.jpg)
I thought it would be helpful to know the top ten Middle Eastern countries by population and their presidents.
EGYPT
79 million
The fourth and current President of Egypt is Hosni Mubarak. His first term began on 14 October 1981, and as of September 2005 is serving his fifth term in office. There is no constitutional limit upon the number of terms that any one individual can serve as President.
IRAN
75 million
The current President of Iran is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad since the Iranian presidential election, 2005. He was reelected after the disputed Iranian presidential election, 2009.
TURKEY
72 million
The office of the President of Turkey was established with the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923. Current office-holder is the 11th president, Abdullah Gül since August 28, 2007.
IRAQ
31 million
The current Prime Minister of Iraq is Nouri al-Maliki, who holds most of the executive authority and appoints the Council of Ministers, which acts as a cabinet and/or government. The current Presidency Council, a transitional replacement for the President of Iraq who serves largely as a figurehead with few powers, is composed of Jalal Talabani, Tariq al-Hashimi, and Adel Abdul Mehdi.
SAUDI ARABIA
27 million
Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, born August 1, 1924 is the current King of Saudi Arabia, and head of the House of Saud. He succeeded to the throne and assumed the title of King upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd, on August 1, 2005.
YEMEN
24 million
His Excellency Ali Abdullah Saleh, born March 21, 1946, is the first and current President of Republic of Yemen. Saleh previously served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) from 1978 until 1990, when he assumed office of president of Republic of Yemen (North & South Yemen). He is the longest-serving president of Yemen, ruling for more than 32 years and counting.
SYRIA
22 million
Syria's current president is Bashar al-Assad, who won a referendum on extending his presidency for second term, garnering 97.62 percent of votes in 2007 and is the son of Hafez al-Assad, who held office from 1970 until his death in 2000.
ISRAEL
7 million
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel (the title of President of Israel is an honorary position). The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem. The current prime minister is Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud, the ninth person to hold the position.
JORDAN
6 million
Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, born 30 January 1962, is the current King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. King Abdullah is a member of the Hashemite family. Abdullah has been married to Queen Rania of Jordan since 1993 and his mother is Princess Muna al-Hussein. Queen Noor of Jordan, born 23 August 1951, is the last wife and widow of King Hussein of Jordan. She was queen consort of Jordan between 1978 and 1999. Since her husband's death in 1999, she has been queen dowager of Jordan. American by birth, and of Syrian, British, and Swedish descent, she acquired Jordanian citizenship and renounced her American citizenship at the time of her marriage. She is the current president of the United World Colleges movement and an advocate of the anti-nuclear weapons proliferation campaign, Global Zero.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
4 million
The current President is Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Nahyan became president on 3 November 2004, following the death of his father, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
History in the Making
CAPE TOWN, South Africa – To lively African drumbeats and against the lighted backdrop of the trademark African red sunrise, over 4,000 Christian leaders from over 190 nations gathered at the Cape Town International Convention Center to open the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization Sunday.
Cape Town 2010: Highlights from the Opening CelebrationIt was the first time in over 20 years that the Lausanne Movement, a global network of evangelical leaders who work together for world evangelization, held a global conference. The third Lausanne Congress, also known as Cape Town 2010, is described as the most diverse Christian gathering – in terms of ethnicity, denomination, profession, and gender – in the 2,000 year history of Christianity.
Congress participants represent 198 nations, nearly every stream of Christianity, a diverse age range (40 percent of participants are from 20 to 40 years old), and diverse professions (1,200 participants are pastors, 1,200 are scholars and in the academic field, and 1,200 are from the medical, business, and media fields).
“We have come to dream. In those days, the Prophet Joel said when I pour out my Spirit on all people your sons and daughters will prophesize. Your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions,” said Doug Birdsall, executive chair of The Lausanne Movement, Sunday evening.
“[A]s we see the grand narrative of redemptive history, we believe that the future is as bright as the promises of God,” he said. “We will reflect this week on the mission of Lausanne – the call to the whole church to take the whole Gospel to the whole world.”
