Although Abraham was the senior family member, he calmed things down even to the extent of allowing Lot to choose the best area and taking what appeared to be “second best” himself.  This is a classic example of peacemaking at its best – where someone in a position to act otherwise nevertheless shows humility and great flexibility in order to avoid strife.

But only a chapter later in Genesis we read that Lot and all his family and servants were subsequently taken captive by raiding kings of four nearby cities, and Abram’s response was quite different:

“The four kings …carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions … When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people” (Genesis 14:11-16).

So, despite Abram’s obvious desire to avoid conflict when this was possible, in circumstances where peacemaking simply would not have worked and people’s lives were at stake, Abram was willing and ready to use force.  The fact that Abram had trained men ready to fight* but only used them in such circumstances shows Abram was a man of peace, not pacifism.

In the New Testament
 
When we turn to the New Testament, we find this same attitude of avoiding conflict whenever possible – yet with the understanding that this is not always an option.  We find Jesus teaching: “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9), but also showing that while there are circumstances where the “sword” is not appropriate, there are perhaps others where it is (Luke 22:36).  But it is in the writings of the apostle Paul that the New Testament teaching on peace is most clearly laid out.

First, we should note Paul stresses that God is a God of peace (2 Thessalonians 3:16) and as a result he tells us “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace” (Romans 14:19).  But in the same letter to the Romans Paul also writes: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).   Here Paul clearly indicates that there are circumstances where it is not always possible to live at peace – as when we or others are attacked and need to defend ourselves. In such circumstances, as Paul’s words must mean, the responsibility of peace depends not on us, but on others.  If others will not walk peacefully, then the use of defensive force may become unavoidable.
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Pacifism claims that there are no circumstances where it is morally acceptable to resort to force, but the Bible nowhere clearly teaches this view and gives many examples of the defense of self and others. Certainly we should avoid strife as much as possible in every circumstance. The author of the book of Hebrews makes this clear in saying that we should “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone” (Hebrews 12:14).  But making every effort to avoid strife – loving peace and seeking peace wherever possible – is peacemaking, not pacifism. 

* For more information on the story of Abram's rescue mission, see our blog post "Allies, Preparation and Persistance". 

​Militarily, a beachhead (so named because it is often a literal area of beach on a sea coast) is an area that an army secures as the initial foothold in enemy territory. 

​Once the beachhead is established and reinforcements arrive, the invading army can then begin to extend its position and radiate out into the territory it seeks to capture. But it is vital that the beachhead be firmly established and controlled for expansion to occur.

One of the most famous operations of this type in modern history was the Normandy beachhead established on the French coast by Allied troops in World War II –  allowing the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe and the eventual overthrow of that dark regime in the countries it had conquered.  That beachhead cost the lives of thousands of brave soldiers, but their sacrifice made possible the invasion that brought freedom to multiple millions. 

Earlier in history, at the beginning of our present era, we find something similar occurred in the establishment of Christianity in Jerusalem and its eventual expansion from there.  It’s an analogous situation that helps us to understand a number of scriptures in the New Testament.

Early in his ministry, when Jesus first sent out his disciples, we find that he commanded them: “… Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6). Later, after his resurrection, his command changed: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).   Was this a contradiction, as is sometimes claimed? Why the change? The answer is simply because the spiritual “beachhead” of Jerusalem and Judah had to be first secured through the teaching of Jesus and his disciples. Then the preaching of the Kingdom of God could progressively radiate out from Jerusalem.  We see this expansion in Christ’s own words: “… you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

In the invasion of Normandy, the allied troops were not simply spread out across the whole French coastline where they would have had no effect; rather the invading forces established a specific beachhead on “Omaha” and its adjoining beaches.  The establishment of Christianity was no different.  Jesus himself said “… I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24), and that is exactly where he concentrated his disciples’ efforts at first.

