This Easter marks the sixth anniversary of MWV. Time flies! We have been on the air for six years—that is over 2,200 days so far! Think of all the hours that covered the entire world with the good news!
It is interesting to see that different parts of the world respond in different ways. The middle east and north Africa are predominantly desert—perhaps symbolic of the spiritual conditions there. It takes a lot more time and effort to reclaim the desert and turn it into fertile soil. However, in the spiritual realm, God works in mysterious ways.
Jesus always taught people in parables to help them understand the Kingdom of God. In the parable of the Sower, Jesus said, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matthew 13:3-9)
We all like the good soil, so we can have a quick, great crop, but what about the arid soil that farmers give up on. There is no soil tough enough for God’s love and grace to work through. Those of us who grew up in the country know that there is a lot of work to be done before growing a crop—removing stones, cutting thorns, killing weeds, adding topsoil, aeration, and fertilization, etc.
It works the same way in the spiritual world. A lot of our pre-evangelistic programs play a significant role to clear the debris, to remove misconceptions, and to open up people’s hearts and minds to think again and to see things from a new perspective. But more exciting is what God, and only God, can do to open up the fields. A case in point is Saudi Arabia. For decades, it has been the most closed and restrictive country in the region. In the last few months, the crown prince made some dramatic, unprecedented changes to move the country towards being more moderate and tolerant of other faiths and religions.
In other countries in the region, we still witness a struggle between old traditions and current trends. Since about two thirds of the population are under the age of twenty-five, you can tell where the balance is being slowly tipped. Hence our social media platforms become of critical importance. Our followers grow by the day. They love the content we present because, as one listener described it, “it has the right tone and cares for the whole person and what they face in their lives…” We meet people where they are; we help them face their daily struggles; we equip them to make an informed decision about Jesus. We keep sowing the seeds, and the Holy Spirit brings the miracle of growth!
Categories: ARABIC