The significance of the Lausanne conferences lays in its founding in 1974. Lausanne I was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, and led by American evangelist Billy Graham. More than 2,700 evangelical leaders from 150 countries gathered for that historic conference that resulted in The Lausanne Covenant – a document defining the theological ground works for collaborative world evangelization. It also provided a framework for unity and serves as the statement of faith for hundreds of Christian organizations worldwide.
Also during Lausanne I, missiologist Ralph D. Winter shifted mission thinking when he gave a presentation about unreached people groups. Winter said the completion of the Great Commission should not be based on national boundaries but on unreached people groups.
More than a decade later, Lausanne II took place in Manila, Philippines. That Congress produced the Manila Manifesto that reaffirmed and expanded upon The Lausanne Covenant and the call to “Proclaim Christ Until He Comes.” The 1989 gathering brought together 3,600 leaders from 190 nations.
On Sunday evening, Birdsall read letters written by Billy Graham and John Stott, key leaders of Lausanne I, to attendees of Lausanne III.
Graham, 92, said he would pray daily for the conference in Cape Town and said the task of Lausanne III is to analyze changes in the world in the 21st century and see how God is calling Christians in this generation.
“[R]emember some things won’t change,” said Birdsall, reading Graham’s letter. The love of God, the good news, and Christ’s commandments do not change, said Graham in his written message.
The respected evangelical leader said he will be praying that God will increase the burden on the hearts of participants for the lost world and that they would rededicate themselves to the commitment to the lost world. He also told attendees to keep their eyes on Jesus Christ every day.
Meanwhile, English Christian leader and Anglican clergyman John Stott, 89, in his letter said he rejoices that the conference is being held in Africa where God is pouring out His blessing. Stott, who was a key figure in drafting The Lausanne Covenant, said he is praying daily for the conference.
“If God is still speaking to the Church as we enter the third millennium, if He has something to say to us, what is it He wants to say,” said Birdsall. “Speak Lord, your servants are listening.”
“Grant us a fresh vision of yourself for your Church.”
Lausanne III will address a wide range of issues facing the Church in the 21st century, including worldviews hostile to Christianity, the threat of terrorism, HIV/AIDS, and the prosperity gospel. The conference will conclude on Oct. 24.
Cape Town 2010: Highlights from the Opening CelebrationIt was the first time in over 20 years that the Lausanne Movement, a global network of evangelical leaders who work together for world evangelization, held a global conference. The third Lausanne Congress, also known as Cape Town 2010, is described as the most diverse Christian gathering – in terms of ethnicity, denomination, profession, and gender – in the 2,000 year history of Christianity.
Congress participants represent 198 nations, nearly every stream of Christianity, a diverse age range (40 percent of participants are from 20 to 40 years old), and diverse professions (1,200 participants are pastors, 1,200 are scholars and in the academic field, and 1,200 are from the medical, business, and media fields).
“We have come to dream. In those days, the Prophet Joel said when I pour out my Spirit on all people your sons and daughters will prophesize. Your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions,” said Doug Birdsall, executive chair of The Lausanne Movement, Sunday evening.
“[A]s we see the grand narrative of redemptive history, we believe that the future is as bright as the promises of God,” he said. “We will reflect this week on the mission of Lausanne – the call to the whole church to take the whole Gospel to the whole world.”
The significance of the Lausanne conferences lays in its founding in 1974. Lausanne I was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, and led by American evangelist Billy Graham. More than 2,700 evangelical leaders from 150 countries gathered for that historic conference that resulted in The Lausanne Covenant – a document defining the theological ground works for collaborative world evangelization. It also provided a framework for unity and serves as the statement of faith for hundreds of Christian organizations worldwide.
Also during Lausanne I, missiologist Ralph D. Winter shifted mission thinking when he gave a presentation about unreached people groups. Winter said the completion of the Great Commission should not be based on national boundaries but on unreached people groups.
More than a decade later, Lausanne II took place in Manila, Philippines. That Congress produced the Manila Manifesto that reaffirmed and expanded upon The Lausanne Covenant and the call to “Proclaim Christ Until He Comes.” The 1989 gathering brought together 3,600 leaders from 190 nations.