This fact explains two more scriptures that are sometimes thought to show contradicting accounts.  Early in his ministry, Jesus sent out his disciples, telling them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt” (Luke 9:3).  But later in his ministry Jesus specified “… the one with a purse should take it, and likewise a bag; and the one without a sword should sell his cloak and buy one” (Luke 22:36).   In the first instruction Jesus made sure the disciples would not have the necessary supplies to go beyond the borders of Judea, where he was sending them.  At the end of his ministry, once the “beachhead” was established, Jesus instructed them to take the things they would need for longer journeys into more distant territory.  In fact, the “bag” (NIV) they were told to take means a “backpack” or “travelling bag” and is so translated in many versions of the Bible (ESV, Holman, etc.).

But if this analogy helps us to better understand several scriptures regarding the original establishment and expansion of Christianity, it should also remind us that like the beachhead of Normandy, Christianity’s beachhead cost many lives to make freedom from the powers of darkness, and ultimately salvation, possible.  Principally, of course, it cost the life of the “captain of our salvation” (Hebrews 2:10 KJV), but we should remember that the Book of Acts shows that many others also gave up their lives on that original beachhead as they followed Christ.
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Today we are called to lay down our lives, too –  even if only metaphorically –  for the sake of others.  The message of the Kingdom of God has spread out into the world, but not all the world has been reached.  Wherever missionary activity is occurring, beachheads exist.  Some are in distant lands, others are in our own communities.  But if we are following the command given to the followers of Christ, we can give and serve to help establish those beachheads whether in person or in prayer.  On which beachhead are you fighting today?

Jesus said his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), and the New Testament stresses that his followers are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven (Philippians 3:20).  But does this mean that as Christians we should not love and identify with our individual countries?  Some feel that honoring a physical country is contrary to the understanding of Christian “citizenship” – what does the Bible teach on this?

It is certainly true that every Christian is called to a universal family in which there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile, male or female (Galatians 3:28 ) – or for that matter,  Americans, English, French, Nigerians or citizens of any nation.  But many scriptures show that as members of the family of God, we can still appreciate and celebrate our own individual cultural heritage or nationality. 

A verse often used to help show that our identity with our own nation is acceptable is Jeremiah 29:7, where God’s people were encouraged to pray for their city (which was, at that time, Babylon!) and country.  In a similar manner, we find Psalm 122:6 urging us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”  and many other psalms praying for, or encouraging  others to pray for, the land and people of Israel.

So identity with and support of one’s nation is certainly found in the Old Testament, but what about the New Testament – did Christ’s teaching and the establishment of the Christian faith do away with love and concern for one’s country?
   
When we remember that Jesus wept over the fate of Jerusalem  (Matthew 23:37-39, Luke 19:41-44) and the apostle Paul wrote that one of his chief desires was for his fellow Jews to be saved (Romans 10:1), we see the expression of a specific attitude.  That attitude does not view the Israelites as being more important than other peoples (John 10:16; 1 Timothy 2:4), but it shows the importance of the welfare of one’s country and fellow citizens for both Jesus and Paul.

At the most basic level,  the question “Is love of country biblical?” revolves around the concept of nations within the Bible.  Are the nations themselves purely human constructs that somehow are in opposition to God’s will?  The Scriptures give overwhelming evidence that this is not so.  Abraham was told by God that all the nations of the world – not just the peoples – would be blessed through him (Genesis 22:18).   Deuteronomy 32:8 tells us that God himself gave the nations their inheritance and set their boundaries, and we see the continuation of the individual nations in God’s plan for humanity throughout the books of the Bible.

Consider the many verses that show this in the Bible’s final book.  The Book of Revelation tells us that those who overcome will rule over the nations (Revelation 2:26), and that all nations will eventually worship before God (Revelation 15:4).  At its conclusion, in its description of the New Earth, Revelation stresses that the nations will walk according to God’s light (Revelation 21:24), that the glory and honor of the nations will be brought into the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:26), and that the tree of life will be there for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).
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So the Bible does not show that human nations are simply part of human government that will be superseded by the government of God – nations are clearly in existence in the Kingdom of God itself.  We should never place our physical nation, like anything else, before our allegiance to God (Acts 5:29), but we are free to appreciate and support our individual nations and, like Jesus and Paul, to love them. 

Since its inception in 2014 the radical militant group commonly known as Islamic State (IS or ISIS)  has perpetrated continuous, systemic and widespread atrocities against multiple thousands of Christians and individuals of other targeted minorities in the many countries in which it is present. 

The massacres of civilians, beheading of prisoners and hostages, and the rape, sexual enslavement and merchandising of captured women has been constant throughout the existence of IS. Despite its recent loss of some of its territory,  the crimes against humanity continue unabated, although incidences are less frequently mentioned in the media as much of the Western public has tired of the stories and they are no longer viewed as being “newsworthy.”

Some effort has been made by world governments to  curb IS, of course, but the results have been relatively small and slow in coming.   However, the new U.S. government administration has declared Islamic State atrocities to be clear “genocide” and has committed to stopping the scourge of this group.

The United States will host a meeting of ministers from some 68 countries this week to assess the current situation and to discuss strategies to defeat IS completely.  According to the news agency Reuters, the meeting, to be led by new U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, will be held in Washington on Wednesday, March 22 and Thursday, March 23.  

This will be the largest gathering of nations opposing the terror group to have occurred to date and an official has stated that the U.S. administration will discuss increased military as well as diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to curb the problem of the existence of IS.
As Christians we are hopefully well aware of the inhuman predations of IS on Christian and other populations within their territory and we are already praying about this situation.  The upcoming meetings give us a new opportunity to renew those prayers, however, and to fervently ask for the success of what may well be the most serious effort to destroy the evil of IS to date. 

We can pray for the success of the military, diplomatic, and humanitarian efforts that result from the meetings and we can pray also that the eyes of many of the IS extremists will be opened to understand the evil that they are committing.   Recent IS attacks in Europe show that as the group begins to lose territory, it is increasingly inciting terrorist activities elsewhere; we can pray for the failure of its attempts to influence more individuals to this kind of activity.
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Many have prayed for the protection of Christians and others persecuted by IS, and the international meetings planned for this coming week may come as close to a potential answer to the problem as has yet occurred.  Now is a perhaps a particularly good time to renew our efforts in urging our governments to act decisively in this situation, to support Christian and other humanitarian groups that are helping those affected by the ravages of IS, and to be fervent in prayers for the end of this unmitigated evil.  ​

We live in a world which always seems to have a war raging somewhere, and problems everywhere else, so it’s easy to begin to lose track of what is happening on all the continents. At this time, most world news headlines relate to the complex and perilous situation in the Middle East, and so it’s especially easy to miss what is happening  elsewhere – but as Christians we do need to notice.

The Africa-based Institute for Security Studies recently released a summary of the problems in Africa as we go into 2016.   The graphic above summarizes this report, and we should notice that it does not consider ongoing problems of famine, disease, malnutrition, human trafficking,  and other issues – simply current political problems. 

Africa is a huge continent (for a graphic representation of just how huge, see our blog post here), and the first thing we need to see is just how widespread the problems are over that massive landmass. According to the ISS, there are crisis hotspots in twelve countries with major problems ranging from ongoing terrorist activity to all-out war.  To put this in perspective, if twelve states of the United States of America were experiencing these levels of crisis and anarchy, most Americans would regard the situation as virtually apocalyptic.

The kidnapping of 276 (still missing) Chibok schoolgirls by the Islamic Jihadist and terrorist organization, Boko Haram, in Nigeria in 2014 resonated around the world (#BringBackOurGirls), but this event was only one of hundreds of ongoing kidnappings, killings and attacks being perpetrated by this and other groups in Africa – many of which never make it into the news in the Western world.
  
The cost for everyone affected by this ongoing violence is terrible, of course, but we need to be particularly aware of its effect on members of the Christian faith.  Christians are the primary target of much of the violence and persecution in many of the crisis hotspot areas – and remember a “hotspot” in Africa is not just a “spot,” it may be an area of thousands of square miles.  In some areas Christians are being attacked daily, with as many as three churches a week being burned and destroyed.  Our prayers for believers in these areas are needed just as much as for those in the Middle East who are suffering in what are often better reported circumstances.

Notice also that the ISS graphic shows the high number of elections in many of the affected countries in 2016, and we can pray that those elections will result in better acceptance and protection for Christians who are endangered by the widespread problems.  Overall the situation in Africa is worse for Christians than it has been for many years, and the problems are growing almost everywhere.
  
So if you are part of the family of Christianity (1 John 3:1-2, Ephesians 2:19-22), think about the responsibility to which our faith calls us – to have concern for suffering members of that family  (1 Corinthians 12:25-26) and to help them (Galatians 6:10). We need to be aware of the situation and remember to pray for and support our family in Africa. 

Yesterday,  Open Doors, the Christian aid organization serving the persecuted Church, published its updated “World Watch List” ranking the top 50 persecuting countries in the world.  The Watch List is an excellent resource for churches and individuals to see where the most intense needs currently are and summarizing the situation regarding the persecution of believers around the globe.

The list is an important, though sobering publication. The fact that there are a top fifty persecuting nations to list is saddening enough, and the top listed nations among the fifty are guilty of persecution in the extreme.  Perhaps not surprisingly, North Korea maintains its top-persecuting rank, and Iraq and the African nation of Eritrea now take second and third place, respectively. 

The report does not just rank the most persecuting nations, however – it shows where there has been an increase or decrease in a given nation’s ranking, and provides other useful information. For example, although most people are aware of the incredible level of persecution being inflicted on Christian populations by Islamic extremists, the report helpfully indicates other aspects of this situation that we might not be aware of – such as the fact that  as  legitimate governments became more fearful of burgeoning Islamic extremism, they themselves are often responding by either boosting nationalism as a counterforce or tightening regulations and increasing surveillance over all religious expression.

There are some glimmers of hope. Some few countries have been downranked – such as Syria, which is down from 4th to 5th place, and Somalia, which is down from 3rd to 7th place – but in a number of these cases the downgrading is a result of the mass exodus of Christians rather than any improvement in conditions.  At least one country – Mauritania – has been removed from the list, but it has simply been replaced by another country where persecution is growing.   

Overall, the picture painted by the new World Watch list is one of growing severe and extreme persecution, and Open Doors is to be thanked for the work they put into carefully monitoring and documenting the escalating situation. The list is itself a powerful weapon in raising awareness and enabling informed reaction to the problem of intensifying worldwide persecution, and we would highly recommend it to every believer.  The Watch List can be freely download from the Open Doors website here , and  we urge you to familiarize yourself with the list and to use it for prayer and action on behalf of the millions of persecuted believers around the world.

*You can read an interview with David Curry, President and CEO of Open Doors, on our sister site, LivingWithFaith.org, here. 

Here at TacticalChristianity.org we are always on the lookout for people doing good work that we can recommend and about which we can spread the word. One such project which is well established, but was new to us, is  One Million Lights.
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The project’s website gives two important statistics.  First, 1.3 billion people around the world still depend on kerosene oil for light. The second statistic is that kerosene causes 1.5 million deaths annually.   

​To see that second statistic in perspective, realize that far fewer people die from malaria around the world in a given year, and that the number of kerosene-related deaths does not include the huge number of adults and children badly burned through kerosene fires.

Another, less noticeable – but no less real – aspect of kerosene use is that it causes a number of respiratory illnesses. According to the OML website, kerosene smoke inhalation is equivalent to smoking four packs of cigarettes per day and is related to many cases of asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and cancer in households which are forced to use kerosene as the only source of available light.  Add to these very real health hazards the high cost of kerosene – which means that already impoverished families often spend up to half of their annual income on purchasing the fuel. 

Yet the answer to this little-realized, but widespread cause of death, illness and impoverishment is as close as solar-powered lamps.  That is where the One Million Lights organization enters the scene.  The project has distributed over 59,500 solar lanterns since November 2014, in 27 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.  A map on the OML website shows where these lights have gone and makes it very clear what a tremendous effect the program is having.

The amazing thing is how little these lights cost compared to what they give.  For every $15 donated to OML, members of a family somewhere are protected from possible death and injury, almost certain ill health, and increased poverty.  Giving an impoverished family half its annual income back is, alone, an amazing return on fifteen dollars.   If you choose to donate a light, you can even choose the area to which it will go – a menu lists far-scattered areas of need ranging from countries such as Liberia and Uganda to specific tribal regions and places such as Barwani and Kishanghar that you may never have heard of before. 

But wherever the light goes, it can make a huge difference in people’s lives.  As a Christian, you know that is true spiritually.  In this case, it is true physically as well. So if you would like to let your light shine in this way, consider the work of the One Million Lights project. A little light goes a long way.

In films such as “Conspiracy Theory” (1997), “Enemy of the State” (1998) and a number of others, leading actors like Mel Gibson and Will Smith have portrayed individuals struggling to survive despite governmental or corporate conspiracies that threaten to destroy them.   

Movies of this type have produced wryly humorous  lines such as  “It's not paranoia If they really are out to get you,” but many people view the threat of conspiracies aimed at the control of society as not at all humorous and all too real.

For some, conspiracy lurks behind every movement of the stock market, every government announcement, every corporate merger. The threat of conspiracy affects not only how they see the world, but also how they live in it.  In some cases, fear of conspiracy leads to everything from not using credit cards to not drinking tap water.  

Even some Christians fall prey to worry over conspiracies based on things people think they see going on in the world, but ironically the apostle Paul indicated quite clearly that there really is a conspiracy against humans that cannot be seen and which is far greater than the real or imagined conspiracies of governments and mega-corporations:  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

But whether we think of physical or spiritual conspiracies, the Bible makes it clear that these are not things we should fear.  The prophet Isaiah stated this emphatically: “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,  he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread” (Isaiah  8:12-13).

Isaiah’s words are interesting on two levels. He certainly does not deny the existence of conspiracies, but he clearly suggests that people see more conspiracies than actually exist.  More importantly, Isaiah stresses that it is not some shadowy “they” we should fear, but the One who is far greater than any human power.  The prophet’s words were reinforced by Jesus himself in saying: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

So the Bible does not deny the existence of conspiracies in the world in which we live, and certainly not within the world we do not see, but it categorically directs us not to waste our lives in fear of such things.  This is not to say that we should ignore evidence of conspiracy and corruption, or that we should not fulfill our social duty of fighting it where it may be fought, but Christianity does preclude apprehension that affects our lives or fear that begins to form our behavior.

For the believer, even the worst of hidden conspiracies need not be feared because every power, seen or unseen,  is ultimately subject to the One who guides history and who promises his servants protection according to his will.  Living by that understanding is an important part of how we see God – that he is the only “unseen power” that matters.  To freely paraphrase Isaiah, it is more important to maintain a truly reverent respect for God than to worry about the tap water.

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person”  (Colossians 4:5-6 ESV).




To the Jews of the apostle Paul’s day every non-Jew was an outsider, and this concept is true in Christianity also: every person who is not a Christian is an  “outsider” in being outside the church and the Christian faith. This is not a negative concept, it is just as much an understanding that Christians have a special responsibility toward those whom they could help or hinder in terms of coming to faith.

It is important to notice that in discussing how to interact with those outside the Faith, Paul could have mentioned  scrupulous financial dealings,  avoiding inappropriate dress or behavior,  general helpfulness  or many other things, but he doesn’t.  These things are all important, of course, but Paul singles out two other aspects of our Christian walk instead.

First, Paul urges us to make the best use of the time we have.  This could mean two things: either using time wisely so that those outside the Faith see our diligence in the calling we have, or, alternately,  that we use the time we are with those on the outside to maximum advantage by making sure our behavior is always a proper witness.    In Paul's words “making the best use of the time,” the Greek expression is “buying up the opportunity,” so the latter possibility is perhaps more likely – that we use the time with those outside the Faith to maximum advantage.

But in any case, after admonishing his hearers to use time wisely (see also Ephesians 5:15-17), Paul continues by stating the one aspect of our interrelations with others that he wished to stress above all others at that time:  that our speech should  always  be gracious and “seasoned with salt,” so that we know how to answer each person with whom we deal.

