Middle East

Anne van der Bijl, better known to most as Brother Andrew and founder of Open Doors, the international organisation supporting persecuted Christians, is convinced that the number of Muslims involved in suicide bombings will increase in the coming years. Andrew has visited Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian areas regularly since the early 1980's, encouraging the Christians and speaking with radical Muslims about the Gospel. He describes the militant Muslims as deeply depressed. "They are facing insurmountable problems: they will never be able to defeat Israel and the United States militarily, and their faith makes it very difficult for them to enter Paradise," he says. "Muslims know that they can only be saved by good works, but they also know that they do more evil deeds than good. Many Muslims are convinced that they will end in Hell when they die." They also have to admit that Allah does not answer their prayers. The Koran also shows them no way to be saved. Together, that leads many radical Muslims to choose death in Jihad, the holy war, because that is the only direct way to Paradise. "They see no reason to live, so choose the only reason to die," he said, addressing the 900 attendees of the Open Doors Day in Niedernhausen, Germany, on November 26th, the 50th anniversary of Open Doors Germany.

Hamas, Hizbollah, PLO: immense interest in the Gospel
"Unless we Christians go to the Muslims and tell them that they do not have to die because Jesus died for their sins too, the dramatic situation in the Near East, Iraq and Afghanistan will not change," he said, reminding Christians of their responsibility. In many encounters with leaders of Hamas, Hizbollah and the PLO, he regularly senses a great interest in the message of Christianity. "I have given thousands of Bibles to radical Muslims, and no-one has ever refused. I have also often spoken with them about Jesus who died for the sins of the world, and nobody has killed me for it."

Be an example, don't discuss
Andrew called on Christians to show more courage and mercy towards Muslims, who are desperately seeking meaning in life. Many Christians have resigned in the face of the Muslim challenge. "Muslims do not believe, as we do, that Jesus is the son of God, and that he poured out his blood on the cross for the sins of the world. But that is exactly the answer we must give them in their situation." Christians should seek contact with Muslims, and tell them the Good News in love. "We will never win the encounter with Islam through discussions or sermons. We have to go and show them how Jesus can change people."
Source: Brother Andrew, www.opendoors-de.org, and Manuel Liesenfeld, e-mail manuell [at] opendoors-de.org, tel. +(49) 06732/93 24 64.

"Gerges is one of the most fearless village missionaries we know. Wherever he goes, a spiritual fire starts," writes Swiss missions agency SMG in its newsletter "Ziel 19" (Target 19). Gerges visits remote villages in Egypt, often without even basic infrastructure such as roads or electricity. He rides his old motorcycle, once even without air in his tires because a knife wanted it that way...

Guerilla for Jesus
"Wherever the simple Gospel goes, it angers the mighty. It's always been that way. It's really the invisible powers behind the visibly powerful that do not want the Gospel," he says, referring to Ephesians 6:12-18. But that doesn't stop him. He teaches the people songs, distributes tracts, cassettes and Bibles, and then disappears quickly. 'Hit and run,' he calls it, and sees himself as a sort of guerilla for Jesus. "A knife in my tires isn't that bad. Once, someone tried to knife me in the back, but the knife got caught in my jacket, and I was unharmed. I just managed to escape the fanatics who attacked me," he recalls. A few weeks later, he returned to the same village because there were people there hungry for the Gospel. "I was chased away, but not attacked with a knife. It gets better with every visit," he laughs. Gerges has started Bible and prayer groups in six of the 50 villages he has visited so far this year.
Source: Ziel 19, SMG, Josefstr. 206, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland

"I grew up in a religious Islamic family in Iran," writes Operation Mobilisation's Dr. Manssor Amerioun. "At the age of 17, I decided to not believe in any God. I became a psychiatrist, and was an advisor at many Iranian clinics. Following my refusal to publicly declare that I follow Islam, I lost my job and was imprisoned for six months. During that time, my wife died of a brain tumour, and I became depressive. In 1989, I emigrated to Sweden, bought a small shop, married again and had a daughter. My wife visited a Christian church and became a believer. Peter Magnusson, the leader of OM Sweden, regularly came into my shop, and we spoke about God. One day, I watched the Jesus Film in the back room of my shop. Something happened to me; I was both happy and sad, and I felt as though God answered all my questions of the past 60 years - he spoke directly to my heart. That evening, my wife was worried, because she thought I was ill. I said 'You'll think I'm crazy, and wouldn't believe what happened!' 'If it's about Jesus, I'll believe anything you tell me,' she said, so I told her how God met me."
Dr. Amerioun has now been working with OM since 2003, doing everything he can to help Iranian immigrants.

Source: OM News July/August 2006

"That was too much for some of the travellers - pale and shocked, they stared at a young man who had just been delivered from a demon," reports missions agency Ziel 19 ('Target 19'). Mrs. F. W., an Egyptian evangelist, was travelling in bus, and noticed another passenger who made strange noises, rolled his eyes and occasionally writhed in his seat. The other passengers just looked away, until F.W. was overcome with a 'holy anger'. She turned to the man and said loudly "In the name of Jesus, leave him! And leave the bus!" To everyone's astonishment, the man grunted a little and shook himself, then looked around with bright eyes, saying "Hey! He's gone! I can feel it! Whatever you did with me, thank you!" He laughed and was clearly very pleased. The demon had left him and, obviously, the bus - nobody else was visibly affected. F.W. remained in the bus longer than she planned, telling about the Gospel and freedom in Christ, because the young man and a number of the other shocked passengers had many questions. And that despite the fact that it is unusual for a woman to speak to men in Egypt, particularly in a packed bus.

Source: Andrea Xandry, Ziel 19, Schweizerische Missionsgemeinde, Josefstrasse 206, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland

Every child needs vitamins, including the 450 orphans currently living at the Lillian Trasher Orphanage in Asuit, Southern Egypt. Even in a farming nation like Egypt, vitamin-rich fruit can at times be too expensive for average people. The orphanage's supporters prayed for miraculous provision, which they had already experienced a number of times. That very week, a man heard an inner voice telling him that he should help the orphans. "How?" he asked, and heard the answer "Buy 300 kg (around 650lb) of fruit, today!" He did so, and took the fruit to the children's village. 300 kilogrammes of juicy guavas, even though the intercessors had only prayed for 50kg...

Source: Andrea Xandry, Ziel 19, Schweizerische Missionsgemeinde, Josefstrasse 206, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland