The Vicar of Baghdad, Canon Andrew White, this morning emailed this Crisis Report about the latest situation in Iraq – NB: the barbaric Islamist hatred:
“WE ARE IN THE MOST DESPERATE SITUATION WE HAVE BEEN IN SINCE THE WAR IN 2003. The total infrastructure of the country has fallen to pieces even basic communication facilities like Facebook have all been closed down.
“We have no government very little food and for the first time huge opposition against Christianity. Churches have been attacked, Christian homes destroyed and thousands of Christians have fled there homes to seek safety and refuge.
“ISIS have told the Christians they have a choice:
They convert to Islam and pay the jazzier tax or have their heads chopped off. Today in Church the people said that they will never leave their Yesua (Aramaic for Jesus), they said when you have lost everything Jesus is all you have left and he is every thing. So this is the situation we are in we have no idea what will happen tomorrow but we know that our Lord will be with us.”
Hormoz Shariat, the “Billy Graham of Iran,” and I discuss the Gospel — the good news of how Muslims, Jews, and all people can be forgiven and go to heaven — on live satellite TV broadcast into Iran.
(Washington, D.C.) — In 1979, there were fewer than 500 Muslim converts to Christianity in all of Iran. Today, there are over one million Iranian who love Jesus Christ, have become His followers, and are celebrating Easter.
In fact, this Easter millions of former Muslims throughout the Middle East, North Africa and central Asia are celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whereas they once saw Jesus as merely a prophet, now they are convinced that He is God, and they have renounced Islam and chosen to follow Him no matter what it costs them.
In my 2009 non-fiction book, Inside The Revolution, I wrote several chapters about this extraordinary trend of…
“Sometimes I feel jealous”, says researcher Tino Qahoush, “How come Jesus is visiting the Muslim world at this time and age and we don’t hear that happening in the traditional Christian community?”
A report by George Thomas of CBN News, is exciting and encouraging. It reminds me of an unusual dream that blessed me in early 1992. Floating about halfway up from where the above photo was taken, I was astounded at what then took place for I was privileged to hear about a major spiritual change to befall the Muslim world. (Details may be read in Ask for the nations.)
The famous dictum, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church” was penned by Tertullian to explain why the number of believers in the early Church grew rapidly in times of intense persecution. So, could the unprecedented increase of horrific murders of Christians at the hands of Muslim extremists today be bearing unexpected fruit in their lands?
In view of the following accounts, it’s particularly noteworthy that Tertullian was raised in Carthage, on the northern coast of modern Tunisia. As a theologian, he produced an extensive body of Latin Christian literature during the late 2nd and early 3rd Centuries.
Here’s George’s report and video about what’s happening where Christianity flourished 1,500 years ago, as published on Monday in Charisma News.:
REVIVAL BREAKS OUT IN LAND ONCE HOSTILE TO CHRISTIANITY
A Christian revival is touching the northernmost reaches of Africa. In a region once hostile to the gospel, now tens of thousands of Muslims are following Jesus.
As the sun sets over the Mediterranean Sea, Muslims across Northern Africa are converting to faith in Jesus Christ in record numbers.
“What God is doing in North Africa, all the way from actually Mauritanian to Libya is unprecedented in the history of missions”, said Tino Qahoush, a graduate of Regent University and filmmaker. He has spent years traveling the region to document the transformation.
“I have the privilege of recording testimonies and listening to first-hand stories of men and women, of all ages where they can be sitting in a room and see the appearance and the presence of God appear to them in reality, like a vision, some of them gave me stories of how they carry on a conversation, it’s not just a light that appears” adds Qahoush. He also says sometimes he feels jealous, “How come Jesus is visiting the Muslim world at this time and age and we don’t hear that happening in the traditional Christian community?”
His interviews confirm what experts say is a profound move of God in the predominantly Muslim nations of Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia.
From the shores of Casablanca in Morocco to Tripoli, Libya, experts say the growth of Christianity, especially in the last 20 years, has been unprecedented. And now that growth is also evident in the North African nation of Algeria.
Pastor Salah leads one of the largest churches in Algeria. Some 1,200 believers attend the church, and 99 percent of the population is Muslim.
“In fact we never thought the Algerian church would grow so big” says Salah. He says every new Christian in his church came from a Muslim background. Since the church opened, they have baptized on average 150-160 believers per year.
Zino, a former Muslim, was invited to attend Pastor Salah’s church by a friend. What he saw transformed him, “I saw Algerians worshipping God with all their hearts and it touched me.”
Others, like Farhat who is also a former Muslim, speak of miraculous encounters. He says he was illiterate and couldn’t read the Bible when he accepted the Lord, then God made a change, “Since then I’ve read the Bible and understood the Word of God. This is just an example of what God has done in my life and this is the case of many people here in Algeria.”
“It is the first Muslim Arab government who recognizes officially churches from Islam”, says Youssef Qurahmane, a leading Algerian Pastor. He says the government will harass and intimidate Christians from time to time, but the level of persecution is nothing like it was 20 years ago.
In fact, Qurahmane is seeing God open unprecedented doors, “God has given to us many opportunities to witness at the police stations, at the courts, and in fact one time I went to the police station and they gave me 45 minutes to speak about Jesus! Just imagine yourself, they are all Muslims sitting and telling me, ‘Tell us about Jesus!’ “
But Algeria and the countries of North Africa weren’t always open to the gospel.
A veteran missionary in the region says things were very different some years ago. We’ll call him “Peter” for security reasons. Peter uses the Bible to describe the landscape, “You know there’s that parable, the sower went out to sow and the seeds feel on stony ground, this is North Africa, in those days was quite resistant and stony. The religion and the culture were unsympathetic to anything that was foreign and Christianity was considered to be the religion of the Europeans.”
Peter believes the arrival of satellite TV and the internet have dramatically changed people’s perception of Christianity (emphasis RB).
“Today in North Africa on TV you can hear native Arab Christians talking about their faith, who are mature Christians, answering questions, involved in debates, you can hear different points of view, the Christian point of view in your own living room or in the privacy of your own bedroom.”
Emboldened by God’s power, Algerian Christians are now on a mission to take the gospel to the four corners of the globe.
“God has put in our heart to be able to send 1,000 missionaries by the year 2025. I really believe that maybe one day America will end up with some Muslim convert missionaries coming to reach out to the Muslims there and in other parts as well”, says Pastor Qurahmane.
For more of this account click on this link to watch short video.:
After publishing the 2nd Anniversary item on Wednesday I discovered I’d done it a day early!
Weirdly, I was convinced Wednesday was 21st Nov and had worked with that firmly in mind. In fact, hectic events had skewed my week. After that weekend I was aiming to follow-up on Muslim reaction to Christian persecution. However, a major issue arose that took up an hour on Monday and over an hour the next day to resolve. So my writing schedule for the week went ‘up the spout’. (I can only applaud the Halifax Bank for the most professional and courteous manner in which they handled my complaint, including an immediate compensation, including cost of calls!)