“Gracious” speech was something noted about Christ himself (Luke 4:22), and Paul stresses that His followers must reflect that same aspect in their own lives if they are to reflect Him truly.  Gracious speech is the opposite of words that are unpleasant, unkind, unedifying,  unclean or in any way unwholesome.  Why stress this above other things? Perhaps Paul  had in mind the ease with which many people slip into the wrong kind of speech when they are with others whose speech is not gracious. And our speech, along with our actions, is certainly one of the two things that define us to others. In fact, we are often with others in situations where we have no opportunity to show our faith through our actions, yet the need for right speech is always present.

An interesting aspect of this is seen in Paul’s mention that our speech should be “seasoned with salt” – a figurative way of saying that it should not become corrupted.  The Greek expression is in the “perfect” tense giving the meaning of a past action with continuing effect. We need to remind ourselves that our speech has been cleansed and needs to be kept that way in interactions (Ephesians 4:29).  It is with that meaning rather than being “ready to discuss our faith,” as is often said, that Paul ends his exhortation by saying that we should “know how … to answer each person” – know how to answer them graciously and “seasoned with salt.”  Paul makes it clear that this is one of the most important things we can, and must, do in interacting with those outside the Faith.

"Pioneer: Noun, singular. One who is among the first to go somewhere or to do something."





There is a mystique about pioneers. They often seem larger than life, braver, stronger, more dedicated  than the rest of us as they bravely go where no one has gone before. When I was a kid I thought it would be neat to be a pioneer – one of the first people to explore unknown continents, open the US West, go to the Moon, or whatever. Now I’m older, I realize it was not as easy as I thought for the ones who were the first to do these things.  

Whether being among the first to open up new continents or making some other kind of new path in any age, being a pioneer has an extra share of difficulties most of us don’t have to face.  Certainly the first Christians found this. They were pioneers who  had to map out and go through a whole new way of life that often met discouraging obstacles and dangerous opposition. Just think about Stephen (Acts 7:59) or Paul (2 Corinthians 11:25) or what many of the early disciples went through (Acts 8:1).

So who are the spiritual pioneers today? Who are the Christians who face the particular difficulties inherent in walking the path alone – in being the first to do something with much more limited support and encouragement from others? Those people do exist in our faith – and their numbers are growing.  They are the pioneers – the first in their families or villages to convert to Christianity from other faiths – groups that are often hostile to Christianity itself. 

When individuals come to the knowledge of the truth in many parts of the world, they cannot help but stand out; and in those areas they may be regarded as apostates from their background faith – worthy of harassment, punishment, and even death. It is not a hypothetical situation, it is an ongoing reality that sees Christians afflicted and even killed in areas not officially classified as areas of persecution. Often these individuals are rejected by their own families and friends and have no local support to which they can turn. 

There are other pioneers also worthy of our concern today. Consider the pioneers in various areas of humanitarian effort – the William Wilberforce’s of today, those fighting human trafficking, substance enslavement, and every other evil in this world – all who are struggling against steep odds and difficult conditions to suppress evil and to help people where help is needed.

Wherever they are, pioneers don’t have it easy. We may sometimes think we do not either, but they have it worse. The pioneers often encounter so many more obstacles, so much more opposition. They face more dangers, endure more discouragement, loneliness and for many, fear. It’s harder for pioneers than for most of us except in one area. It’s easier for them to give up. We need to pray for the pioneers.

As Christians it is easy to become desensitized to the bad and the not so good aspects of the world around us.  We learn to look away from advertisements, images, words and media content that are clearly spiritually lacking, to say the least.  But this can make us unnecessarily passive and accepting of things we might possibly be able to change.  Now I’m the first to admit that we need balance in this – there is a balance between being constantly judgmental on the one hand, yet trying to make the world a better place where we can on the other.

An experience recently set me thinking about this.  A website I utilize regularly redid its home page recently and the image on the new front page was in poor taste, to say the least – and bordering on the obscene from my own perspective.  I need to use this site, and so I wrinkled my nose and tried to look past the image several times as I logged in.  Then I decided I wasn’t going to do that any more, and I went looking for the “contact” link.

I sent an email to the site explaining that I was a regular customer, but that I was pretty much grossed-out by the image that greeted me every time I logged in. I made the point that just because most people don't complain didn't mean that there were not many others who were also offended by the new image. Finally, I stressed that I knew they were a professional company and that the image really did not fit the high standards they doubtless wanted to convey – so (especially if they wanted to keep my business) would they please find a better image for their welcome screen.  Although I didn’t really expect them to change, and thought I would probably have to just go find another website, I got a message back from the site’s webmaster saying my complaint would be passed to management.  To my surprise, when I returned to the site the next day the offensive image was gone and it has not returned.  

This small experience reminded me that the more we speak out, the more we can make a difference in the world in which we and our kids live. Sometimes it may be in the smallest way, but it is still making a difference. I know culture is deteriorating all around us in all kinds of ways, and we can’t spend our lives focusing on the details of that slide; but there are also millions of Christians in the world and if we take a few moments to speak up, we may find many situations where speaking out will accomplish something.

So next time you are offended at something in advertising, television or wherever, if there is a way to contact the people behind the public offensiveness and you have opportunity, don’t hesitate to speak up – you just might be heard!

The #WeAreN Campaign is bringing attention to persecuted Christians in Iraq. The campaign is named for the letter N or “Nun” in the Arabic alphabet (as shown in the illustration) which fanatical Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) militants have placed on the homes of Christians in areas of Iraq they now control.

The letter "Nun" is being used to signify the Arabic word for "Nazarene" (Christian) on Christian homes in much the same way that Jews were forced to wear Star of David  armbands in Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

It is unclear what the final fate of many of the Iraqi Christians marked by this sign will be, but already hundreds of Christians have been killed, often in a brutally barbaric manner. If you haven’t already seen the reports, news services have confirmed the fact that ISIS is routinely beheading men, women and children and numbers have been crucified, while thousands of Christians are being driven from their homes and possessions. This is in addition to the desecration and destruction of Christian churches and tombs.

The #WeAreN campaign now underway has helped fuel protests across the United States and in many parts of  the world against these horrendous crimes and in support of the multiple thousands of Christians being victimized by ISIS. World leaders are being urged, by means of active demonstrations in many cities around the globe, to stop the anti-Christian genocide, and we see increasing support for counteraction as tens of  thousands of people change their social media photos to images of the Arabic “N” in identification and support.

US President Barack Obama has begun to act in regard to this situation. Although the response has been slow in coming and is still small, it is to be hoped that leaders of the US and countries around the world will quickly escalate support for the Christians and others in Iraq who are being targeted by ISIS. 

In addition to participating in the #WeAreN campaign, Christians everywhere can pray for their brothers and sisters in Iraq.  As Christians we should also pray for those who are committing this kind of persecution in Iraq and in other areas in the world.  We need to pray that the eyes of these people might be opened to see the evil of what they are doing, and to turn from it.

A recent issue of Christianity Today carried a very interesting interview with researcher and author Dr. Philip Jenkins on Global Christianity.  Dr. Jenkins was asked: “What are some differences in global attitudes to the nature of the Bible and the Old Testament?”   Here, in this short excerpt, is part of his answer: “When you are in Europe or the United States, if you are dealing with ordinary, secular people, the Old Testament can be almost an embarrassment. ‘We do not understand [it]. This is an ancient, primitive world. This is of no relevance to us.’

If you go to many parts of Africa there's the opposite problem – which is that people can be tempted to read the Old Testament, see it as so relevant, so immediate that they don't need anything else. The church in the Sudan, for example, tries very hard not to issue translations of the Book of Leviticus because the danger is the people will just read that and not want the New Testament, because Leviticus was so obviously written for their [kind of] society.

Think about that in terms of evangelism. If I am talking to an American or a European and I'm trying to explain a concept like atonement, that's a very strange idea. Blood sacrifice is strange and alien. But now imagine trying to spread that same message in a society in Africa where they're very used to the idea of animal sacrifice. They know the idea that blood pays the price of sin. All you have to get across is the idea that all these sacrifices are trivial. There is one sacrifice, which is Christ. They can understand that.”  You can read the whole interview here (Christianity Today: Mar 21, 2014, subscription required).

