Month: November 2013 - Pray For Qatar

Read Khalid’s profile. God, You’ve given Khalid more than he needs. Thank You that his response is generosity. Yet he and so many like him are wandering aimlessly through young adulthood. They are empty, searching for something to satisfy the cravings of their souls. They will not find it in material possessions. They will not find it in friendships. They will not even find it in Islam. Truly nothing satisfies but You, Lord. Fill their emptiness with You. Give Khalid’s life meaning and purpose. Curb his selfishness. Cultivate in him a desire to live for others instead of himself. Khalid’s…

In the early 1900s, millions immigrated to America, seeking to forget the past and reinvent themselves. Qatar, with its newfound riches, is one of very few with the same opportunity to reinvent itself in modern times. . Little evidence remains of Qatar’s obscurity before oil discovery in the 1940s or natural gas discovery in the 1970s. Fifteen years ago, the country was in debt. Now Qatar is the richest nation in the world per capita. Construction and development are exploding. . As modernization and its glory collide with culture, we must recognize that the new and shiny surface likely belies…

Qatar is in a predicament. The discovery of abundant natural resources attracted foreigners from around the globe to take jobs. However, now, there is a tug of war between who should be given the jobs: Qataris or foreigners. About 8 years ago the electric company replaced all Qatari employees with Southeast Asians. The typical Qatari is expensive to hire. Qataris have a long list of social obligations to family and are unlikely to work the same hours as others, thus seen as unreliable employees. Frequently, even companies with Qatari business owners do not hire Qataris; when they are hired, they…

Access, Gospel Materials, & Obedient Believers Access is generally the greatest challenge in sharing the Gospel and planting the Church in Qatar. Thankfully, across the Arab world, we can send materials to places where we can’t always send people. The Bible is available in several versions in Arabic. Anti-proselytism laws cannot prevent gospel radio, TV, and Christian websites from penetrating the homes and hearts of those living in Qatar. Many Arabic-language websites, chat rooms and programs seem to have a powerful effect. We believe in the transformative power of the Scriptures. We believe in the power of God to illuminate meaning…

In the 1700s, Moravian missionaries desired to take the Gospel to the farthest corners of the Earth. Two men, a potter and a carpenter, set out to reach slaves in the West Indies. Told they couldn’t, they pledged to sell themselves into slavery if that’s what it took to reach the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix with the Gospel. The cost of living is too high to send many Western missionaries. It is rumored that followers of Jesus in some eastern countries come to the Middle East to work in service jobs and share the Gospel. With jobs…