With 21st fast approaching and on Wednesday I’d be busy offline, my priorities changed with the ‘birthday blog’ getting drafted in short time-slots. (Evenings are always offline.) My fixation on the wrong date was soon explained: Our wall calendars start weeks on Sundays but I’d mentally mapped out last week by using a daily verse calendar in the bathroom. I didn’t realise its tiny page has weeks starting Mondays. So, glancing at these row of dates I could see 21st as being exactly mid-week, ie. Wednesday; so I presumed!
There may have been an ulterior and unseen reason behind this time-skew, however, as became clear at the close of the next day’s full blogging, when I realised it was the real 21st Nov. But I was left stunned by an extraordinary coincidence, which has yet to be recounted.
In trying to solve this puzzle I checked the date this blog went public, but found the very first post had disappeared from the sequential listing. I recalled trashing it after having copied it into the About hub for reference purposes. But then I found the original stored safely in the Posts’ Trash folder and its publication date retained, as here (click to see) >
The original ‘Welcome’ has now been resurrected and republished. In there I refer to a book read in the mid-1980s which plunged me into the deep-end of Biblical prophecy. (I wasn’t a Christian but the book had no direct influence in that regard.) That part of the resurrected post is reproduced below, but to which I’ve added an emphasis for you to note, as well as the Update from About/Welcome…:
Welcome….
…I was also well-informed on new-age spirituality and prophecies, as well as material behind the supposed Da Vinci code. As editor/publisher I was, therefore, well placed for a friend in mail-order books to give me a new publication on geopolitics, The Invisible Hand (Victor Dunstan, Megiddo Press, 1984).
This gift claimed the Bible held coded and plaintext details of prophecies concerning the British Mandate in Palestine, as well as giving historical details on the Mandate. Whilst watching a documentary on TV about the then current Iraq-Iran war, I flicked through the book and noticed there were lots of references to the significance of Jerusalem. I then heard the narrator refer to elite units from opposing forces rehearsing together an attack upon Jerusalem – despite their being at war with one another! Upon looking up, my jaw dropped! Wouldn’t yours? So, this was a book to take seriously; it grabbed my full attention.
Consequently, I became aware of Middle Eastern matters, and related events globally, which suggest things may not be as they seem at first glance. However, I was amazed to learn they’re of major Biblical significance. Bemused, therefore, I began to watch…
UPDATE: Dunstan estimated all the prophecies would come to a climax in 1992 with Russia being the lead villain against Israel. However, he didn’t foresee the collapse of communism in 1989! Yet that year proved pertinent because the ‘Middle East Peace Process’ had just got under way in October 1991 and led to the Oslo Accords of 1993. At the turn of the millennium, I discovered that John McTernan and William Koenig had been following prophetical developments since 1986 and the mid-1990’s respectively. In 1996 William published his work as Koenig’s International News (now Watch.org) and became an accredited White House correspondent in 2001, the year they co-authored Israel: The Blessing or the Curse. They’ve written other works and continue to monitor matters separately, as occasionally covered in this blog – see tags Koenig, McTernan.
Could the wide tide of atrocities committed by Islamists wanting to return the world to the Dark Ages be on the turn? Maybe many moderates are so appalled by what’s being done in the name of their god that they will be encouraged to make changes, perhaps even a long overdue ‘reformation’ of Islam? [See footnotes 1 and 2.]
Last weekend, I was given hope that change may be on its way by three instances of Muslims being outraged at their co-religionists’ hatred of Christians. One came from the UK’s first Minister for Faith and senior minister in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Baroness Warsi [3]. I will consider this further and with a possible prophetic connection in another post.
Another came through contacts of Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of the Barnabas Fund, which supports Christians suffering discrimination and persecution in Muslim nations. Born of a Muslim family, his expertise in racial issues and pioneering approach within British churches and extensive knowledge on terrorism led him into advising the police and army on security issues (see biography). He’s also worked in Iraq with Canon Andrew White, renowned across the Middle East for his reconciliation work with Muslim and Jewish leaders in Israel, Egypt and Iraq (website and books).
The third was found within an article by Dr Sadek Raouf Ebeid, an Egyptian Air Force Officer, about the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities in Egypt. In a roundabout way let’s consider this first:
Egypt
It’s important to recall that Muslim protesters in Cairo were shielded during their prayers by Christians, mainly Copts. Apparently, the favour was returned on another occasion. (I became aware of the first claim through a local contact but some evidence for the second may be conflicting, as in this account.)
In view of the intense suffering of the Coptic Church at the hands of Islamists, and my reference to a leading source of its extremism at Al Azhar University (here), Dr Ebeid is very instructive about later changes [full details at 4].
He filed a complaint with Egypt’s Attorney General against Malik Obama (older half-brother of Barack Obama), accusing him of supporting terrorism in Egypt and for his involvement in managing a Sudanese terrorist connection to the Muslim Brotherhood. The official response to his application was very prompt which, he writes,
“Did not surprise me (because it) indicated that this case resonated well with the feelings of the majority of moderate Muslims in the Arab world. One has to admit that there are two distinct understandings of Islam.
“A moderate, peaceful understanding of Islam that is lead (sic) by the Egyptian Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar, Dr. Ahmed el-Tayeb, an Egyptian Sheikh, who has studied philosophy in Paris and is currently the head of Al Azhar Mosque. I am proud to be the first to nominate el-Tayeb for the Nobel peace prize, for his role in spreading the moderate understanding of Islam, referred to in Arabic as “Al Islam Al Wasati”.
“The majority of the thirty-three million Egyptians who flooded the streets of Egypt in June 2013 were predominantly moderate Muslims.”
He continues,
“…any objective historian will admit (the event) was a human earthquake…that shook the ground of the Middle East, taking the Arab world out of the dark ages and into the Arab renaissance.
“More than ever, Egyptians adhered to the moderate version of Islam, (Al Islam Al Wasati)…symbolized by the Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb. He was the man whom the military Generals in Egypt consulted with and whose blessings were obtained, while etching into stone, the post-revolution road map.
“In contrast to the earlier teachings of Egypt’s deposed president Morsi, who was recorded in 2010, saying that Arabs need to nurse their children on hatred of the Jews, Egypt’s pending constitution has a third amendment guaranteeing the right of Jews to practice their faith in Egypt.”
That implies the same should be accorded to the Copts and which may be expected as official policy, as in Mubarak’s days.