The article certainly  makes one think about the many other differences in viewpoint that must apply to Christians in various cultures looking at the Bible from a primarily Old Testament perspective, or an almost wholly New Testament perspective.  Moral of the story: being aware of this difference can help us in interacting and working with people of like mind – but different cultural perspectives – around the world.

We should remember that the more we know about other areas of the world and understand their people, the better equipped – and motivated – we become to help them. But many of us do not fully understand the needs and potentials of Africa. Consider these three aspects:

1) Size:  At 30.2 million square kilometers (a little under 12 million square miles), Africa represents 20.4 percent of the total land area of the earth.  If you haven’t already seen it, the “True Size of Africa” map above, by Kai Krause, startles in clarifying just how big the African continent is. As the map shows, Africa could comfortably hold the United States, China, Japan, India and most of Europe with room to spare.  This huge size means that there is very little infrastructure – not even any roads – in many areas, and many schools, hospitals and churches have to serve huge territories.

2) Population:   Growing at an amazing rate, the population of Africa is projected to reach huge proportions in the coming decades. At current growth rates, by 2050 African cities will hold over 6.25 billion people and Lagos, Nigeria, will be the largest city in the world.  The high population density in many areas and the fact that 50% of Africans are 19 years old or younger already affects many aspects of life from social problems to agricultural needs. Some 40% of Africa's people live in slums.  Starvation and malnutrition can be frequent realities under such conditions.

3) Peoples:  Africa is home to a great number of peoples of different ethnic and cultural groups – ranging from indigenous Bantu and Swahili to “Bushmen” and Pygmies, as well as Arabs and others. Each people is further divided, in many cases, by language groups, and UNESCO has estimated that almost two thousand languages are spoken in Africa.  Ethnic and religious differences lie behind much of the ongoing violence, claiming a great many lives in some areas. This situation makes missionary work and Bible translation more complicated, time-consuming and costly, but the need is considerable. This is a continent of people needing our prayers and support in a great many areas.

One of the very encouraging things about running a website such as TacticalChristianity.org (or our sister site, LivingWithFaith.org)  is seeing the web traffic – people coming to the site from all around the world.

Our site receives visits from people as geographically far apart, for example, as the United States and Russia, the United Kingdom and Pakistan, Dubai and Zanzibar.  It’s good to think that although we are so scattered around the world, we are friends in the faith.   Many people may log on from areas where they have fellowship with Christian friends, others doubtless come to the site from areas where they feel alone as Christians and without that same feeling of friendship in the faith.  If you are in this latter category, realize that we think about you and that you do have friends here and around this world.  Although you may not see tangible connections any more than you can see the internet connections, they are there and you have friends at TacticalChristianity.org and among our readers everywhere.

We certainly welcome all of you coming to the site from distant areas – we think of you as our Russian friends, Zanzibar friends, or friends wherever you are, and want you to feel just as much a part of the site as our friends here in the United States.  If you have suggestions for material that would be helpful to you in your own circumstances, don’t hesitate to leave a comment at the end of this post.  We'll be glad to provide needed subjects in the  postings and articles as much as we are able.  That's what friends are for!

I had no sooner uploaded a blog post late last month on the seemingly endless number of special days that now exist (pointing out the very worthwhile National Forgiveness Day, however), than I became aware of  another very worthwhile “day”.  November 10  is designated as International  Day of Prayer for the Persecuted (http://www.persecution.org/).  Often people think about the persecution of Christians as something that happened in ancient Rome or in the Middle Ages, but in the past 100 years an estimated 35 million Christians have been killed for their faith, and the problem is ongoing in many parts of the world – it is real and it is now.

Although we can rejoice when facing unavoidable persecution (Matthew 5:10-12), that does not mean we should ignore the needs of those in peril in this way.  In some cases there are things we can do to aid those in danger because of their faith (see the persecution.org website “Take Action!” link for suggestions), but according to the organizers, the  number one thing persecuted Christians ask for is prayer.  As the website reminds us, even when we can do nothing physically,  we are equipped to meet that need!  This day is not only an  opportunity to pull together on behalf of those who face persecution, but also a good reminder that the need is ongoing and that there is something we can do about it.