Producer Mike for the Alex McFarlane Show, listen to this. Alex is the Christian voice we need right now. I love listening to him, and the guests he has on the show are just amazing. I highly recommend his podcast. Great words, Alex.
Well, we give God the glory. We thank the listeners for kind sentiments like that, but we give God all the glory. But folks, please listen in, spread the word. You're spreading the gospel. Tell others about our programming, and we sincerely thank you.
Um The Spiritual Condition of America, Politics, Culture, and Current Events Analyzed Through the Lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. In Matthew 24:14, the Lord Jesus said this: This gospel of the kingdom will be preached as a witness to all nations. And then the end would come. Hi, Alex McFarland here.
We have a very special show today. The show is going to uplift you. This show is going to inspire you because if you're a born-again Christian, like all true Christians, we desire that people know Jesus. And it's always a blessing. I know my wife and I, when we get newsletters or we talk to missionaries and we hear that God is bringing masses of people to a personal knowledge of Jesus, we're thrilled.
We rejoice that people are hearing the gospel. And folks, look, I know it's a crazy world these days, and if you just watch the news, it's easy to get despondent and depressed. It sounds like everything is bad. But in the next few moments, you're going to hear some good news. You're going to hear some great news because the Spirit of God is moving.
People are getting saved. The name of Jesus is being known. Kind of reminds me of what Habakkuk talks about. Habakkuk says there's coming a day. When the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
And one of the places where God is working in a mighty, mighty way is in the nation of Pakistan.
Now, with me in the studios, I have a longtime friend and colleague, Pastor Howard McNeil. I just want to be on record, our ministry is very indebted to Pastor Howard, Southside Baptist Church of Greensboro, North Carolina, because for north of five years, probably six years, Southside Baptist Church has invested in this ministry by allowing us to use a very, very large Sunday school room as a studio, radio, television. And Pastor Howard, first of all, you and I have been friends for a long, long time. Our families have been friends. But I want to say thank you because from right where we sit, Two to six million people a week hear the gospel.
Because you and Southside give us space. And I just want to say thank you for allowing that, but thanks for being with us today on the program as well. Thank you so much, Alex. Yes, Southside is just blessed to be able to partner with your ministry. It's our desire that people in our community and around the world come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
He's impacted my life and changed my life, and I love to hear how He impacts and changes the lives of others. One of the things that you and I have talked about over the last several years, you have made a couple of trips to preach crusades in Pakistan. How did that come about? And as an American pastor, what's it like to take Jesus and preach in Pakistan? That came about, first of all, by my good friend Tamron, who's sitting here to my right.
We met. He's a local pastor here in the Greensboro area. And he invited me to go on a trip with him over to Pakistan and to just. Experience the country, get to know the churches, preach a crusade over there. I do have to admit, I was a little hesitant at first.
The first time he said, Hey, why don't you come to Pakistan with me? I was a little nervous, so I prayed about it. God gave me a piece, and so I was been able to make two trips over there now: one back in 24, one in 25. And what we did is we went into the country, worked with the churches there in training leaders, doing different types of ministries, just partnering with them to do ministry in the church, excuse me, in the country and in the area, and then doing large gospel crusades.
Well, I've seen those photographs, and hey, kudos, my friend. It looks like a Billy Graham crusade. I mean, you were on the podium literally in front of an ocean of people. Sharing the very same message you preach here in the States: that Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose from the dead. You and I have been friends a long, long time.
What were your thoughts when you stood at the pulpit, and there are people literally as far as the eye can see? What went through your mind as you open God's Word before an audience such as that. I have to admit, one of the first things that came to my mind was uh just a thankfulness to God? There was such a strong sense of the spirit there. Moving through the crowd and the energy that was there.
But then immediately after that came the realization that there is nothing in me that is worthy to be able to stand here on my own and proclaim Jesus Christ. It is all God Moving and working through the Holy Spirit and enabling and empowering me to do this. And all of the work that had really gone on behind the scenes, preparing for these evangelistic crusades, preparing for us to share the gospel, the people who'd gone out and invited their neighbors to come who didn't know Jesus, and just a deep sense of gratitude to them to set the stage so that I could walk in and just share Jesus Christ. And praise God.
