And he commanded us to preach the gospel to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God has appointed judge of the living and the dead. — Acts 10:42
Dr. Elias Malki was the founder of the Middle East Gospel Outreach and one of God’s great ambassadors. He died in 2015 but not before proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Arabic language via satellite on eight channels throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe—over 180 nations daily to over 20,000,000 people!
He became the host of the first Arabic evangelistic TV program called The Good News. It was the first such program to air on television in the Middle East and thousands of people, both Jews and Arabs—were healed and received Jesus as their Savior.
Dr. Malki was a surprise visitor at an evangelical Arab Church Conference in Nazareth, where my wife Dorothy and I had been invited to speak in 2009. He attended on the last night as I preached on the “Core Values of the Christian Faith.” Because Dr. Malki was so well-known in Israel, it was appropriate for our host, Pastor Philip Saa’d to ask him to speak to our group as well, and I heartily agreed. I’ll never forget what this energetic 78-year old said after I was finished.
He got up after my message and spoke in English with a translator just as I did, although he speaks fluent Arabic. He told the group that they had just heard the full gospel in simple terms that anyone could understand. Now he said that he expected “to see results.” He told the group that when a preacher speaks to you through the clear word of the Bible about the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ, God expects something to happen.
“Furthermore,” he added, “when you are admonished through the text of Scripture about living a holy life in obedience before God—results are expected. When he shows you from the word of God that Jesus heals today—you must respond. If you don’t, then there is no reason for you to be there because God expects results when His word goes forth!”
Now that’s a boldness that I had rarely seen or practiced myself as a minister and the results were dramatic. People streamed to the altar, and we prayed with them for well over an hour. Many were healed and came to Christ!
I believe many preachers today are reluctant to hurt someone’s feelings by “laying it on the line,” so they often hesitate to challenge their hearers. So what if they get mad and don’t come back—or go join another church to hear “feel good” sermons? But if salvation and the healing power of God and a changed victorious life are at stake, why would we let them walk out the door, no better than when they came in? Perhaps these words from the apostle Paul will encourage us:
“As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).
Thank you, Dr. Malki, for your example. It changed me. I hope this account will change you, even if you’re not a preacher. God expects results, my friends—every time we hear or read God’s word it requires a response. Maranatha!
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