On Sunday evening, Birdsall read letters written by Billy Graham and John Stott, key leaders of Lausanne I, to attendees of Lausanne III.
Graham, 92, said he would pray daily for the conference in Cape Town and said the task of Lausanne III is to analyze changes in the world in the 21st century and see how God is calling Christians in this generation.
“[R]emember some things won’t change,” said Birdsall, reading Graham’s letter. The love of God, the good news, and Christ’s commandments do not change, said Graham in his written message.
The respected evangelical leader said he will be praying that God will increase the burden on the hearts of participants for the lost world and that they would rededicate themselves to the commitment to the lost world. He also told attendees to keep their eyes on Jesus Christ every day.
Meanwhile, English Christian leader and Anglican clergyman John Stott, 89, in his letter said he rejoices that the conference is being held in Africa where God is pouring out His blessing. Stott, who was a key figure in drafting The Lausanne Covenant, said he is praying daily for the conference.
“If God is still speaking to the Church as we enter the third millennium, if He has something to say to us, what is it He wants to say,” said Birdsall. “Speak Lord, your servants are listening.”
“Grant us a fresh vision of yourself for your Church.”
Lausanne III will address a wide range of issues facing the Church in the 21st century, including worldviews hostile to Christianity, the threat of terrorism, HIV/AIDS, and the prosperity gospel. The conference will conclude on Oct. 24.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wake Up with Me!
I’m not sure where I’m going with this, but I thought I’d let you know what the Lord has put on my heart.
I know very little about the Middle East. And I have been led to know more about the Middle East. In fact, a few weeks ago, I felt God was prompting me to do three things:
* Wake up, open my eyes – connect the dots between news and biblical prophecy…
* Get informed – read, know the present, know the past, know the map, know the leaders…
* Get prepared – listen and be ready to obey where God puts me and what He asks of me…
It began with recently reading through Isaiah in my read-the-Bible-through-in-a-year. I’ve read Isaiah upteen times, but this time I saw scriptures I’d never seen before, and ones I had seen I now read in a different light. Followed by Jeremiah, I’m seeing judgment everywhere. If any of the unfulfilled prophecies of judgment were to happen in my lifetime, I can tell you for sure that I am woefully unprepared.
Lying awake one night God began to bring things to mind – current happenings – that seem to confirm to me that He is leading others in the same way.
* BSF- BSF has not added another study since Romans. Is it any coincidence that the study that began worldwide this fall is the Book of Isaiah?
* David Jeremiah – Dr. David Jeremiah’s new book, The Coming Economic Armageddon, uncovers the Bible's prophetic clues to the world's shocking financial future--prophecies that just might indicate that we are living in the final days of Earth's history.
* Anne Graham Lotz & Joel Rosenberg – will join together on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 to do a worldwide simulcast, Wake up Call for the Church. Full details on my September 25 blogpost…
* The Lausanne Movement – Christian leaders are meeting this week in Cape Town, South Africa to address biblical evangelism in a drastically changed world. They have not met since 1989. * Studies of Revelation – It used to be you could not find a study of Revelation, now they are everywhere. Beth Moore has one and Kathy Phillips, from Houston, Texas and founder of Prepare for Life, just completed a 22-lesson study entitled "Revelation, the Unveiling of the Lord Jesus Christ".
I’m sure you have other happenings to add to my list. Join me in waking up! More on this as I ask God to remove the scales from my eyes and the muffs from my ears to see and understand more fully what He is up to.
Monday, October 11, 2010
So Dear to Me
We loved you so much
that we were delighted to share with you
not only the gospel of God
but our lives as well,
because you had become so dear to us.
that we were delighted to share with you
not only the gospel of God
but our lives as well,
because you had become so dear to us.
I Thessalonians 2: 8 NIV
I love this verse! I love it because it is what really happens when I teach a class. It happened to me a year ago when I began leading the Wednesday girls, and it has happened this fall with the Southwood Thursday girls. You simply become dear to me. I don't know any other way to say it.