Southside allows you, you're pastoring a church, a very highly visible church in Greensboro, but your church gives you the space and the latitude to do that. And in a moment, we're going to talk with Tamron and here, folks, you're going to hear some news about what God is doing around the world that you're not going to hear in most media. But before we talk with Tamron, Howard, say a word to the churches out there. And I know the local pastor has a lot on his shoulders, but to give a pastor some. Time off, or not time off, but to give pastors time to go and do international missions.
Give a word of encouragement to the churches out there that maybe they should let their pastors do mission work as Southside allows you to go and do sometimes. Sure, I'll be glad to. One of the things that we do as a Southern Baptist Church is we give money each year to the International Mission Board, and the IMB sends missionaries out around the world to share the gospel. But it's also a responsibility of ours. I believe for the individual church to invest in reaching people around the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And what a better way than to send your pastor. Out and give him the freedom to join with individuals like Tamron who are native to the country, who know the culture and how to. Be the actual boots on the ground and set up everything for them to allow them to go and to share the gospel. It's really your church investing in souls that will one day be in heaven because you gave time, you gave money, and allowed them to go and to share the gospel with people that. you will never get the opportunity to meet.
Amen.
Well, when we come back, we're going to do a deep conversation with Tamaron. And he's with us here in the studio as well. First of all, my dear brother from Pakistan, welcome and thanks for making time to be with us on the radio today.
Well, it's such a honor and joy to be with you and Brother Howard. It's such a beautiful to have you have with you here. You know what's so meaningful and so special? Howard and I are from America. The southeastern America, you know, the Bible Belt.
You're from Pakistan, but we get together and it's like dear old friends because we have Jesus in common. I mean, it's like instant family because we all know Jesus. Yeah, exactly. You know, I love to share that how you are sharing. I'm from Pakistan, and Pakistan is the second most populated country in the Muslim world after Indonesia.
98% population is Muslim there, and probably 260 million people live in Pakistan. But we have seen God is doing such a great work in Pakistan. And I love to share this thing probably 60, 70 years before. God spoke to some of American missionaries and God said to them that go in Pakistan and do my work and they were really God you wanted to send us in Pakistan Hobart was sharing that he was feeling a little hesitation and they decided that we will go and they went in Pakistan and they learned the culture and they learned that language in Pakistan and they share gospel with my grandfather his name was Allah d'eta. And they share the gospel with my grandfather.
He came to Christ through American missionaries. And now God sent us here in this country, here in North Carolina, being as a missionary. America was number one country who was sending missionary from here to all over the world.
Now America is number one country who is receiving missionary from all over the world because every language, every country, every culture group is existing right here. Praise God. We've got to take a break, folks. You're talking with Tamaron from Pakistan, Howard McNeil from North Carolina, Alex McFarland here. Stay tuned.
A show dedicated to celebrating what God is doing around the world to bring people to Christ. We've got a brief break. We'll be back after this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this.
Do you know prayer is the nerve that moves the muscle of God? Hi, Alex McFarland here, encouraging you to download our free PDF of 31 Days of Prayer for Our Nation. Discover how consistent prayer can transform your heart and our nation. These are times of uncertainty, people need hope, and specific prayers get specific answers.
So go to alexmacfarland.com and download the free PDF of prayer, and I challenge you to make this next 31 days a time of powerful prayer. He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program. Alex McFarland here.
If you're a born-again Christian, you know the joy whenever you hear someone being saved. How about the joy and the celebration when you hear of thousands and millions coming to Christ? We're going to talk about what God is doing in Pakistan. You know, Tamron, before the break, you mentioned missionaries coming, and now you and other Pakistanis are coming here. It reminds me, I've got a very dear friend of 20 years, Dinesh D'Souza.
Dinesh was raised in Bombay, India. Brilliant, brilliant, devout Christian and a longtime friend. And Dinesh said to me last year: he said, a century ago. American missionaries came to India to seek To evangelize. He said, today Indians are coming back to return the favor.
I love America, but we've lost our way. I mean, America is a backslidden nation that needs Jesus. And I just want to say thank you. and your Pakistani brethren coming to reevangelize us, Dinesh D'Souza and his Indian colleagues coming back to North America to remind us of the gospel that we have forgotten.
