Christmas Eve Service - Five Degrees Below Zero in the Sanctuary - Ice Storm

Next conversation is with the insurance company

Our congregation has a very traditional approach to Christmas Eve. With the slight variation of the Christmas carols, the comfort of Christmas consists of about eight carols, the Bible readings and three short stories about people celebrating the coming of the Holy One. The last story is the same every year.

300,000 homes, or about 650,000 persons lost power during the ice storm, the worst ever to hit Toronto. Where we live was hit very hard. At 2:30 in the morning the sound was like that of a war - except branches were coming down, unable to hold up under the weight of the ice.

Christmas 2013 will always be remembered for this

The next day, under a deep blue sky, each tree shone as it was alive, covered with crystal glass - but it was dangerous ice. Close to our home, one family lost two cars with a tree fell down (only one car shown in the photo.

On another street, a huge branch of a tree came crashing down on the house and the car. Whole sections of the area we live in were affected for days. Temperatures kept dropping in homes. Stores were shut down and police stations also affected, as were fire stations.

The street beside our church building looked as if a war had happened there. Cars were smashed by falling limbs and today, right now, a full seven days later, the light is still not back on for these neighbors

Every tree shone with ice covers

By Christmas eve, 90 hours later, our church building, shown in the last picture, was five degrees BELOW zero. When the congregation sang the carols, each person could see their breath as a little vapor cloud. Everyone left their jackets on. No power point - no colored lights on a Christmas tree. The musicians hands were so cold that an occasional odd note sounded out. The bass player found he couldn't always curl his fingers around the strings.

But the precious truths were told and retold. Yes, it's a very traditional service - and those  three stories - the first two being new to the congregation and the last story is always the same one. Of course, the Bible readings never change.

Our pastor said, "I never cancel a service. I didn't know the auditorium would be packed out tonight."

A congregation is so much more than a building

Within the little community church we call our home, - our friends, humble men and women of God, their teens and their children - there's a re-awakened spirit. One - It was on a dark night that the angels first appeared.

Two - like us, there are thousands of congregations that meet in the dark around the world, in places where they are "under-ground" because "men love the darkness more than the light".

Three - Innumerable stories of goodwill and charity are pouring out across the city - when was there ever a Christmas in which so many neighbors reached out to one another for days with hot soup, helping with children, looking in on shut-ins. The talk of strangers at the grocery store, "How many hours were you in the dark before the Hydro crew restored your electricity?" is one of a common experience - living in very cold homes for endless hours.

And the greatest lesson of all? That our Lord Jesus Christ came into the darkness to bring his light - the Light of Life.  

"The White Ants are Coming!" (Well, yes they did come...and they ate my house.)

My friend Samuel, a year older than me, near Eldoret

It's nothing that I planned, nor could I have done so. Growing up in an area of Kenya where the Nandi language group dominated, my first African friend was called Samuel.

He was named for Samuel, in the Bible, and for the man who helped the Nandi Bible to be translated by Stuart Bryson.

Samuel, the teacher who helped Stuart Bryson to learn the Nandi language, had gone from a village near Eldoret to Kijabe. (I'll tell that story in the next blog.)

"The White ants - unwelcome visitors, ate our house

Because the Nandi languages - several dialects - demand the careful use of "tone", it was easy to Light in Darkness.
make a mistake. Bryson tells this story in his book,
"When the others had gone my African col


These walls had to be rebuilt

league Samuel said to me, 'Bwana, do you know the difference between these two Nandi words?' and he pronounced two words. 'I can hear,' I said, 'that one of them has a rising inflection and the other has a falling inflection.'

"Yes," said Samuel, "one means 'visitors' and the other means 'white ants. You have been talking to us about white ants and telling s that they will be visiting us!"

Well, that Samuel was an old man when I had my friend Samuel. I used the right inflection when I poked my finger against the wall, and all the wood inside had been eaten by the white ants - the termites. There was nothing there! The "wall", which was now just a layer of paint, was torn down. Eight Kikuyu carpenters came to rebuild the entire house.

Eight African carpenters rebuilt our house, making it larger

Those white ants (inflection falling) were certainly unwelcome visitors (inflection rising).

And we would not say "'Chamge" (Is it well? - Hello), but we gladly said "saisere" (goodbye) to them.

