Out of Egypt

Why don’t I support Al Sisi?

I wrote this article in 2016, and I still don’t support tyranny.

For many Egyptian Christians, Sisi is worth to be supported for several political and ecclesiastical reasons. Moreover, for entirely different reasons, some conservatives in the West prefer a strong military leader in Egypt. Nonetheless, I argue that supporting a lunatic tyrant cannot be justified.
Sisi might be fighting terrorists, but not terrorism in the broader sense. On the contrary, his unjust policies will lead to an insurgence of terrorism.
Every time, Christians choose to neglect their characterizing values for political and security reasons, they become unfaithful to their Lord and lose their witness to the fallen world. Since I take God’s Word seriously; therefore, I cannot justify the deeds of an evil liar and a tyrant who torture, jail, and kill people for temporary peace.
True Christians should be faithful to Christ and his Word, not to a pope, a patriarch, or any earthly leader, and they are in no…

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Christian Worldview

If Christ is at the center of your worldview, you will understand that the Kingdom of God is not about you. Instead, it is about Him and your neighbor. True faith in Christ replaces the self’s locus with a serving servant heart in those who follow Him. Thus, faithful Christian, I urge you to embrace a genuine Christian worldview. A worldview that will transform how you approach God, your neighbour, your enemies, and yourself!

Out of Egypt 3: Egypt in the US

I always claim that life in the US is much better than in Egypt. Therefore, I quiver and tremble when I encounter here what reminds me of Egypt. Sadly, there are few places and institutions (let me call them pockets) in the US where some people seem to function within an Egypt-like frame. Pockets where clarity and fairness are almost missing, while deception and pragmatism dominate. These pockets remind me of Egypt and my time there. Therefore, I can’t stand these pockets, they bring back terrible memories to my mind. At any rate, thank God they are still few today, but what about tomorrow?! I hope that the spirit of Egypt will not dominate this country and that Babylon will not replace the Church. As someone said, “America is great because America is good.” I hope Americans will continue to distinguish between good and evil, or soon, no one will be able to differentiate between America and Egypt.

Out of Egypt 2: Contrast

When people ask me about the main difference between Egypt and the US. Usually, they expect to hear something along the lines of a different culture or lifestyle. My answer is simple. Here in the US, I don’t have to apologize for my own existence. I don’t have to feel guilty for being myself. This is not the case in Egypt, where I constantly feel the need to apologize for my very existence. In Egypt, tolerance often feels like a facade, and I’ve been told I should be grateful simply because my ancestors weren’t killed and I’m still alive.

Don’t get me wrong, the US is far from perfect. But it’s not Egypt. Here, I don’t live under a cruel tyrant and among people who hate me for having a different faith. And while I might still face hardship and suffering, I don’t live in a place that makes me hate myself or wish I were never born

Out of Egypt 1: More than a Place

For a long time, I thought that Egypt was just a place. A place of disappointment and struggle, a place of slavery where your dreams fade and die. In reality, however, Egypt is something more profound and disturbing. Something deep inside each one of us. Your Egypt wants to hunt you down every time you face a challenge. It is like a cancer that eats your joy cells. But don’t let your Egypt get you down; trust in God, for there is hope in His promises; there is always hope.

هذي هي الأغلال Review

هذي هي الأغلال by عبد الله القصيمي

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

يطرح القصيمي سؤال هام فى كتابه، ما هو سبب تخلف الدول العربية الإسلامية؟ بصرف النظر عن اتفاقى أو اختلافى مع أطروحاته إلا إن هناك امريين فى غاية الاهمية. أولا إن هذا الكتاب طرح سؤاله فى اربعينيات القرن الماضي بينما الكثيرون اليوم مازالوا ينكرون مشروعية هذا السؤال مستخدمين نفس الحجج القديمة التى ينتقدها القصيمي، القدرية، الدروشة، و شيطنة الغرب/ اليهود. الأمر الثاني هو سؤال آخر يفرض نفسه بسبب إن المؤلف أمسى ملحدا فى آخر أيامه، هل نقد الموروثات و بخاصة الدين يقود بالضرورة إلى الارتداد أو الالحاد. أو هل العلمانية بالضرورة تقودنا إلى حالة لا دينية؟

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I Am Not Alone

No matter how much I try to explain, no words could express my feelings when I learned about my father’s death. It was a cold night in January 2015 when I received a phone call from home, a cold and calm call. I could not be with him as he breathed his last. I was on another continent when he was on his death bed. I wish that he died a happy man, but he was sad. I believe I was part of why he was sad. He opposed how I planned my life.

