One of My Heroes
Tom Doyle is author of two books about the Middle East, Two Nations Under God and Breakthrough. I've read them both and I can heartily recommend them to you if you want to know God's perspective on the Middle East conflict and what God is doing among the Jews, Arabs and Muslims today. Much of it we witnessed personally. You will be amazed!
Tom is also an evangelist and church planter who leads tours into Israel and other nearby countries with E3 Partners. He is also one of the most likeable guys you will ever meet. It is a privilege for me to consider him a new friend and one of my heroes. He was in Israel at the same time we were in Haifa. In fact, he was working with Pastor Philip Saa'd, leading a group from the U.S. in witnessing door to door in the German Colony where the Haifa Baptist Church is located. He also preached that night.
The day before Dorothy and I met Tom, we learned that he was in Gaza, preaching at the Gaza Baptist Church, the only evangelical church remaining there. Last year, Hamas extremists had killed Rami Ayyad, who worked at the Bible Society at the church. They also firebombed and blew up the building. That church is under constant threats and one of their members, while Tom was there, was killed. When you can't kill the message, then you kill the messenger. Does that sound familiar?
To my surprise Tom Doyle was waiting for me in the foyer of our meeting hall to greet me. This was no coincidental meeting. We learned that Tom Doyle grew up in Albuquerque. He attended his first prayer meeting after getting saved at Heights Christian Church. He received Jesus Christ into his life in March of 1974, one month before my wife and me. We may very well have been at the same prayer meeting. How do things like that happen, 7000 miles away on a day in August 2009?
Tom reminded us that evening, that it is easy to get caught up in the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict and take sides, because there are extreme injustices on both sides. It is easy to fear the Muslim extremists and forget about the Muslim people. But one thing we should never forget, and that is the message of the saving grace of our Lord and Savior is the only truth that will make a difference in the land. Jesus Christ is the only one who can change men's hearts.
The apostle Paul said it well in 1 Cor. 1:23-24: We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Pastor Don
Tom is also an evangelist and church planter who leads tours into Israel and other nearby countries with E3 Partners. He is also one of the most likeable guys you will ever meet. It is a privilege for me to consider him a new friend and one of my heroes. He was in Israel at the same time we were in Haifa. In fact, he was working with Pastor Philip Saa'd, leading a group from the U.S. in witnessing door to door in the German Colony where the Haifa Baptist Church is located. He also preached that night.
The day before Dorothy and I met Tom, we learned that he was in Gaza, preaching at the Gaza Baptist Church, the only evangelical church remaining there. Last year, Hamas extremists had killed Rami Ayyad, who worked at the Bible Society at the church. They also firebombed and blew up the building. That church is under constant threats and one of their members, while Tom was there, was killed. When you can't kill the message, then you kill the messenger. Does that sound familiar?
To my surprise Tom Doyle was waiting for me in the foyer of our meeting hall to greet me. This was no coincidental meeting. We learned that Tom Doyle grew up in Albuquerque. He attended his first prayer meeting after getting saved at Heights Christian Church. He received Jesus Christ into his life in March of 1974, one month before my wife and me. We may very well have been at the same prayer meeting. How do things like that happen, 7000 miles away on a day in August 2009?
Tom reminded us that evening, that it is easy to get caught up in the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict and take sides, because there are extreme injustices on both sides. It is easy to fear the Muslim extremists and forget about the Muslim people. But one thing we should never forget, and that is the message of the saving grace of our Lord and Savior is the only truth that will make a difference in the land. Jesus Christ is the only one who can change men's hearts.
The apostle Paul said it well in 1 Cor. 1:23-24: We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Pastor Don
posted by Don Kimbro | 8:45 PM
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