The house was rebuilt with a better foundation, and at that time I only remembered a little bit of the displacement - our family had to leave the walls. The wonderful African carpenters knew how to get rid of the ants, digging up their large next which was right under out house. The entire structure had to be rebuilt, and they did it by leaving the roof in place. We never knew how it was that the roof didn't fall down on us, causing distress and grief.

 

The First Christmas Sermon 386AD

John Chrysostom  - From Antioch in 386 A.D

I behold a new and wondrous mystery! My ears resound to the Shepherd's song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn.

The Angels sing!

The Archangels blend their voices in harmony!

The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise!

The Seraphim exalt His glory!
All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised.

Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side the Sun of Justice.

And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed, he had the power, He descended, He redeemed; all things move in obedience to God.

This day He Who Is, is Born; and He Who Is becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became he God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassibility, remaining unchanged.

And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.

Yet He has not forsaken His angels, nor left them deprived of His care, nor because of His Incarnation has he departed from the Godhead.

And behold,

Kings have come, that they might adore the heavenly King of glory;
Soldiers, that they might serve the Leader of the Hosts of Heaven;
Women, that they might adore Him Who was born of a woman so that He might change the pains of child-birth into joy;
Virgins, to the Son of the Virgin, beholding with joy, that He Who is the Giver of milk, Who has decreed that the fountains of the breast pour forth in ready streams, receives from a Virgin Mother the food of infancy;
Infants, that they may adore Him Who became a little child, so that out of the mouth of infants and sucklings, He might perfect praise;
Children, to the Child Who raised up martyrs through the rage of Herod;
Men, to Him Who became man, that He might heal the miseries of His servants;
Shepherds, to the Good Shepherd Who has laid down His life for His sheep;
Priests, to Him Who has become a High Priest according to the order of Melchisedech;
Servants, to Him Who took upon Himself the form of a servant that He might bless our servitude with the reward of freedom;
Fishermen, to Him Who from amongst fishermen chose catchers of men;
Publicans, to Him Who from amongst them named a chosen Evangelist;
Sinful women, to Him Who exposed His feet to the tears of the repentant;


And that I may embrace them all together, all sinners have come, that they may look upon the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sins of the world.

Since therefore all rejoice, I too desire to rejoice. I too wish to share the choral dance, to celebrate the festival. But I take my part, not plucking the harp, not shaking the Thyrsian staff, not with the music of pipes, nor holding a torch, but holding in my arms the cradle of Christ.

For this is all my hope, this my life, this my salvation, this my pipe, my harp. And bearing it I come, and having from its power received the gift of speech, I too, with the angels, sing:
Glory to God in the Highest; and with the shepherds:
and on earth peace to men of good will




 

If you were a Syrian refugee, would you head for Greece? Christians in Crisis

Sadly, life does not get any easier for Syrian refugees who manage to enter Greece. Without legal documentation, they are detained by police and placed in woefully overcrowded detention camps. Most are released after a few months.

Less than three percent ever obtain asylum status. When we worked with refugees during our years in Istanbul, we witnessed the plight of people fleeing Syria.

Christians in Crisis is one of hundreds of organizations seeking to give aid to Syrian refugees.

Iranian Christian Mostafa Bordbar was released from prison on Nov. 3, following a successful appeal against the 10 year prison sentence he received on July 31 2013.

According to a news release from human rights organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), his release comes almost three months after he was imprisoned in Evin Prison on charges of being a member of an "anti-security organization," and "gathering with intent to commit crimes against Iranian national security."

An appeal court cleared him of all of charges on Oct. 30. Bordbar was arrested on Dec. 27 2012, along with 50 other Christian converts who had gathered to celebrate Christmas in a house in northern Tehran. They were detained, interrogated for several hours and forced to hand over personal details, including Facebook and e-mail addresses and passwords.

http://www.christiansincrisis.net/latest-news/2112-mostafa-bordbar-released-from-iranian-prison.html

What it Costs Children and Teens in South East Asia to Follow Jesus

The L. church might have been better off postponing their baptismal service to this week to take advantage of the  beautiful weather. As it was, it rained lightly during the service last week in which seven were baptized, mostly young people.

 

One of the adults was born deformed at birth with one leg largely missing but is able to hobble around standing about waist high when fully erect. She has been attending the services for over a year.

A group of youngsters— twenty one children in attendance. A few of them have been attending the A. church . There is a major problem since as soon as they are able the parents want them to work. So as a fifteen year old or even a fourteen year old they may no longer be able to go to school, but for example, may be forced to work in a restaurant seven days a week, often at less than minimum wage. One such girl manages to get off on Saturday to attend a Bible session—the only time off she has during the week.

