Lebanon
A Great Cost
The Story of Beirut’s Revival
I think the greatest storyteller is our Lord. He has crafted a beautiful narrative in the Middle East, and I think as a storyteller, I'm just chasing down those stories. I happen to be in Beirut where much transformation has occurred. My name is Markus Kashouh. I'm the son of Pastor Hikmat, the senior pastor of Resurrection Church in Beirut, Lebanon.
Beirut is a vibrant coastal city in Lebanon; it is the capital of our country. Lebanese, Egyptians, Iraqis, Syrians, Kurds…many live under the poverty line. Growing up in a place like Lebanon, I witnessed great turmoil. My country has been marked by economic crisis and all sorts of different political upheavals.
Church in Lebanon is complex due to multiple reasons. Although Lebanon is a religiously free country, having a state where there are over 16 different religions and over 90 different political sects can cause a lot of tension between the different groups. We have people who come from radical homes and have come to know Jesus. They have been threatened with exposure and disownment and even murder. Seeing them come to know Jesus and pay a great cost to follow Jesus has been significant; and seeing their zeal for the Lord in such an area has been remarkable. I think revival is always resisted as well. When they hear of many people coming to know Jesus, it can be threatening for some.
Resurrection Church began in the late sixties and 15 years ago my dad became the senior pastor of the church. He had over 70 members at the time. In the past five to six years, we've seen people come to know Jesus. Now the church is a community of over 6,000 people. We want to see people come to know Jesus in their work life, in their social life, in their physical life. We pray with them, we free them, we educate them. We provide access to medical resources, children's activities, marriage and parenting courses, trauma counseling. They begin to ask the questions, "Why are you caring for us? Why are you supporting us?" And we get the opportunity to introduce the Savior to them.
Recently with a war in the south of Lebanon that has escalated, and our building being a few blocks down from the Hezbollah headquarters, we could hear the airstrikes. It would shake the building. Many of our people in the office had to flee. Many of our staff members and over 200 people of our congregation were displaced because of the war. So the church had a significant role. When the government was quiet, we were on the ground. With our war relief efforts, we were able to help over 5,000 people. The impact of the church extends far beyond just Lebanon, but around the Middle East and North Africa region.
This year alone, we had around a hundred people get baptized in Lebanon, and it's beautiful to see how much they're willing to pay to follow Jesus. The cost is great. People from radical backgrounds, they go and introduce Jesus to their homes, to their communities, and we see whole groups of people come to know Jesus.
Lebanon, and the Middle East, is a very communal society, and so when one person is transformed, it transforms the whole. It's a testament to how much God has worked in their lives and they're able to bring so many more people to follow Jesus. We're seeing glimpses of a revival; although we're playing a small part, it is Jesus who is transforming hearts and bringing people closer to Him in Beirut, Lebanon, and the Middle East. It's a story worth telling, and we are right in the middle of that.
Beirut is a vibrant coastal city in Lebanon; it is the capital of our country. Lebanese, Egyptians, Iraqis, Syrians, Kurds…many live under the poverty line. Growing up in a place like Lebanon, I witnessed great turmoil. My country has been marked by economic crisis and all sorts of different political upheavals.
Church in Lebanon is complex due to multiple reasons. Although Lebanon is a religiously free country, having a state where there are over 16 different religions and over 90 different political sects can cause a lot of tension between the different groups. We have people who come from radical homes and have come to know Jesus. They have been threatened with exposure and disownment and even murder. Seeing them come to know Jesus and pay a great cost to follow Jesus has been significant; and seeing their zeal for the Lord in such an area has been remarkable. I think revival is always resisted as well. When they hear of many people coming to know Jesus, it can be threatening for some.
Resurrection Church began in the late sixties and 15 years ago my dad became the senior pastor of the church. He had over 70 members at the time. In the past five to six years, we've seen people come to know Jesus. Now the church is a community of over 6,000 people. We want to see people come to know Jesus in their work life, in their social life, in their physical life. We pray with them, we free them, we educate them. We provide access to medical resources, children's activities, marriage and parenting courses, trauma counseling. They begin to ask the questions, "Why are you caring for us? Why are you supporting us?" And we get the opportunity to introduce the Savior to them.
Recently with a war in the south of Lebanon that has escalated, and our building being a few blocks down from the Hezbollah headquarters, we could hear the airstrikes. It would shake the building. Many of our people in the office had to flee. Many of our staff members and over 200 people of our congregation were displaced because of the war. So the church had a significant role. When the government was quiet, we were on the ground. With our war relief efforts, we were able to help over 5,000 people. The impact of the church extends far beyond just Lebanon, but around the Middle East and North Africa region.
This year alone, we had around a hundred people get baptized in Lebanon, and it's beautiful to see how much they're willing to pay to follow Jesus. The cost is great. People from radical backgrounds, they go and introduce Jesus to their homes, to their communities, and we see whole groups of people come to know Jesus.
Lebanon, and the Middle East, is a very communal society, and so when one person is transformed, it transforms the whole. It's a testament to how much God has worked in their lives and they're able to bring so many more people to follow Jesus. We're seeing glimpses of a revival; although we're playing a small part, it is Jesus who is transforming hearts and bringing people closer to Him in Beirut, Lebanon, and the Middle East. It's a story worth telling, and we are right in the middle of that.