So praise God for what he's doing. I want to hear your story. Your grandfather became a Christian. You are a Christian. And then let's segue and hear about what God is doing to bring people to Jesus Christ in Pakistan.
But again, tell us how God brought you to where you are in the journey.
Well, we are running Ministry Gospel VN Ministries and First Indo-Park Church in High Point, North Carolina, where we are helping the local churches to reach international community because now we can see here in America people they are coming from all over the world and High Point Greensboro area is becoming very much international people and they are living right here next to our corners and they are living probably tenure. 20 years, 30 years. But the sad thing is this. They never ever heard gospel even not one time. and they are living right here.
And our heart is that we can engage the local churches that to share gospel with them. We can see the greatest commandment is love God and love your neighbor. And our role is this, the best way we can love our neighbor is Showing Jesus to them and sharing gospel with them. And such a great opportunity when people are there coming from different places to write here, and we can share gospel. That's our role, what we are doing here, helping the local churches to share gospel with the international community, those who are here.
But on the same time, we are bringing churches and individuals from here back to Pakistan that we can do the big gospel crusades there. Crusades are one of a beautiful way to share the gospel in Pakistan, and we are helping local leaders there. Last trip when Howard and me, we were there, we trained probably like 300 local pastors and leaders there. Every trip when we are going there, we are doing that kind of things. We are running some kind of water projects there, clean water projects.
70% population in Pakistan do not have access for clean water.
So far, we dig. more than hundred water wells and uh which is extremely great ministry to sharing the water and through water we are sharing with them the living water and we have seen many many people they are coming to Christ in in Pakistan and such a great revival is happening through there. Let me encourage churches all across the country. I happen to know some folks from NC State University. My father graduated from there.
But engineers that are Christians, they go all around the world and they do infrastructure projects. And they share the gospel. I mean, when you provide clean water for somebody, or you provide, you know, sanitation, or, you know, just how to put in streets and things like that. There are many, and listen, no matter where you are in America, maybe you're not a preacher in a pulpit, but you have skills. Those skills can be translated to Great Commission ministry in developing nations.
And Howard, does my memory serve me? Are you a Wolfpacker? Are you an NC State grad? Yes, my undergraduate is from NC State in Poultry Science in class of 90.
Well, yeah, NC State, you know, we North Carolinians are pretty proud of that. And I know there are many, many other great engineering schools around the country as well. But whether it's Compassion International or our friends at Samaritan's Purse or Baptist Men on Mission. When you do things like, as Matthew 25 says, give a cup of cold water in Jesus' name, that does open the door for the gospel, doesn't it? Absolutely, it does.
And there is a great need in many areas around the world for clean and safe drinking water to help children survive and to help families be able to thrive. And you know what? And folks, we're talking about the gospel and getting the gospel out. But you know, I just read a stat about a year ago about at least one seventh of the world population doesn't have a clean, safe Private place to go to the bathroom or take a shower. in any given day.
That's very sad. And so sometimes before people can really hear the gospel, there are human needs that need to be met. But Tamaron, talk about the spiritual hunger, if you would. The message of Jesus that he died, he rose again. by faith in Jesus, our sins are forgiven.
How hungry are people in the the world from which you came? How hungry are people to have real truth about their relationship with God? You know truly, people they are desperate. That's the word in Pakistan. Every time when we go there, we can see there is really hunger.
People they are waiting that someone can come and share the message of hope. I love to share that ministry begins with a smile. If we can give smile We can share the gospel with them. And just loving, genuinely loving people, it opens the door. Every time when we are in Pakistan, we can start with very common things.
Just helping people, giving smile, spending time with them, then automatically gospel opportunities come there. That's clean water projects, there is educational projects, there is several other things we are doing there. But we have seen that the greatest things, what God gave us, that's the love. We can love people and when we are loving people, automatically gospel opportunities we have seen. And Pakistan people, they are very, very desperate and they are waiting that if someone can come and share the love of Christ to them, and we have seen through that such a such a great revival.
A great change because there is power in the word of God. Doesn't matter wherever we share. We have to take a brief break before we pull away, and we're going to be back. Stay tuned, folks. But a website.