 

Legally they are supposed to be able to go to school until age twenty or twenty one but obviously such laws are not enforced. Please pray for these children, mostly girls, that they will continue to be able to get spiritual nourishment as they grow older and grow in their knowledge of the Lord. A couple years back one student who wanted to go to Bible school was forced to get married at age fifteen and go to work to help ease the family's financial burden.  In the experience of one adult, it was years after she became a Christian that she really started to grow in the Christian faith.

When the ten nations in this region begin to co-operate in 2015, they will be using English as a common language. Some of these countries are behind a number of the other nations in its English skills. Since some of the countires that are to form the union are already scrapping, it will be interesting to see what takes place.

(Note: this news was edited before being posted.)

The Real Truth about ‘Boring’ Men — and the Women who Live with Them: Redefining Boring

A great counter-culture picture of what "Romance" means in our daily lives...

Look this up on your computer and sign in for fantastic photo images, Christian applications, and "A Holy Experience".  annvoskampholyexperience@gmail.com

So not every guy proposes with lip syncing, rolling cameras, and a choreographed entourage.
Yeah —  so what if  your Dad didn’t?
He just pulled that beat-up Volkswagon Rabbit of his over in front of Murray Reesor’s hundred acre farm right there where Grey Township meets Elma Township, pulled out a little red velvet box, and whispered it in the snowy dark: “Marry me?”
“He didn’t even get down on one knee or anything?”
You boys ask it incredulous, like there’s some kind of manual for this kind of holy.
And I’ve got no qualms in telling you no. No, he didn’t even get down on one knee – it was just a box, a glint of gold in the dark, two hallowed words and a question mark.
“Boring.”Read more

C.S. Lewis – his life in pictures How a convert from atheism, in his spare time, explained Christianity to the modern world -

 A great set of pictures about C.S. Lewis is available

Of the writers whose books I most often return to, C.S. Lewis holds my attention perhaps more than any other.

For years, while our daughters were young, I tried to read the Narnia Chronicles each year.

His science fiction is as brilliant as that of any other I read.

On the anniversary of his death, on November 22, 1963, a good article on him is found here:

at See more at: http://www.thechristians.com/?q=node/871#sthash.rcguacF7.dpuf

Before They Pass Away - Fantastic Pictures of Tribes about to die out

Some of the best photography you'll ever see in your life.

Jimmy Nelson may be the finest photographer you ever come across. He travelled two years through hot deserts and freezing tundra to capture portraits of men and women in tribes most of us have hardly heard of.

To see the scenes of their lives in mountains and forests, tundra and hot plains - - - most of them with their tribal colors painted, this is enough of a visual feast to last for days.

The 20 minute documentary on how he captured these photos is an added plus.

http://www.boredpanda.org/vanishing-tribes-before-they-pass-away-jimmy-nelson/

How big do you think Africa is? Do you know its real size?

Looking at Africa from a different perspective helps us to understand the continent a lot better.

How many countries do you think would fit into Africa?

Here's something to shape your day in a new way.

http://www.upworthy.com/we-have-been-mislead-by-an-erroneous-map-of-the-world-for-500-years?c=ufb2

Persecution and Death in Nepal - the Cost of Following the Lord

October 24, 2013

Debalal, 36, spent his last moments on earth praying for the man who would later kill him.

 

In the early morning of Sunday, October 20, Debalal, an elder of a GFA-supported Believers Church in Nepal, was called to the home of Kumar Sardar, 29, to pray for his healing.

Kumar’s wife had asked Debalal to pray for her husband who had been crying out with acute pain in his body. As Debalal prayed for Kumar with his eyes closed, Kumar left the room only to come back holding a sharp khukuri, a common Nepali knife with a curved edge that is much like a machete. Before Debalal could be made aware of the weapon, Kumar attacked him, slitting his throat. Debalal died at around 3 a.m.
News reports indicate Kumar is now in police custody.

“Opposition, persecution and martyrdom is part of the cost of following the Lord and bringing the Gospel to a desperately needy world,” said Dr. K.P. Yohannan. “We are always heartbroken when we lose someone, but while we weep here on earth, there is rejoicing over those who came to know Jesus through this man.”

Kumar had been ill for some months and was improving gradually as Debalal prayed for him. Debalal lived around 30 minutes away from Kumar and often visited the sick man to offer comfort and to intercede on his behalf.