Kenya, Pakistan & Iraq
Dr Sookhdeo opens his latest blog [5] as follows:
As shocking acts of Islamic terrorism continue to fill our news bulletins, it is extremely heart-warming for me to see that Muslim leaders throughout the world are now speaking out against those who are using violence in the name of Islam. (Emphasis added)
In citing atrocities in Kenya, Pakistan, Iraq and London he recounts the brave work of many moderates in unequivocally condemning maniacs who use Islam as an excuse for anti-human barbarity (my words). He writes,
On Kenya,
“Adan Wachu, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, said that the wanton and indiscriminate killing of innocent men, women and children goes against all Islamic teachings and tenets. He said that the county’s religious leaders were working together to counter violent extremism…”
On Somalia,
“In an unprecedented step, Somali Islamic scholars issued in September a fatwa denouncing (al-Shabaab). At a conference in Mogadishu convened by the Somali government, which is itself strongly Islamic, around 160 Somali religious scholars condemned al-Shabaab’s use of violence and concluded that it was not a legitimate Islamic organisation…”
On Pakistan,
“Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, leader of (Pakistan’s) Ulema Council, a body of leading Muslim scholars, said that killing innocent people violates the tenets of Islam…Ordinary Pakistani Muslims have also demonstrated solidarity with their Christian compatriots by joining human chains around churches in a movement organised by Pakistan for All, a group that campaigns against attacks on minorities…”
On Iraq, ,
“Marking the third anniversary of the deadliest attack on Iraqi Christians since the 2003 US-led invasion, both Sunni and Shia Muslims gathered on 31 October outside the church in Baghdad that was besieged by an al-Qaeda front group in 2010. They lit candles and held up banners appealing for Christians to stay in the country…”
On the UK,
“It is no small matter for moderate Muslims to take a stand over Islamist violence. They are putting their own safety at risk, as being Muslim does not protect them from becoming targets. In fact, the threat to a number of prominent British Muslims who condemned the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby is so great that they are now under police protection…”
He names and admires four individuals in writing, “Despite the threats against them, the Muslim targets have remained resolute in speaking out against violent extremism.
In concluding, Dr Sookhdeo makes a Call for change.:
“…actions speak louder than words and it is time for moderate Muslims everywhere to heed the call of Aijaz Zaka Syed, a Muslim commentator on Middle East and South Asia affairs….whom he cites,
We may go on righteously protesting that this has nothing to do with faith. But like it or not, such reasoning does not cut it. The world judges us by who we are, not by what we claim to be. If we stand for peace and salvation, our lives must attest to it and our actions must show it. It is as simple as that. [6]
I cannot but concur with that commentator’s full article and Dr Sookhdeo’s exhortation,
One thing that Christians can do is support these brave Muslim leaders who are taking a stance against the violence that is claiming the lives of so many Muslims and non-Muslims. We can support them with our prayers and our friendship and by lending our voices to their courageous campaign.
Perhaps the vast majority of Muslims are now finding their co-religionists’ actions utterly repugnant. Perhaps they may realise the root issue is a spiritual one and be blessed by personal revelations of Jesus Christ? I pray they find, as many thousands have already done, He is eager to show Himself and that He’s far more than a prophet…
This Sunday, Barnabas Fund is calling Christians around the world to pray, act and donate in a special show of support for our suffering brothers and sisters. The threat to the vulnerable Christian minorities in Syria and in Egypt is now at cataclysmic proportions.
Why the black X? The linked announcement explains that Barnabas Fund,
is using a black X for this campaign as a symbol of solidarity with Christians who are being targeted because of their faith.Islamists have daubed this sign on the walls of Christian homes and businesses in Egypt to identify them for attack, while Muslim properties have been painted with a red X for protection.
The Fund’s latest email on global persecution by Islamic nations may be read here.
Christians in Nigeria have endured murderous persecution for years at the hands of the Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist group which the Obama Administration is on record asfailing to censure or condemn but, instead, as urging the Nigerian government to respect its human rights!!
Raymond Ibrahim reports upon this nonsense here and includes it in his latest update on Muslim Persecution of Christians. This news confirms many suspicions that the US Administration is a lackey of the Muslim Brotherhood, does it not?
The US rebuke contrasts sharply with Open Doors’ report (here) that Boko Haram is under investigation by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. The Court’s preliminary investigation blames the Islamic sect for 1,200 deaths. Need I say more? [Latest attack is reported in Christian World, hat-tip Robert Spencer.]
So, persecution isn’t confined to only Syria and Egypt but is endemic across Islamic nations. Let us pray, therefore…
Very well said sir. Your closing remarks support the question raised in yesterday’s post on Britain taking a totalitarian tack! Thank you Gillan for the link to the full article, which I too highly recommend, and enjoy your summer beak my friend.
“The Christian Church is very fast growing in Pakistan. Pentecostals are growing more. Churches are full. There are not enough places to put people. People are trying to set up new churches. People are bringing their friends, giving room for prayer in houses.” Asiya Nasir
The above closing remarks in Asiya’s interview in the previous post are of personal interest because of what I learned several years ago about the fruit of the ‘Toronto Blessing’ in bringing Muslims to Christ in Africa and Asia. In an email a couple years ago I mentioned the work of Iris Ministries and ‘LH’ in this regard. The Baker’s well-known ministry was radically changed for Mozambique, but Randy Clark also cited a Norwegian’s secret missions to Pakistan as ‘fruit’.
Aside: Randy is one of the most humble men of God we’ve been blessed to meet and hear several times. The Lord had promised to open Randy’s eyes when he preached in Toronto Airport Church in January 1994 – the Lord showed up too! This Baptist pastor from St Louis stayed to preach for the first 42 days of renewal and refreshing that lasted about twelve years. Dubbed as ‘The Toronto Blessing’ it was a powerful, joyous visitation that revealed the Father’s heart of love. However, it perplexed those Christians who think Holy Spirit’s power and gifts ceased after the First Century! (Randy’s personal account is in: There Is More: Reclaiming the Power of Impartation)
In May 1994, young Norwegian Baptist pastor Leif Hetland met pastors who’d returned from Canada at Holy Trinity Brompton in London (home of renowned Alpha Course). On page 164 of There Is More, Randy writes,
“Leif was very skeptical (sic). What he was hearing about Toronto seemed weird. (Upon return) to Norway they were shocked to find that the anointing had been imparted to them. Renewal immediately broke out in their church and many people experienced dramatic healings…etc”.
Regrettably, a leading elder quenched the Holy Spirit’s move. However, a year later the paths of Leif and Randy crossed by ‘divine appointment’ and the latter delivered a powerful prophetic word, of which the gist was, “You are a bulldozer…going into areas that have been untouched”. (See Global Mission Awareness site for fuller words.)