Do you have a website where people can see what you're doing? Yeah, that's our website is first Indo Park Church. Dot com Okay. First say it again. First endo.
Bach. Church.com. That's our website. Stay tuned, folks, more after this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert.
Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Over the last several decades, it's been my joy to travel the world talking with children, teens, adults, people of all ages about the questions they have related to God, the Bible, Christianity, and how to know Jesus personally. Hi, Alex McFarlane. I want to make you aware of my book, The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity. You know, we interviewed hundreds of children and parents and families to find out the questions that children and people of all ages are longing to find answers for.
In the book, we've got practical, biblical, real-life answers that they have about how to be a Christian in this modern world. My book, The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask, you can find it wherever you buy books or at resources.afa.net. He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program.
Alex McFarland here, and we're going to resume our conversations with Howard McNeill and Tamaron. But I want to encourage people to please be in prayer as we're doing this program. We're in the middle of our summer youth camps, nearly 2,000 teenagers in eight camps this summer. And please be in prayer as we're sharing the gospel with kids, some of whom have never heard of Jesus before, but all of whom appear to be incredibly receptive. Then we've got our Revive U.S.
tour we just finished in western North Carolina. We're headed to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, headed to Texas in the month of July. Citywide Crusades, bringing churches and Christians together. We're on radio and television events, publishing, broadcasting. Please, please be in prayer because souls are being saved, and we're doing our utmost to try to get people grounded in the Word of God.
And this really is the hope of America and every nation is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And please be in prayer. And if you feel so led, we need help. The gospel is free, but it takes resources to deliver that free message. You can give securely online at alexmacfarland.com.
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But right now we're talking with Tamaron and Howard. And first of all, guys, thank you for what you're doing, and thank you for being with us today. But Tamaran, especially, I want to talk about the spiritual hunger for knowledge about Jesus. And here in the West, we see Islam all around us. But I hear reports not only from you, but from all over.
We've interviewed people from Iran, from Egypt, people from India. And I am hearing that the name of Jesus is being eagerly received. And that, contrary to what you might believe, folks, Islam is actually shrinking, not growing. Could you speak to that, Tamron?
Well, there is interesting thing that uh when people they are coming here in different part of the world, especially Muslim people, we have some time being as a Christian, we have some wrong concept about them. And some places they have a wrong concept about us. And we sometimes think that it's too hard and difficult to talk about them about religion. Talking with any Muslim friend about religion is talking with any other American about football. And if you want to talk with any Muslim and very first conversation, and if you said them that, can I pray for you?
98% Muslims, they can allow you that you can pray for them in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. Sharing gospel with Muslim friends is exactly sharing with other people. And they are people exactly like us. And we need to be more encouraged and we need to be bold and we need to make friendship with them and we need to be engaged with them and we need to talk about God, about Jesus. And Muslims, they said that they cannot be a good Muslim.
Muslim until they are not believing on Jesus, they call the word as a Isa. But there is so much common things in the Quran and in the Bible, also, which is as a bridge. We can talk with them, we can engage with them, we can share the gospel with them. And we have seen that now, many, many people are receiving Christ when we are talking with them. And many Muslims we have seen they came to Christ through dream and vision.
And we have seen that where we are not reaching, Jesus is that much ready that Jesus is coming in their dreams and vision. They are coming to Christ. That's the number one reason. And then there is one other biggest reason is to genuinely loving them and making friendship with them and then sharing gospel and gospel change their lives all over the world. Amen.
Amen.
That is really true. And I want to challenge every church listening: if you don't have a prayer ministry, start one. And if you do have a prayer ministry, we are to pray for the nations. We are to pray for the gospel to go to the very ends of the earth. Howard, one of the things I love about Southside and You've been have you been here ten years now?
Not yet ten. I've been almost nine.
Well, from day one, from everything that Angie and I could see, you have made world missions a priority at Southside. And that's good. I think about Acts 1:8: that Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost parts of the earth. I think every local church, well, I'll ask you: can every local church, at least on some level, have a hand in those concentric circles outward. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost parts of the earth.
How can local churches begin to get involved in local, regional and world missions? Sure, that's very easy. One of the ways that We do it here at Southside, and I'll just speak about us. I think it can be adapted to any church, is we seek to reach our community. around us with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That comes and looks in many different ways through some of our sports ministries, through some of our school involvement, various ways that we can connect with the community around us is how we, it's the avenue that we see that God opens the door for us to reach people. Regionally, we partner with the North Carolina Baptist State Convention for regional mission trips around the United States, but then around the world. Even if you don't ever have the opportunity to visit the wonderful country of Pakistan, and it is truly a beautiful and wonderful country, and very sweet people. You can pray for those who are going. You can pray that.
God's Holy Spirit will begin moving in people's lives and Areas of the world that you can't may not physically be able to go, you can pray. And through the power of prayer, God can use that for people like myself, or like Tamron, especially. As we're going, you can be praying for us that we'll be able to clearly communicate the gospel and that the gospel will make a connection and that hearts will be open and receptive. Amen.
Tamron, what about churches throughout America that say, hey, we want to go to Pakistan? We'd like to link arms and Take our people. Because I will say this, folks, and Angie and I have been very privileged to go to many, many countries outside of America. If you go on an international gospel trip, you'll never be the same. You will never be the same.
And if you do an international mission trip, folks, trust me, don't be afraid. You can do this. And listen, the safest place you'll ever be is in the center of God's will. I've been in places, I've never been afraid, I've never felt threatened. And look.
Our life is not our own, anyway. Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 6, 19 and 20, that we are not our own. And folks, please don't play it safe. Please do get out of your comfort zone. Listen.
No matter where you are on planet Earth. If you're in The will of God. That's the safest, wisest place to be, is in God's will.
So don't. Be afraid. But Tamron, we're almost out of time. How can churches begin to plan a trip to Pakistan or wherever and begin to get involved? Give us some advice and some assignment about becoming involved in international evangelism as you are.
You know, God called us that we can go share the gospel in the places where we never been. And we'd love to invite you for Pakistan. Pakistan is very open as a present. We can see that Pakistani government and American government have such a great relationship. Recently, Vice President Jedi Wins was in Pakistan, and we love to bring people, small group, our big group, our church leaders from here to Pakistan.
We are as a bridge. We are here as a Pakistani Christian, as an American citizen now. We are living here, but make connection with us. You can go to our website. You can get our information from there and email us or call us and love to bring you.
You can call in our office 646-22085-95. You can reach us there and we love to bring you in Pakistan. Maybe you can go physically, or if you cannot go physically, you can go with us through your prayers, through your partner. Partnership, but we love to involve your church because God calls you not just for this place, God calls you the places where you've not been there. That's the new door for you.
You know, folks, Psalm 67, verse 4 says, Let the nations be glad and sing for joy. You rule the people with equity and guide the nations of the earth. The ruler, the king, the savior, that's Jesus. Who rules and reigns in righteousness. And folks, one day, One day, the nations will be glad and will sing for joy as the knowledge of the Lord covers the world, and you and I can help.
People find Jesus. And here's my prayer. We're out of time, but listen to this, folks. One day, We're going to sit around the banquet table. It's called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and it says, every kindred, tongue, tribe, nation.
Will be there. And I pray. And believe this, folks, believe it, you can help populate the banquet table. By committing your life to Christ and helping others find Jesus as well. That's our call.
What else is there, folks? Look, there's nothing else that matters but knowing Christ and helping others find Christ. Tamaron, my dear brother in the Lord, blessings on you. And we agree with you in prayer for the evangelization of Pakistan. Pastor Howard, You and I, we're friends.
We see each other almost every week. Blessings on Southside. Folks, remember: Jesus is as close by as a prayer. and the meaning of life is to know him and make him known. Alex McFarlane Ministries are made possible through the prayers and financial support of partners like you.
For over 20 years, this ministry has been bringing individuals into a personal relationship with Christ and has been equipping people to stand strong for truth. Learn more and donate securely online at alexmacfarlane.com. You may also reach us by calling 1-877-YESGOD and the number 1. That's 1-877-Y-E-S-G-O-D-1. Thanks for joining us.
We'll see you again on the next edition of the Alex McFarlane Show.