Debalal was a faithful servant, often giving his time to pray for the sick.

 

Debalal’s wife and two sons, 9 and 15 years old, are being taken care of by the local church during this time.“Debalal was a faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Dr. Narayan Sharma, senior leader of our work in Nepal. “He was diligent in the Lord’s ministry and helped bring many into the Kingdom of God.”

Debalal served under the leadership of GFA-supported Believers Church pastor Tuhinsurra for many years as the elder of the church. He often visited those in his area and shared the love of Christ with them, faithfully praying for those who were ill.
Debalal leaves behind his wife and two sons, who are 9 and 15 years old.

Please pray for:

• Debalal’s family as they grieve the loss of their husband and father.
• All the believers to stand firm in their faith during such a grave situation.
• Kumar Sardar, that he would repent and come to know the saving and redemptive love of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
• Kumar’s family, that they too would come to know the Lord through this circumstance and give their hearts to Him.

A Garland for Ashes: World War II, the Holocaust and a Journey to Forgiveness

Hanna Miley, who was raised in England after being taken (miraculously) onto a train that was transporting many other Jewish children, has published a wonderful book.

Her life story is an inspiration. together with her husband George Miley, they have deeply impacted thousands of persons across many decades.

This book would be a good addition to your library. The journey by which Hanna came to know about the death of her parents in a German Concentration Camp, her journey to faith in Yeshua Messiah, and her amazing life left an indelible impression on me.

I highly recommend A Garland for Ashes for those for whom forgiveness and reconciliation with our enemies is a vital subject. This is what they wrote recently:

A Garland for Ashes: World War II, the Holocaust, and One Jewish Survivor’s Long Journey to Forgiveness became a reality on July 3. We are experiencing the daily excitement of opening the Inbox and discovering the responses from readers. Many of you are praying that the story will bring healing to souls. One reader wrote:

About fifteen years ago you gave a collage workshop at a women’s retreat. I remember the collage you shared with us. A fine gold thread ran through the picture, representing the work and Presence of God in your story. I see the gold thread again in A Garland for Ashes. It leaves me sensing an unspoken mystery, a beauty that leaves me marveling at God, and His activity in our lives.

What a thrill to trace the Holy Spirit at work! Marketing. With the help of Cheri, our gifted administrator, we are on an adventure, making A Garland for Ashes known to a wider audience. We sense the Lord saying to us: Be watchful, discerning and responsive to the connections and opportunities I am arranging. Take care to submit to the Holy Spirit. He is managing your marketing campaign. Publishers. We are approaching several German publishing houses. Please pray for miracles--receptivity to a new, unknown author and a gifted translator. A small French publishing house is considering a French edition. Would we fit well together? A good friend has approached a few Dutch publishing houses. Holocaust museum bookshops. Several have responded to our request to review A Garland for Ashes, and we are waiting to hear if they will carry the book. Book signings. The blessing of God has been on the sharing of the story of Gemünd, forgiveness and reconciliation. Printing. Prayer is needed for consistency in the quality of the printing. Please pray for our publisher Outskirts Press, and the very large “print-on-demand” production company Ingram/Lightening Source. Health: We have experienced considerable healing from the effects of the auto accident in Germany on June 5. George has recovered from his bruising and whiplash, while Hanna has been receiving excellent physiotherapy as she continues to live within the physical restrictions imposed by the two fractured discs in her spinal column. Our scheduled return to Germany in September has been in jeopardy. Hanna has undergone a number of tests in our cardiologist’s office to check her abdominal artery and heart. In the mercy of God we have just been set free to go, and are searching for the right tickets to return the first week of October. Opportunities ahead: October 9--The same group that planned the laying of the Stolpersteine in Gemünd will meet to focus on the remembrance of Kristallnacht (Crystal Night), November 9-10, 1938.

The Gemünd Group working on the remembrance of Kristallnacht 2013.

October 12--Hanna has been invited to speak at the final meeting of the year-long celebration of Gemünd’s 800th anniversary. October 21-25--The Antioch Network Gathering will take place in Volkenroda, Germany. We will be teaching on principles of reconciliation.

Volkenroda, our meeting place, a former monastery founded in 1131 and today, the home of a christian community focused on reconciliation.

October 27-30--The next meeting of the Wittenberg 2017 initiative, a movement of repentance for historic divisions among Christians and prayer that Christ will make us one, will follow the Antioch Network Gathering in Volkenroda. We will be teaching on Reconciliation in Gemünd: Principles for Wider Reconciliation.  With grateful hearts,

Muslims are Seeing Visions - Is This What Joel Predicted?

