Mu Xuan New Vision

You can also participate in God’s wonderful plan for Egypt and the Middle East

Photo courtesy/Li Yanguang

Blessed to be a part of God’s plan

With prayerful hearts and anxious expectations, the 2015 Los Angeles Egyptian Prayer Group set off.

There are twenty-three of us in the Hong Kong group, from more than ten churches, including many pastors and prayer co-workers. The main goal is to go to Egypt to hold several evangelistic meetings (evangelistic meetings are not allowed, we claim they are healing meetings), visit some churches and key places, engage in spiritual warfare with prayer, and ask the Lord to revive the Egyptian church and bring about the kingdom of God. , holiness and righteousness came to Egypt. In fact, before we left, we were not very clear about the practical significance of doing these things. Whether we could do these things was also a question, so our private prayer was, "Ask God to open our eyes so that we can know His will and bear witness to God's current work."

As a result, as soon as we set off for the airport, we strongly felt God’s hand leading us. “By chance” a Palestinian driver drove us to the airport; we “happened” to meet an ardent pursuer of Judaism on the plane; and “by chance” we met a large group of Bangladeshis at the airport. Migrant workers in Iraq, we all have the opportunity to share the gospel with them. With the daily collective prayer-reading spiritual practice, blowing trumpets and blessings and praying together at any time and anywhere, several originally large gatherings were reduced to small or canceled. God changed our itinerary and took us to visit many spiritual leaders. The plan is higher than our plan. As a result, we are not here to do anything, but to see what God has done. It seems that we are here to testify that the promises of God in the Bible will be fulfilled today.

▲Anointing and praying for the sick bishop of a certain church.

Perhaps we can also enter into that glory, and we seem to see the blueprint of the Egyptian church in its missionary work to Muslims. We, a small group of people, were pushed up Mount Pisgah of God’s eternal plan and caught a glimpse of God’s resurrection in the last days. We did not dare to be selfish and exclusive, and we could not remain silent. We only wanted to be like the kings. The four lepers in 2 Chronicles 7:9 said, "Today is a day of good news... Come! Let us... go and tell the news."

Once upon a time Daniel "had learned from a book...that the years of Jerusalem's desolation would be fulfilled" (Daniel 9:1-3). So he fasted, clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes, and set his mind to the Lord God. Prayers and supplications, the year was 539 B.C. Daniel completely believed God's words and prayed earnestly. As a result, God caused King Cyrus to issue an edict, and 50,000 Jews returned three years later, exactly seventy years after the first captivity. He saw God's will miraculously completed in accordance with the Bible, and he also participated in the plan of the return from captivity through faith. The same is true for us. Everything is God's grace. We are able to participate in the revival of Egypt and share it with the Chinese church. If you believe in God’s promises like Daniel did, you will be able to see the glory of God and devote yourself to His great plan.

(Photo courtesy: Li Huaiwen)

Key Steps in the End-Times Restoration Plan

Let’s first look at how God realizes His plan? Usually there is God’s promise or prophecy (God’s mouth) first + God’s operation in history or circumstances (God’s hand) + finally human cooperation (the last one is sometimes optional). For example, He prophesied through the prophets that the return of the Israelites would be completed in seventy years. He also caused King Cyrus to issue an edict, and He inspired Daniel to pray. If Daniel did not pray, God would still accomplish it, but Daniel would have no part in the restoration.

Regarding "Jesus' second coming", most commentators agree that there are still three conditions to be fulfilled, namely "the gospel is preached to all nations", "the temple is rebuilt", and "the whole family of Israel is saved". In addition to prayer, the first thing we should work together to do is "preach the gospel to all nations" and the third "save the whole family of Israel." The former is promoted by many missions and movements. Regarding the third "salvation of the whole family of Israel", how is it realized?

There are currently two versions of the penultimate step before the realization of "the salvation of all Israel", both of which are good. 1. Preached directly to Israel; 2. Preached from the Central Asian Silk Road (the gospel was spread back to Jerusalem). In addition to these, are there other paths that are closer to the main mission of the Bible and have more biblical basis?

This trip made me see that it was introduced by Muslims (generally speaking, Muslims are people who believe in Islam. The author advocates that for the sake of mission, it should be translated as "Muslim" to be more friendly and friendly) believers, it seems that the least Possible, but it seems to contain God’s ingenuity. Because Muslims who were enemies of the world believed in the Lord, turned from hatred to love, and even preached the gospel to the Israelites, and even died for the Israelites in some cases, the words "love can cover all sins" came true, and the key to the entire Israelite family converting to the Lord The time has come.

The penultimate step in "the salvation of all Israel" is for a large number of people in the Arab world to believe in the Lord and preach the gospel to the Israelis, and the Israelis will convert to the Lord in large numbers. If this is true, how did God achieve this? Does the Bible predict that people will believe in the Lord? some. The verses from the Muminda Revival are as follows:

▲A street scene in Egypt.

Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. I will mention Rahab and the Babylonians, who are among those who know me; and, behold, the Philistines and Tyre and the Cushites are born there, every one of them. When the Lord records the nations, He will point out, “Where was this one born?” The singers and the dancers will all say, “In you are my springs!” (Psalm 87:3-7)

Rahab is Egypt (refer to Isaiah 30:7), Babylon is now Iraq, Syria, Arabia, Philistia is now Palestine, and Jordan; Tire is now Lebanon; Cush is North Africa, all A country that now believes in Islam. This passage prophesies that these people will be saved, which is a glorious thing. Their source is in Christ, and they will be "born" there.

What is the fourth to last step in “the salvation of all Israel”? It was Egypt that was first saved among its admiring people. Is there a path or sequence for these revivals of the people? Looking at the above verses, Egypt is the first one, but is there support from other verses? some. Isaiah 19:22-25 says this:

"The LORD will smite Egypt, and smite and heal it, and the Egyptians will return to the LORD. He will answer their prayer and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will enter Egypt , the Egyptians will also enter Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship the Lord together with the Assyrians. On that day, Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, to bless the people on the earth (translated according to NIV). For the Lord Almighty has blessed them, saying, Blessed is Egypt my people, the work of my hands in Assyria, and Israel my inheritance.”

Egypt will be called God's people! How can this be? Did you hear that correctly? But this time through short-term missions, prayers and testimonies, I am convinced that God’s words will be fulfilled. Egypt is the Lord’s people and serves as the gateway for missionary work to the surrounding Arab world. Israel’s third position is not third in position, but third in the order of restoration.

▲Praying many times on the Nile boat, blowing trumpets, sprinkling salt, breaking bread, praising and worshiping.

The Crucial Importance of Missions in Egypt

At least ten reasons can be cited for saying that "Egypt serves as the gateway for missionary work to the surrounding Arab world":

1. According to the order of Isaiah 19:24, Israel is third, followed by Egypt and Assyria. And Egypt is God’s people. They are the only foreigners who are called God's people.

2. According to Psalm 87:4, Rahab (Egypt) is mentioned first, followed by Babylon (Babylon and Assyria describe the same area), followed by other Islamic areas. The literal meaning seems to imply that he is in the Arab world. status.

3. Because it is located at the important exits of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, and at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Egypt has always been the economic and trade center, military fortress, and political power of the Middle East.

4. Egypt currently does not use the ancient Egyptian language, but shares the same language, same characters, and the same culture as many countries in the Middle East. This is the easiest way to enter the Arab world. Greek opened the door for the circulation of the Bible and the spread of the gospel, and now Arabic has done the same thing.

5. Jesus fled Egypt with his parents when he was a child. This was the place where Jesus lived when he was a child. Just imagine that Jesus, the Son of God, was learning to walk here. This place where the soles of his feet touched must have His special good intentions.