However, this got overlooked until a year or so later during a long recovery from a car accident. In the book, Leif describes what soon happened:
I began to sense a tremendous, supernatural burden for the unreached in the world. There are over 70 million people in Arab nations who have never heard the name of Jesus! I knew I was supposed to be going where no one else was going…
At the end of ’96 a friend of mine invited me to go to Pakistan with him. I realized this was confirmation of Randy’s word. That was the start of many trips to Pakistan where we’ve seen thousands upon thousands healed and saved. By the grace of God, I’ve now been to over 72 countries, many of them Muslim and some of them Communist…
I’ve seen every kind of miracle you can imagine – tumours dropping off, creative miracles where missing parts are restored, blind eyes seeing, everything. God is revealing His glory! Through the revelation of His glory, His goodness and compassion, hundreds of thousands are coming to Christ in areas that are officially closed to the gospel.
Praise the Lord – and Leif isn’t the only anointed evangelist who’s been to those closed countries.
“Whenever I was in the company of my party colleagues – most of whom were rigid Muslims with long beards – they urged me to tell them about my religion. If I did not tell them it would be too unfair to my religion, my Christ.” Asiya Nasir
I was immediately struck upon reading the above remark in the Evangelical Alliance’s magazine Idea because we’d returned from Hull where a Muslim man had demanded of his Christian friends, “Why have churches kept quiet about knowing Jesus?” (brief report here). These are only a couple of the increasing reports of Jesus Christ revealing Himself to Muslims and conveying His love for them (see Footnote 3).
The following EA interview is thus most significant and encouraging news in view of the rising severity of persecutions and murders of Christians across most Muslim nations.
60 seconds with Asiya Nasir MP
Asiya Nasir is the only Christian MP in Pakistan. Dr Dave Landrum, director of advocacy at the Alliance, met her to talk about what’s going on in her country.
DL: How did you get into politics?
AN: My great, great grandfather settled in the province of Balochistan before independence before. I was educated there, a teacher there, and wanted to be a professor, but God had His own plan. I never thought of becoming a politician, though my father was in the House and twice contested elections there. It was not a decent thing for women in Pakistan. In the 2002 elections he asked me to replace him. It wasn’t an easy decision for me; I had three children. But my husband supported me. I thought that somebody had to enter politics, if we wanted to bring change to the system, change in the rule of politicians. The party I joined was a right-wing Muslim Islamic party, right wing. Many of my community criticised me for joining that party. It was seen as anti-Christian or anti-minority, but I was really surprised firstly when I met my party leader as he really warmly welcomed me.
Was it difficult being a Christian in this context?
I knew I was in Christ, and knew my foundation was really strong. I felt I needed to identify myself with Christ, and felt I should never hide myself from people. Whenever I was in the company of my party colleagues – most of whom were rigid Muslims with long beards – they urged me to tell them about my religion. If I did not tell them it would be too unfair to my religion, my Christ. I told them. And slowly and gradually people became interested in it. Many of my ministers asked me and my husband to get some Bibles for them.
Many Christians go into politics, but break under the pressure as they do not have the foundations of a personal relationship with Christ. But, for you it was the opposite?
Yes, because in all difficult situations I realised he was the only anchor for me. I cannot find shelter anywhere else except him. I know eventually everything will perish, but one will remain. His name will remain, so we have to glorify His name. I will not be an MP forever. I will be here until He wants me to be here – no one can denounce me or remove me.
Shahbaz Bhatti was a Pakistani politician and a Christian who was killed for his outspoken criticism of the country’s blasphemy laws. Do you fear for your life?
No, I don’t fear. I have no fears. I do not fear death because I know He has given us everlasting life, life after death, so why should I fear? Each one of us has to die some day, with the tablet in the hospital or with a bullet. So why not die for His name? ) Someone once asked me how many bodyguards I have. I said only one – my Lord Jesus. I don’t have any bodyguards because I have never received any threats. Jesus says you are not called for this, you are called to be bold, courageous and truthful, honest, so I am only afraid of that threat, not of anything else. But I have never ever received any threat.
Pakistan seems to need more secular government and civil society whereas the UK may need less. Any comment on the difference between the two countries?
We need balance, not religious extremism. There is debate in Pakistan about how we can segregate state and religion. Many think religion does not affect affairs of state, but I say no, you cannot segregate for a long time. To some extent religion needs to be involved in the affairs of state. I don’t think you can ever really separate. My party always appreciates me because I don’t have secular ideas. The debate in Pakistan is whether we are going to be a secular state not theocratic. I say no, it should not be theocratic but also not a secular state. We need a pluralistic culture, need freedom. I believe in freedom of religion and don’t want to impose religion on me or others, everyone should be free. I don’t want to go and preach my religion but not practise, I want to practise first and want others to learn from my life. If they are impressed with my life they will convert or learn from my religion. Even in Pakistan we have a lot of diversity, religions should not want to impose. My party is religious but does not believe in imposing on others, they have never asked me to convert or put on a veil.
Is the gospel spreading in Pakistan?
The Christian Church is very fast growing in Pakistan. Pentecostals are growing more. Churches are full. There are not enough places to put people. People are trying to set up new churches. People are bringing their friends, giving room for prayer in houses.
Footnotes
Photo credit and original post re-published by permission of Idea (visit here).
Those stirred by this courageous lady’s faith through adversity may wish to visit Wilson Chowdhry’s website and blog at British Pakistani Christian Association.
For more about Muslims meeting Jesus see closing part of All Hail The Lamb.
The next post explains my interest in this important interview.
In view of recently concluded elections in Iran am re-posting another of Joel Rosenberg’s well-informed pieces. Readers will want to read his follow-up which includes insights from one of his contacts, an Iranian Christian leader. This may be accessed at the foot of Joel’s post or via this link. PLUS THIS from BBC Watch > ‘Over the past few days my Twitter timeline has been dominated by Iranian ex-pats tearing out their virtual hair at the portrayal of the new Iranian president-elect by much of the Western media (including the BBC) as a “moderate” and a “reformer”. This might be a good time to remember that not too long ago various talking heads were using the same terms to describe Bashar al Assad.’
You’ve really got to hand it to Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The man is one of the most evil tyrants on the face of the earth. He is pursuing nuclear weapons to wipe Israel and the U.S. off the map. He wants to usher in the caliphate of the Twelfth Imam and bring about the apocalyptic End of Days. Yet he is desperately trying to prevent Israel — or any other country — from launching preemptive military strikes and neutralizing Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Thus, Khamenei is trying to use the rigged current presidential elections to recast Iran as suddenly moving in a more “moderate” direction, and thus persuading the West to ease up on economic sanctions and pressure Israel to back off.
And the Western media is totally buying it.
Consider the headlines this morning, all of which are declaring Hassan Rouhani (also spelled “Rowhani”) as the frontrunner and a “moderate” who could be the best answer…
“WHY HAVE CHURCHES KEPT QUIET ABOUT KNOWING JESUS?” a Muslim wants to know.