God does it. He has a special way of knitting hearts together who study His Word together. I've talked to other bible teachers and they say the same thing. It seems impossible that you can love ladies who you do not even know, but it is true. I can look out into the audience and here's what I see - beauty, vulnerability, realness, eagerness to know and hear God, dedication and appreciation. And it simply catches my heart. I can't wait to get back this week - I've missed you so much.
Wednesday girls - We are approaching our half way mark in The Truth Project. I know it is overwhelming at times, but oh, so worth it. I wish I were in your shoes, studying Truth in my thirties. I love you all.
Thursday girls - I understand that the Stones of Remembrance exercise brought you closer together as groups and closer to God. I'll never forget the first time I sketched out my lifeline. I was bowled over at the amount of in-depth Bible study God put in my path during my thirties, all in preparation for some dark days in my forties. I would never have seen it so clearly had it not been for placing and labeling those memorial stones on a scrap piece of paper.
I can hardly wait for this Wednesday and Thursday - to be back with all of you. I love you with a heart only God could have given to me.
Take another look at I Thessalonians from The Message...
We weren't aloof with you. We took you just as you were.
I love this verse! I love it because it is what really happens when I teach a class. It happened to me a year ago when I began leading the Wednesday girls, and it has happened this fall with the Southwood Thursday girls. You simply become dear to me. I don't know any other way to say it.
God does it. He has a special way of knitting hearts together who study His Word together. I've talked to other bible teachers and they say the same thing. It seems impossible that you can love ladies who you do not even know, but it is true. I can look out into the audience and here's what I see - beauty, vulnerability, realness, eagerness to know and hear God, dedication and appreciation. And it simply catches my heart. I can't wait to get back this week - I've missed you so much.
Wednesday girls - We are approaching our half way mark in The Truth Project. I know it is overwhelming at times, but oh, so worth it. I wish I were in your shoes, studying Truth in my thirties. I love you all.
Thursday girls - I understand that the Stones of Remembrance exercise brought you closer together as groups and closer to God. I'll never forget the first time I sketched out my lifeline. I was bowled over at the amount of in-depth Bible study God put in my path during my thirties, all in preparation for some dark days in my forties. I would never have seen it so clearly had it not been for placing and labeling those memorial stones on a scrap piece of paper.
I can hardly wait for this Wednesday and Thursday - to be back with all of you. I love you with a heart only God could have given to me.
Take another look at I Thessalonians from The Message...
We weren't aloof with you. We took you just as you were.
We were never patronizing, never condescending,
but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children.
We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message,
we wanted to give you our hearts.
And we did.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Afternoon in Oxford
Nothing compares to visiting grandbabies, but when there is a spare hour, I have the treat of Oxford's Square waiting for me just five minutes away. My tour guide, Paula, gave me an overview of the art, shopping and eating before driving to nearby Taylor Grocery for unbelievable fried catfish. Thank you, Paula!
Views of the Square...
Our tour began with William Faulkner's home... a great place for future picnics and maybe one day, plein air art...
Southside Gallery, to see what's interesting in the art world... and to see more on Oxford's art, go to my art blog, Blessings in Brushstrokes...
the landmark of all landmarks, Square Books...
Mississippi Madness, lots of Peters Pottery...
a clock in the new store, Stash...
great pajama's at AC's...
and Off Square Books was preparing for a booksigning, an every Thursday night event...
then, a quick 15 minute drive to Taylor...
Everyone says come back for Christmas... no problem, I'll be back before then. The sweetest family in the world lives here!
Views of the Square...
Our tour began with William Faulkner's home... a great place for future picnics and maybe one day, plein air art...
Southside Gallery, to see what's interesting in the art world... and to see more on Oxford's art, go to my art blog, Blessings in Brushstrokes...
the landmark of all landmarks, Square Books...
Mississippi Madness, lots of Peters Pottery...
a clock in the new store, Stash...
great pajama's at AC's...
and Off Square Books was preparing for a booksigning, an every Thursday night event...
then, a quick 15 minute drive to Taylor...
Everyone says come back for Christmas... no problem, I'll be back before then. The sweetest family in the world lives here!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