6. The Muslim Brotherhood seized power in June 2012, but was overthrown in July 2013. Nowadays, politics and religion are open, and those in power are relatively friendly to Christians. We met a large number of college students and primary school students in churches and museums, saying that they can freely contact Christianity and churches. I heard that at a church in the city, Muslim officials often went in to observe the worship services. And people from neighboring countries can be seen everywhere coming here to travel, do business, and have free access to faith.

7. In terms of bloodline, Hagar (an Egyptian) is the mother of Ishmael (a Middle Easterner), and the Middle Easterners are descended from the Egyptians. As is the case with the flesh, so it is with the spirit.

8. Egypt is one of the rich granary neighbors in the Bible. Abraham’s family, Jeremiah, Jesus and his parents all went to Egypt. Egypt was also the center where Joseph distributed food. The first translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, was completed in Alexandria, Egypt. Is it also a distribution center for distributing spiritual gospel food today?

9. Egypt was one of the five major dioceses of the early church. Mark went to Egypt to preach in the first century and spread the Christian gospel widely in Egypt. Therefore, from the fifth to the ninth century, Egyptians believed in Coptic, an ancient Christian sect. St. Mark's Orthodox Church remained in Alexandria. There are also many churches, monuments, and monasteries. After Egypt was conquered by the Muslims, the blood of Christian martyrs flowed all over Egypt, and the blood of these martyrs still speaks out.

10. Burned but not destroyed, it still has the largest Christian community in the Middle East (accounting for about 10-15% of Egypt’s total population of 80 million).

▲Pray for the garbage and chaotic traffic in Egypt.

New opportunities for missionary work for Chinese churches in North America

This trip gave me a deeper sense of God’s special favor to the Chinese. The Egyptians like the Chinese very much. Everywhere we went, people rushed to take photos with us. Compared with the unpopularity of Western missionaries in the Middle East, today is a great opportunity for the Chinese to preach.

Today God's prophecies have been clearly written in Psalm 87 and Isaiah Chapter 19, and they have been fully fulfilled and coordinated in terms of circumstances, showing that Egypt was chosen by God to be revived first, making it a gateway to An important gateway to the surrounding Arab world. God’s footsteps are moving forward, and if we don’t keep up, we may lose our status as queens, lose the opportunity to witness the glorious work of the Lord today, and devalue ourselves to God’s work of the last days.

God’s will must be accomplished. God is a God who works wonders alone, but He cares about us and invites us to work with Him. How can we be so virtuous as to accept such grace? But time has passed and will never come again, and there may not be a second chance. What kind of awakening, what kind of preparation, what kind of dedication, what kind of madness, and what kind of price should we pay for this glorious moment?

God is faithful, and His words will come true when He says He will do His word, and He will come true accurately and down to the last detail. North America is exceptionally rich in grace, and its various spiritual, economic, educational, training, and medical resources are far more abundant than those of the body of Christ in other parts of the world. Freely we have received, freely we should give.

Besides, doesn’t Isaiah 49:12 also predict that our descendants of the “Qin Kingdom” will also come to the Holy Mountain of God?

So what can the Chinese churches in North America do? The Chinese church itself must pray and revive. But that's just the basics. There are at least the following three things that can be done!

First of all, unanimous witnessing is most important. The devil is not afraid of thousands of powerful evangelists who work alone, enjoy themselves, and "beat their fellows" (see Matthew 24:49), because he destroys what he has built. The devil was very afraid of those twelve country folk who were once weak but later became united. The Lord’s heart is much more generous than ours. The Lord says that anyone who does not oppose you will help you, but we say that anyone who does not walk with me will ban him or even burn him to death. Some people only use the name of "defending the truth" to laugh and scold other preachers, but they have become the devil's thugs without knowing it. No wonder a couple of North African missionaries once said with emotion that the more fierce the war in the missionary community, the less divided they were between denominations and sects. Missionaries of various missions also united in preaching the Gospel, and there was no such thing as leisurely and leisurely life. Go "fight your companions".