This man explained to a packed Hull City Hall last Saturday night that he’d been trying to find out more about God. As a result, he had a divine encounter and found out who Jesus Christ really is. But he didn’t know how to worship or pray to Him, so had to seek the help of Christian friends. Hence his complaint to them, and now he wants to share his good news with fellow Muslims. His was one of the most touching personal testimonies at last week’s ‘Days of Wonder…’
Here are a few more.:
A testimony that started the three days was a ‘follow-up’ from a lady who’d suffered the same severely debilitating handicap but had been healed on Nathan’s previous visit 15 months ago. (Her smile features on the video clip at the foot of this invitation.) This time we found ourselves sitting behind her, and her friend told us how she herself had been healed from an allergy after last March. Upon accompanying her friend to tell Nathan, it became another occasion for thanking Jesus for what He’d done.
Amongst many testimonies of healing, we heard a Polish-Welsh lady excitedly welcome Nathan Morris in advance for speaking tonight at Victory Church in Cwmbran, Wales. She wasn’t the first we’d heard claiming they’d watched The Bay Revival on God TV ‘ by chance’, but were amazed when Nathan immediately addressed them direct – over the airwaves – about their need for repentance/healing, with which Jesus then blessed them!
After a prolonged time in the presence of the Lord during the final night’s exceptionally high praise, everyone was in tears upon seeing a 4-year old walking across the stage – at the far left of the stage were his leg braces and wheeled walking frame! In tears, his (then) non-believing father told Nathan the boy was born with cerebral palsy. However, his son was now grinning as he walked freely and properly – completely unaided!
In a different vein, we were saddened to hear from a young man of his fathers’ suicide. In the first conference session he attended this man couldn’t tolerate being there and simply had to get out – possibly with suicidal thoughts. But he just couldn’t get out of the building! Then he met Jesus – as was clearly evident from his radiant recounting what had happened. Praise you Lord for your saving grace.
As an aside, it was a pleasant surprise to meet Nathan’s wife Rachel and his supporting team: two more Nathan’s and Jordan. Nathan Marrow keeps tabs on testimonies as well as introduces folk to Nathan for recounting their healing. (Evangelist Nathan’s Facebook page has more news of healings.)
Latest update of the Outpouring in Wales
Read latest brief report of saved souls and healings and watch this short video:
PS: I pray readers who long for a touch from the Lord to help them through the turmoil of physical and emotional hardships may find encouragement in the above accounts. Those who are really struggling may find Why Me? helpful, as have so many folk – the Lord bless you and keep each of you.
17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.[12th chapter of the Apocalypse, or Revelation, given to Jesus Christ by God to show his servants the future, as observed and transcribed by John the Evangelist.]
An email received yesterday brought an item for Investigative Project on Terrorism by Raymond Ibrahim entitled, Islam’s Collective Punishment Against Christians. He opens this disturbing piece,
As many of Israel’s critics portray it as collectively punishing the Palestinians, overlooked and unsaid is the greater frequency with which Muslims collectively punish the religious minorities living under their authority, often in atrocious ways.
Consider Egypt alone. The most recent attacks on Egypt’s Copts, culminating in the unprecedented besiegement of the St. Mark Cathedral, the holiest site of Coptic Orthodoxy, is the latest large-scale collective punishment of the nation’s indigenous Christian minority. Indeed, almost all of the major attacks on Copts are carried out in the context of “collective punishment”, based on the idea that, if just one Christian upsets Muslims, all Christians—and their churches and their women and heir children—become fair game.
Raymond proceeds to itemise this month’s latest attack upon a family in a long line of grossly intolerant, religious punishments in that ancient but spiritually and financially bankrupt nation. He had recently written that’s tantamount to an Islamic Declaration of War on Christianity! In this latest alert to Western civilisation, he concludes (emphasis mine),
…while other societies…may collectively punish their enemies, Islam is the only ‘religion’ that actually mandates it — that unjustly punishes large numbers ofinnocent people for the purported crimes of the individual, as the aforementioned clerics from one end of the Arab world to the other maintain. This alone should raise questions about the very nature of Islam.
And this is all without any reference to last week’s terrorist attacks in Massachusetts and thwarted plot to derail a train in Toronto area, as reported yesterday. Renowned Robert Spencer notes, these ‘would-be mass murderers are “religious men”!’ (See Jihad Watch for his well-informed examination of the issues; as well as my previous.)
The ordinary, rational person has only to compare the character, lives and full teachings of the founders of Christianity and Islam, as well as of their disciples in the subsequent period to their religion’s birth, to realise the opposing nature of both faiths.
How to Test These Faiths
In my humble opinion, keys may be found in disciple John’s first letter to believers. This opens with John’s description of how he knows the truth about his teacher and saviour of his people, Jesus Christ, and of his awesome, divine origin from before the creation of the world (my emphases).:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
John goes on to tell about how to discern who are living truthfully in obedience to God or are liars – even imputing God to be a liar! John also warns about antichrist spirits, or ‘instead-anointed’, that introduce opposing beliefs with the aim of deceiving believers:
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the[c] Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.[d]21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. [1 John 2 NKJV]
John’s fourth chapter opens with practical instruction on discerning and testing for such spirits, and is still valid today, and practised in deliverance ministry:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,3 and every spirit that does not confess that[a] Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. [1 John 4 NKJV]
I could cover a great deal more concerning spirits that masquerade as angels as light, even those named ‘Jesus’. However, the foregoing living words in-breathed from God’s Holy Spirit in John’s letters, Gospel and Revelatory accounts will suffice for our careful, meditative reading as well as help us love and minister to our Muslim brethren in their current recognition of Jesus as a prophet of God.
UK Government’s Position
A recent post on God and Politics in the UK covers a Parliamentary discussion on the increased persecution of Christians around the world. This succinct posting reports:
Importantly, the (Foreign Office) Minister emphasised that “The Government’s position is to condemn laws against so-called apostasy and any government policies anywhere in the world that punish people for changing their religion or belief voluntarily and freely.”
My thanks go to Gillan Scott and his source at Open Doors for this timely, informative article with links to full transcript and video of the debate.
The linked article brings insights from the Coptic, Islam specialist Raymond Ibrahim, Associate Fellow with Daniel Pipes’ Middle East Forum (see About). Widely published author and translator of Al Qaeda treatises as well as Arabic news unknown in the West, Raymond watches the pivotal Islam-Christianity intersection. His impressive resume and regular updates on Muslim persecution of Christians are on his blog Raymond Ibrahim, Islam Translated.