I loved him, yet I could not tell him that I loved him for one last time. I remember him today as I struggle with my own kids. Fatherhood is challenging indeed. I miss being a son, for being fatherless is cruel and being away from my home is painful. Now, I remember this same feeling as I recover from another trauma. Life in the US is far better than in my homeland, but sometimes I feel lost, estranged, and isolated. But thank God, I am not alone; the Lord is with me to sustain me. Moreover, true believers and family members stood by me in my time of trouble, and I thank God for each one of them. So, although I am fatherless and sad, I am not alone.

Biblical IV

Out of Egypt

IV. Know the Historical Setting

We can’t live biblically if we are not aware of the historical gap between our world and the worlds of the Old and the New Testaments. Thus, a historical-bridge proposal would be an important technical proposal because it can bridge this historical gap. First, the books of the Scriptures were not written in a vacuum. God spoke in specific historical settings and used the language of the day to connect with real historical humans like you and me. Therefore, understanding the terminology of the time and the historical background are both essential to understanding the message of the Scriptures and, consequently, being able to distinguish between what is essentially biblical and what was constrained by social/historical setting.

A couple of examples may clarify this previous point. Try to read a newspaper or a novel from last century, and you will probably struggle with the proper…

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Biblical IV

IV. Know the Historical Setting

A couple of examples may clarify this previous point. Try to read a newspaper or a novel from last century, and you will probably struggle with the proper meaning of some words and phrases. Not only were some words/ phrases used differently but also the historical and social contexts of the time employed their own terms. To be more specific, imagine yourself reading a political column in a newspaper from the 1960s; you may encounter terms such as “iron curtain” or “The Cold War.” The proper meanings of these terms were familiar to contemporary readers of this period due to the historical setting in the 20th century. This is not so for you, though; you might need some googling or background knowledge to familiarize yourself with these terms and to be able to relate to the spirit of the time.

Another example from the Scriptures is the many feasts in the life of ancient Israel. These feasts were significant in a unique way in the life of Israel. Their importance exceeded the purpose of reminding Israel of her God. These feasts were associated with the seasons of the harvest and were part and parcel of the life of the people in the Land [ almost all these feasts, except the Passover, were associated with the harvest]. In other words, God intended to have a relationship with His people that is fundamentally related to their everyday life in the Land. Although this concept of feasts differs from our current setting (assuming a contemporary Christian setting), a common truth unites us with this setting. It is this close relationship with our Lord. God didn’t change, and He still seeks those who seek an intimate relationship with Him. Finally, many solid background resources (Introductory works, Commentaries, and Study Bibles) can bridge this historical gap for contemporary readers. Thus, there is no language barrier or any other legitimate excuse for not bridging the historical gap between our world and the worlds of the Scriptures for a better understanding of what is essentially biblical.

The Majesty of Calmness: Insights

Insights from Jordon, William George, The Majesty of Calmness.

• The man who is calm does not selfishly isolate himself from the world, for he is intensely interested in all that concerns the welfare of humanity. His calmness is but a Holy of Holies into which he can retire from the world to get strength to live in the world. He realizes that the full glory of individuality, the crowning of self-control, is the majesty of calmness. (p.12).

• Hurry has ruined more Americans than has any other word in the vocabulary of life. It is the scourge of America and is both a cause and a result of our high pressure civilization. (p.14).

• The man who is not self-reliant is weak, hesitating and doubting in all he does, He fears to take a decisive step because he dreads failure, because he is waiting for someone to advise him or because he dares not act in accordance with his own best judgment. (p.28).

• Failure is one of God’s educators. It is experience leading man to higher things; it is the revelation of a way, a path hitherto unknown to us. (p.39).

• No rule for higher living will help a man in the slighter until he reaches out and appropriates it for himself until he makes it practical in his daily life until that seed of theory in his mind blossoms into a thousand flowers of thought and word and act. (p.46)