Second, many churches spend one-tenth or more of their income on missions. However, it was found that only 1%’s global missionary donations supported underreached peoples or Muxuan (the rest were given to ethnic groups that already have Christians or churches. In fact, underreached peoples or Muxuan are the focus of missions!). Therefore, after returning from Egypt, our church made adjustments and donated all our missionary donations to unreached peoples and Muslim missionary organizations. This is not extreme at all, because even if Chinese churches around the world are like this, they still cannot balance this serious imbalance in missionary funding. Are you willing to follow up on this?

Third, bless Egypt and the church in Egypt in various ways. Short-term missions, prayer walks, and trainings were conducted to announce that God’s promises were fulfilled in Egypt, and even encouraged brothers and sisters to go to Egypt to do business (secretly preaching the gospel). Although what we do may only be a drop in the bucket, God values that we bear in mind His will and allows us to gather together. We may also experience the miracle of five loaves and two fish to supply thousands with a limited amount. God's promises will be revealed, you will believe in God's words more and more, and you will pray according to God's will. In this way, although I dare not say that I can help the Egyptian church enter her destiny, you can at least accompany them and complete God's plan.

Maybe this is the current opportunity for "Graceful Esther" (the Chinese church in North America). Only by seizing the opportunity can we show how to cherish our position of grace. I hope one day we can all say that I too was privileged to be a part of God's plan for Egypt, that I stood beside them and accompanied them in their suffering, their tears, their battles. Egypt will return to the Lord, Muslin will return to the Lord, Israel will return to the Lord. Amen! Amen!

May the following missionary hymn give us some reminder and encouragement:

It is good for believers to care for each other. The anointing oil drips from heaven (Psalm 133)
The gospel of one church and one family is indebted to all nations for your favor (Genesis 12:3) (Matthew 24:14)
The highway of the other people of the Lord of Egypt reaches into the territory of Assyria (Isaiah 19:23-25)
The everlasting gates lift up Egypt and Assyria to worship together (Psalm 24:7, 8)
Welcome the triumphant return of the King of Glory to the elect of Baphitus (Psalm 87:3-7)
The wind that admires the people and returns to the Lord sweeps away the dry bones and turns them into an army in an instant (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
Ishmael loved Isaac more than he loved him for a long time (Proverbs 10:12)
The holy name covers the transgressions and declares the elect to surrender to the sheepfold (Romans 11:26)

postscript

Since the beginning of 2015, refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries have sought refuge by land in Eastern Europe, and hundreds of thousands of refugees have entered "Christian" European countries such as Germany and Sweden by sea. Today, the refugee problem is deeply plaguing European countries and is likely to worsen. These people of different races and mostly pagan worshipers will inevitably lead to the people being "separated and mixed together, but not mixing together, just as iron and clay do not mix together." (Daniel 2:42-43). The situation will intensify. Stones "cut out without hands" will appear (the Lord is the "living stone" who was once the "rejected"). Let us look forward to the fulfillment of God's prophecies, and let us join in the movement of Mu Xuan. This stone will soon crush the human kingdom and turn into mountains to fill the world. You and I are the witnesses that fill the world (we are also like living stones, as 1 Peter 2:4 says).

Author profile

Pastor Li Yanguang, Doctor of Pastoral Studies from Zhengdao Theological Seminary, Senior Pastor of Arc de Triomphe Christian Home TCHOC, Executive Secretary of KRCMI, National Alliance Renewal Missionary Society, Convener of the Sixth Global Prayer Day Los Angeles Prayer Conference 2010-2015, committed to promoting One Church to Love One Nation ( Recruitment UUPG movement); Global Day of Prayer (unity prayer movement); Mu Xuan New Vision (Egyptian conversion movement).