Thank you to Tembisa for this link, which reinforces Steve Hill’s warning of a spiritual avalanche. It is an excellent analysis of a better approach to unhelpful, even dangerous, attitudes which could promote a false Gospel. Also, Hilary White’s linked article provides some keen insights into the Steve Chalke issue. More about this subject may be found in Gillan Scott’s solid review, Unconditional: Rescuing the Gospel from gays vs. Christians Debate. There are extensive comments on this and to his related posts, in which I’ve participated lately. I have, however, one ‘off-side’ reservation. It is recommended by Prof.Tony Campolo, whom I saw many years ago. In reading his Conversation about politics at the time of the last US elections, I was concerned over his using Ephesians 1:18-22 to stress God’s action through earthly politics whereas the verses are about powers in heavenly realms. I trust our professor will acknowledge the King’s soon return to rule on earth?
This refrain was repeated and then again, and yet again and again, over and over. The young man led worshipers higher and higher; as though with eagles spiralling upwards on heaven-bound thermals…
This was no short chorus, but many minutes devoted to praise. Immediately, therefore, I recalled 20-odd years ago being high over the Mediterranean and looking down upon southern France. Suddenly, I heard lots of loud voices filling the void beyond the Earth -all singing that same popular earthly chorus. And there was a proclamation from on high! As an almost new Christian I’d never heard such truly awesome, harmonious singing as that of the angelic host. Harmony upon harmony kept being added as their praise of The Captain of Hosts, the Lamb of God, soared up, and on and on, through the heavens as well as wrapping around Earth. Utterly unforgettable!
We hadn’t heard this chorus for a decade or more, but this time it was the opening song for what was to become quite a special Sunday on 6th January. Our day started outside Guildford, Surrey > then 2 hours later home for lunch before ‘cyber-flying’ over to the Gulf of Mexico by Alabama for another morning service > then 3 hours later zooming in a flash back to London for Kensington Temple in the evening (as recounted here).
Upon checking my notes I found that first dream/vision had occurred exactly 21 years before (ie. 6 January 1992). Could this be of significance, not only that 21 = 7 x 3 but also because that day is known as The Epiphany of the Lord – the celebration of God’s revealing Jesus to the world as its true God, Messiah and Saviour. (For an excellent explanation click here).
Additionally, I’d had an email about dreams many Muslims are having of Jesus. Also, I was prompted to dig out and then blog about notes for a prophetic word, 2011: an ‘epic generation’ – and noticed it too had been publicly delivered on the same feast day!
So, perhaps this reminder happening on the 21st anniversary of the vision means the declaration I heard is now about to be fulfilled? The situation to which it referred has since grown far more grave, as indicated in the PM’s recent remarks about al-Qaeda.
Whatever was it I’d heard? My brief notes made at the time are as follows:
The BBC late evening news on 6th January 1992 announced that leaders in the Muslim community wanted to establish a Muslim parliament in Britain, but:
In a dream that night I saw Western Europe, mainly France and the Mediterranean, as if from the space shuttle and heard the popular worship chorus ‘All Hail The Lamb’ being sung, as if in the atmosphere! This praise was repeated many times most melodiously, as though by angelic choir, and seemed to spiral upwards. Then I heard a very loud, authoritative voice declare,“As Communism fell so, too, will Islam fall”.
Many years later the opening events of the Arab Spring led me to share that ‘event’ with a few friends. By then I’d discovered a couple of prominent prophetic voices had had a similar revelation. [My interpretation of this dream proved to be of encouragement to a lady missionary in Marseilles and an evangelist in Egypt; this email refers.]
Yes and No, Prime Minister
The previous post outlined my grasp of the issues Prime Minister Cameron spoke about and why he may be correct in saying a war against al-Qaeda could last decades. I could have drawn upon whathis renowned predecessor Sir Winston Churchill foresaw of the danger of militant Islam in1899! His trenchant opinion, based upon personal military service in The Sudan, speaks with great insight and I quote only the portion pertinent to this post.:
“…Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilisation of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilisation of ancient Rome…” [Read full extract in Wikipedia’s The River War – hat-tip to Roy.]
What wisdom on the strategic strength of Christianity – but many regard it as worthless and want it ditched! Lord, open the eyes of antagonists’ understanding. [Update 4 Feb: former PM Blair says, “…the West should view the fight against Islamism as the fight against revolutionary communism” – The Commentator.]
A prophetical teacher’s book sheds scriptural light upon all this. I’d put the book aside a while ago, but was moved to pick it up again this month. Returning to chapter 10, I found Paul Keith Davis writes this about the OT prophet Daniel.:
‘Much of Daniel’s revelation and many of his visionary encounters centred upon a future generation identified as (literally) ‘end-of-the-days’. He was a forerunner of a company of end-time saints who will be esteemed by God and awarded mighty revelatory inspiration and insight. In many ways God’s role in his life offers a prophetic model for us to follow. Likewise, we can also use Daniel’s model to discern the enemy’s plans against the destinies of God’s people. In Daniel 10 (chapter here)…we read of one of the incredible visitations bestowed (which) was not without intense resistance from unseen sinister forces. In his vision Daniel discovered a dark entity called the…
The chapter continues by considering the Lord’s Holy Alliance and the purpose of global terrorism to frustrate the birth of heavenly aspiration on earth. Also covered is a vision Bob Jones received in 1999 that relates to the Twin Towers attack in 2001.
The ‘unholy alliance of a religious and of a political spirit’ means something like the Nazi-ism and Communism of the last century. Although primarily political, both ideologies were based upon a belief that would improve the whole world. But this time it would be a far more powerful re-emergence of a medieval mentality.
To Westerners steeped in democratic values the ‘Arab Spring’ brought some hope for widespread change – and perhaps the realisation of that supra-naturally heard word. But most are ignorant of the deep motivation within Islamist doctrine and its repudiation of democratic principles. A well-informed knowledge of the Islamist mind-set, therefore, makes it easy to agree with the PM’s opinion of a greatly protracted conflict.
[Readers wishing to learn more about this matter may want to dig into Dr Bill Warner’s site Political Islam, which is defined as ‘ Islam’s ideology about unbelievers’.]
So without divine intervention from the real God, there would be absolutely no hope for ordinary Muslims of freedom. Their only hope is the same as that of their fellows in the faith of Abraham – the blessed hope of our assurance, Jesus Christ, as Paul wrote to Titus:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
The Blessed Hope Appears to Muslims
I would direct you first to a reply to the previous post in which Tony refers to a dream that relates to Hagar, mother of Ishmael and all Abraham’s Arabic descendants. Tony concludes:
…the water in my dream is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and I believe that a revival is coming to the children of Hagar who dwell in desert places.
