Kameel Majdali's Road Ahead

While growing up in the United States during the Cold War, I had certain fanciful, even romantic ideas when it came to the continent of Europe: •     A castle on every hill; •     A cathedral on every street corner; •     Art museums in every suburb; •     Horse-drawn carriages travelling on cobbled streets to the sound of classical music; •     A semi-aristocratic lifestyle, where people elegantly sip fine coffee and eat cake, while never being in a hurry; •     A highly-intelligent population who can speak 3-5 languages each. There is some truth to this idealised picture, but it is also true that this resembles a past glory. To understand this great continent, we need to go back into history. What makes Europe, ‘Europe.’ After all, it is part of the same land mass as Asia and even Africa (via the Suez Canal and Straits of Gibraltar). In theory, you could drive f...

… I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus — Philippians 3:12ff Paul the apostle was one of the most influential, impact-making, legacy-leaving people in all human history. His amazing work is still paying rich dividends until today. How did he do it? So far, we have learned: Principle One: Grace brings world-change; Principle Two: Righteousness brings world-change - when you change into the righteous image of Christ, you are then empowered to be an agent of change to the world. Principle Three: Knowing Christ. Christ is such a powerful, singular figure that knowing Him brings empowerment in return. Principle Four: Taking hold of Christ. Let’s review the last step - which is the most important. Philippians 3 tells us the secret: he let go of ‘everything’ in his life - good, bad, and ugly - so he would be ‘hands free’ to take hold of Christ and His purposes for Paul’s life. That’s what the above verse ...

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus — Philippians 3:12 (KJV) He is one of the most impactful individuals who ever walked this planet. Two millennia after he lived, his legacy continues to grow exponentially. It would be hard to over-estimate the impact he has had on humanity. The man in focus is none other than the Apostle Paul. Tireless church planter, apostolic father figure, and (human) author of half the New Testament, he leaves an example worthy of emulation. The secret of his world-changing success is found in the third chapter of Philippians. So far, we have learned: Principle One: Grace brings world-change; Principle Two: Righteousness brings world-change - when you change into the righteous image of Christ, you are then empowered to be an agent of change to the world. Principle Three: Knowing Christ. Christ is such a powerful,...

Ambition: It is a bane and it is a blessing. When it is ambition for personal advancement, especially where the ‘means justifies the end,’ then it can be harmful to the ambitious one and others. Yet, when ambition is directed towards a greater good, everyone benefits. As the adage says: When you see someone reaching for authority, avoid him. He will hurt you. When you see someone reaching for responsibility, embrace him. He will bless you. The latter clearly applies to the apostle Paul. He was so single-minded in his devotion for God, sold out to fulfilling his call with joy (Acts 20), fighting the good fight of faith and winning the prize, that the entire world has been blessed for centuries because of him. He is one of the most influential people who ever lived; a man who changed the world. How did he do it? In our first part, we learned Principle One - Grace: Don’t let your natural gifts get in the way of God’s grace. Be willing to surrender them all to God in ...

Paul the Apostle is one of the top 5 most influential people who ever lived. He turned the world upside down. In this series, we are exploring ‘Paul’s secret’ of how to change the world. That secret is found in Philippians 3:7-12. In our first part, we learned Principle One: Don’t let your natural gifts get in the way of God’s grace. Be willing to surrender them all to God in order to live by grace and truth (John 1:14,17). While natural gifts are a form of grace, a person who is infused with God’s grace will accomplish far, far more. Principle Two: And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith — Philippians 3:9 The second secret of a world-changer is found in the above verse, which leads to Principle Two: Make sure it is Christ’s righteousness, not your own, that is found in you. If you want to partner with God to change the world, you w...