This reminded me that in November 1999 Wendy Alec received a revelatory visit from Jesus wherein He addressed Arab nations and made a promise to visit them (pages 141-143 of Journal of the Unknown Prophet) – am stunned to notice these are the same numbers as just copied from chapter 10 of Paul Keith’s book! WOW !! Here are some snippets.:
…I, the Lord God of your forefathers am about to unwrap the grave clothes that bind you so fiercely to that which leads you so far from me…even as you have betrothed yourself to Islam, so I have betrothed Myself to you…
And so a great revelation and visitation shall start to manifest and so a great spirit of supplication and repentance shall sweep the communities for it is I, Jesus, who shall speak. First one behind closed doors, then two behind closed doors, then twenty and then thousands, and so my Church throughout the Arab nations shall start to rise.
Lastly, there have been many many independent accounts of such direct encounters, the latest received by email of Dreams, Visions Moving Muslims to Christ. A few years ago I emailed about those recorded in Christine Dargs’ book (as below, and website):
Conclusion
I trust that readers who’ve followed my two-part musings about Mr Cameron’s remarks may agree there really is firm hope of a considerable change within years, not decades.
In my humble opinion, coincidence of dates and book pagination indicates that the Lord is stressing the importance of revelations of His working throughout the Muslim world. This may, therefore, be of great encouragment to intercessors, to believers and those serving Him in those lands.
Readers may wish to listen to the following recording of Dave Bilbrough’s stirring song -be blessed, mightily.:
IMMEDIATE POSTSCRIPT – JUST PUBLISHED THIS POST AND FIND THIS EMAIL from Paul Keith in my In-tray about Books of Destiny!!
“In recent weeks and months we have received numerous inquiries concerning the message I received in 2002 involving the soon emergence of God’s last day champions and the prophetic picture God gave me through the story of Secretariat. Those visionary encounters and prophetic messages are now written in “Books of Destiny”. This book was birthed out of a series of visions the Lord gave me concerning his plans for this generation and the uniqueness of those he has caused to be born in this hour. To many the gift of a spiritually “enlarged heart” will be granted to give us greater capacity for God and compassion for mankind.…” click to read this Newsletter. (Website: White Dove Ministries)
This opinion is based upon over fifteen years’ monitoring, study and research in dozens of documents and reference works. [See Footnote 1 below].
In Sunday’s interview [2] on the murders of Britons and many other nationals in Algeria, David Cameron stated.:
This is a stark reminder, once again, of the threat we face from terrorism the world over…particularly in North Africa. This is a global threat and it will require a global response. It will require a response that is about years, even decades, rather than months, and it requires a response that is patient, that is painstaking, that is tough but also intelligent, but above all has an absolutely iron resolve; and that is what we will deliver over these coming years. It will also require countries to work together, and I will use our chairmanship of the G8 this year to make sure this issue is right at the top of the agenda where it belongs.
…first we should just say very clearly; the responsibility for loss of life lies with the terrorists…they wanted to take lives; they wanted to kill people; they wanted to do exactly that.
When asked if the threat to the UK from al-Qaeda in North Africa is as great as it was in Afghanistan a decade ago, he replied.:
Well, it is different in scale but there are similarities. What we face is an extremist, Islamist, violent, al-Qaeda linked terrorist group. Just as we had to…have to deal with that in Pakistan and in Afghanistan, so the world needs to come together to deal with this threat in North Africa. It is similar because it is linked to al-Qaeda; it wants to destroy our way of life; it believes in killing as many people as it can. [Emphases mine]
The total number killed by Islamists is now over 20,000 since the attack upon New York on 11 September 2001 [3].
At least the PM and Foreign Secretary William Hague are unequivocal about the No. 1 menace to global peace and security. In practically every Western government PC values (Political Correctness, ie. Politicians’ Claptrap) have imposed head-in-the sand attitudes, blinkered avoidance and deliberately ignorant self-deception upon policies. They even made rational analysis, legitimate discussion and speech a criminal offence. A controversial example is the US administration’s kowtowing to Muslim Brotherhood influence and changing all national security manuals [4]. This has resulted in a greatly hampered military grasp of the avowed enemy’s strategy and goals. For example, the Bengazhi-gate furore [5] and refusal to recognise the Fort Hood massacre of November 2009 for what it really is. [6 – Raymond Ibrahim is quoted but many credible experts could also be cited.]
FIRST, I must underline my personal opinion is not against Muslims as individuals for each murderer, like all of us at one time of another, is a sinner in need of forgiveness and their salvation that was purchased for each of us by Jesus’ self-sacrifice on the accursed Roman cross. And this awesome blessing is FREE! Truly there is no other way, or any higher name by which we are to be saved and enter into life everlasting than that of the One whom God sent. Thus, we can be fully reconciled to Him though His Son and come into His holy presence.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. [John 14:6]
It is irrational, nay evil, to ascribe the obligatory murder of non-believers to a divinity’s demands. [Is it any wonder atheistic Professor Dawkins claims ‘religion makes people stupid’? 7] Irrationality puts a mere man above his god – which is idolatry! If divine, is not the Meccan god of the famous 7th century Arab more than able to deal, now or any time, with everyone who offends him? Why need men and children to do his dirty work?
It was heartening, therefore, that unlike the effete BBC the PM did not mince words in Parliament when he called the perpetrators ‘terrorists’. The BBC describes them as ‘militants’, perhaps to reflect Algerian usage. Yet it’s hardly surprising in view of my earlier criticism [8] and Michael Deacon concludes his report [9] of the occasion, “Our enemy isn’t a nation. It’s an infestation”.
[Update 4th Feb: according to The Commentator, on TV yesterday former PM Tony Blair echoed PM Cameron’s remarks and is of the opinion.:
“We are certainly talking about a generation” said Blair, explaining that the West should view the fight against Islamism as the fight against revolutionary communism. (U/line added by RB)
“It will happen in many different theatres, it will happen in many different ways but the truth is that you have no option but to confront it, to try over time to defeat it.”]
PERSONAL VIEWPOINTS
1. As reported privately [10], several years ago I discussed with Rolland Baker of Iris Ministries a vision of Holy Spirit fire sweeping up Eastern Africa from Mozambique, across the Sinai into the Middle East. He told me about a discussion on Arabic TV held at Islam’s worldwide spiritual authority of Al Azhar University in Cairo. Apparently, this was about setting up a global caliphate and progress reports were received that their goal is well on the way to being achieved, with the exception of Africa because of God’s work in Mozambique – where Muslims have been healed and delivered of demons, and where Muslim provinces converted and mosques have become churches!
2. A professor of Islamic history and literature at its most prestigious centre of learning, Al-Azhar University, and who lived Islam and taught in mosques, has written a thorough expose of Islam and the origins of the Muslim Brotherhood. When a freshman, he enrolled in a class on Quranic interpretation and asked, “Why is jihad constantly spoken about and not other verses about peace, love and forgiveness? The blind sheik erupted in front of hundreds of students,
There is a whole sura (chapter) called ‘Spoils of War’. There is no surah called ‘Peace’. Jihad and killing are the head of Islam. If you take them out you cut off the head of Islam!
This student couldn’t understand why others were killing Christians and came to realise he had two options, viz: embrace ‘Christianised’ Islam tailor-made for Egyptian government (of Mubarak), or to embrace Islam fully in line with its founder’s teachings and Quran! I could quote much more, particularly about the MB, its Egyptian President Morsi and its tentacles around President Obama [hence my concern in 11], but for now here’s Dr Mark Gabriel’s book:
This ex-Muslim scholar confirms that the ultimate goal of Islam is to establish Islamic authority over the whole world. His book is an eye-opener for most Christians!
WHAT’S TO BE DONE?
Foreign Secretary Hague spoke about increasing UK overseas aid to poor nations to combat Islamists. But the problem won’t be changed until ordinary believers come to understand the faith is mistaken and are educated about its conflict with the teachings of the Old and New Testaments. Simply check and compare the lives of the founders of three Abrahamic faiths, Moses, Jesus Christ and Mohammed, and the open-minded will agree with the Gospels – Jesus is matchless.
I believe the government should continue to obtain advice and assistance only from ex-Muslims who are familiar with all the deep issues and carry out an urgent programme to ditch PC bilge and focus on straight-talking. This should start making inroads into the problem. But it does have another and much more real dimension – that of the spiritual realm. This would be for others to tackle and which is now covered in the next posting, All Hail The Lamb (click to continue reading).
Informed Links:
Bill Warner – Trilogy Project (Islam’s sacred texts)
This exceptional account gives a glimpse of what the Christian church was like immediately after Jesus walked the earth. For Randy Clark it must have been like a trip in a time machine. We’ve been blessed to meet this most humble servant of God in Canada and UK several times. His website is www.globalawakening.com (Some miraculous healings he encountered of disappearing surgical metal parts may be seen here on this blog.) Thank you Tembisa.
Taking a brief break from redecorating our bathroom to catch up yesterday with online news a couple of items got connected – serendipity again? [Definition in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: ‘the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for’.]
I didn’t intend writing yesterday, just to scan dozens of emails but one covered Ambrose Evans-Pritchard’s pitch. I’ve often read his articles and realised the importance of this so hastily copied it (as previous post). But this time I had to avoid reading around to get a fuller picture. So I didn’t check out William Hague’s speech or follow the link to Daniel Hannan. (He’s one of the few politicians I have time for. As a Member of the European Parliament he’s well informed and frequently stands up against the EU’s nonsense.) I merely noted the reference to his on Swiss economic arrangements with the EU.
Now, where had I spotted another reference to Switzerland yesterday? It was within the plethora of news items posted on Sunday in John McTernan’s Insights, as follows:
John read in The Local, Switzerland’s News in English, about Muslims objecting to a Swiss International Air Lines advertising campaign simply because of a play on words upon their fleet’s ensign! Journalist Malcolm Curtis explains:
Alluding to its logo, taken from Switzerland’s national flag, the slogan says in German, “Kreuz ist Trumpf”, literally, the “cross is trumps”, or the “cross is a plus”. The words are used in a billboard campaign, launched within the country last month, that highlights the white cross on the back of one of its planes.
Muslims in Switzerland have responded negatively to the advertising, which they believe promotes Christianity over other religions. In Swiss internet forums, Islamists complain that Swiss makes reference to the “cross” and not the “Swiss cross”, Der Sonntag newspaper reported….
Swiss maintains that its ad campaign does not carry any religious or political message. The slogan is, in fact, a play on words, referring to “trumps” in Jass, the popular card game that is strongly rooted in Switzerland, airline spokeswoman Myriam Ziesack told Sonntag.
She said it was unfortunate that the billboard advertising appeared at the same time as the anti-Muhammad American film surfaced on the Internet. “We didn’t intend to make any religious or political statement with this advertising message,” Ziesack said. (See full article and links.)
The time is soon coming when most of these folk will be embarrased about extremists’ viewpoints and want to bring their religion into the 21st century. But as that’s according to the Christian calendar, should that be ‘the modern world’? Objections to a nation’s culture and heritage are not the way to bring peace between people.
Incidentally, about that offensive video, there’s more to it than meets the eye if there’s any credence in investigators claims, writes Palestinian Walid Shoebat (read his latest).
Thank you Gillan for an excellent commentary upon this most welcome news – especially for including Dr Sookhdeo’s editorial. Perhaps we could say the ‘oiks’ have been hoisted by their own petard. The violent hatred expressed within the basic beliefs of their ideology should be evident to all rational people.
With all due respect to individual Muslims, the religion seems to regard their prophet as more holy than their god; is that not blasphemy? Until Islam has a Reformation this dividing difference between civilisations will remain. But I believe the Holy One of Israel is the one to do this – after all many Muslims are having direct revelations of Jesus and learning who he really is, which is not as Islam supposes!
NB:re. infamous video clip: WALID SHOEBAT, Palestinian ex-Jihadist now Christian, HAS PRODUCED EVIDENCE THAT THE MOVIE’S MAKER IS NOT A CHRISTIAN COPT! [link] His knowledge and investigations lead to the probable conclusion it may well be of terrorist origin in order to defame Christians, similar to false claims about Israeli sabotage of ‘holy’ olive trees.
In the midst of a sequential graphical calendar of major football and rugby eventson Wembley Stadium website appears this unusual page devoted to the National Day of Prayer and Worship. It describes the amazing beginnings of this event as follows.:
Several years ago, Jonathan Oloyede, a convert from Islam, had several vivid visions of renewal, revival and transformation coming to the UK. These included graphic pictures of Wembley Stadium filled to capacity with worshipping and praying Christians (emphases mine, RB).
The inspiration which sparked him into action was a vision of people all over the four Nations praying the Lord’s Prayer at the same time; in pubs, churches, schools, offices, homes and on the streets. As the Christians prayed in one accord, Light and Healing spread across the British Isles.
His vision will be realised on September 29th with The National Day of Prayer & Worship, a once in a generation gathering at Wembley Stadium that will unite the church across class, colour, creed and culture.
The website concludes by quoting Jonathan,
Wembley 2012 will be an historic opportunity for the church as thousands across the British Isles converge in unity and prayer. We invite Christians, churches and delegates from every village, town and city to come for an unforgettable occasion.
Thank you to Wembley Stadium for being so helpful and supportive of Jonathan’s work, and to you for that splendid mission Jonathan. Amen to your prayers and may the Lord powerfully bless and work through the marvellous legacy of this project > What Next?
TAKE NOTE BARACK OBAMA, DAVID CAMERON.:
This exceptional account gives a glimpse of what the Christian church was like immediately after Jesus walked the earth. For Randy Clark it must have been like a trip in a time machine. We’ve been blessed to meet this most humble servant of God in Canada and UK several times. His website is 
Richard's Watch 