Joel predicted that people would see visions.

An interesting video shows how Muslims are seeing visions and finding the Lord. Here

This testimony happened in a prison cell in Malaysia

A Muslim meeting Jesus....

 

Click on the link below.........

Müslüman Hizbullahçı Hristiyan Oldu

Looking for Christian Stories in the Media?

A good source of current events from a Christian point of view is found at

http://thechristians.com/

For example - here are two stories :

Gloom besets an ancient monastery as its tourist bonanza evaporates
The Muslim protectors of St. Catherine’s are left destitute by the chaos of Egypt’s wars.
Read more  here

or

Catholic traditionalists used to be able to refute progressives by quoting the two previous popes, who were both doctrinal conservatives and top-down Roman centralists. Their defenders only had to point out that every pontiff, as earthly head of the church, must be honored and obeyed whether you agreed with him or not. Roma locuta, causa finita.*

Now it’s their turn for chagrin, because the new pope, Francis, is almost the opposite – he is largely uninterested in doctrine, and he is also, it now emerges, radically decentralist. RC conservatives simply don’t know what to make of him – but by their own argument they just have to suck it up and smile. He’s the pope. More  Here

What Motivates Us the Deepest?

What are the deepest factors that motivate our lives?

A sense of priorities underlies most of our activities, be it a desire to know the names of all the baseball players, or to have as many friends as possible on Facebook.

The deepest motivations are also those that bring a hope and salvation.

John Piper's blog is worth following. This recent selection is a sample.

My assumption is that people without the gospel are without hope, because only the gospel can free them from their sin. Therefore, missions is utterly essential in the life of a loving church, though not all Christians believe this. The rest can be found here

http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/eye-opening-mission

Biblical Tour of Turkey - March 10-18, 2014

Good news from Dr. Andrew Jackson:

Photo: The Library of Celsus in Ephesus

Attention all American pastors! AN UNBELIEVABLE OPPORTUNITY! I've been asked by a Turkish travel agency to lead a biblical tour of Istanbul and the Seven Churches of Revelation for US pastors. It is being planned for March 10-18, 2014. This is an unbelievable special offer for US Pastors. It will be 9-days/7-nights, INCLUDING international Turkish Air flight (from LA, Chicago, or NY), four star hotels, breakfast/dinner, official guide and more.The cost will only be $1,790 (again including the international flight). This offer is for pastors who are interested in bringing a group on a biblical tour in the near future. See more details go to www.BiblicalTurkeyTours.com and look under Andrew Jackson Toours. Contact me if your interested because this tour is filling up fast.

 

The International Turkey Network (www.ITNet.org) in partnership with WorldChristian.com, has produced and just released a new video titled: "Turkey: The Other Holy Land." Watch it on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/oYyjXYiPxuo Please free use it as will best serve you.

I am partnering with a young Turkish friend to start a Christian multi-media ministry in Istanbul, Turkey. It is called Miras (Heritage) Media, and the website is now live at www.MirasMedia.com. One of the first multi-media Christian ministry in Turkey.

Kingdom Leadership - Godly Qualities of Life

Photo - Mosaic in Berea, Greece: St. Paul preaching in Berea,

J. Lee Grady looks at the qualities of leadership needed for ministries that radiate the power of God in practical ways.

We found this helpful, and hope you do too. This is one of many resources we've found on the internet recently, and by sharing it with you, we hope you'll be encouraged to pour your life into younger leaders, raising them up, helping them become disciples who can change the world.

At a time when many Christian leaders today are failing, we need to reclaim these eight vital qualities:
 

1. You must have a sure calling. Nehemiah said to the king: “Send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it” (Neh. 2:5, NASB, emphasis added). Nehemiah was a “sent one.” He was called by God, and he surrendered. You must be convinced that you are called. You may have great preaching skills, a powerful anointing or a magnetic personality, but human abilities and God-given talents alone will not make you successful. You must know that you know that you know that God has sent you.

2. You need a heavenly burden. When Nehemiah heard that Jerusalem’s walls were destroyed and that the Jews were displaced... Read the rest here

The Language Jesus Spoke - The Village Being Destroyed

Few of us are aware that the language Jesus spoke, Aramaic, is still used in various places.

One of the villages is Maaloula, in Syria.

It's being destroyed in the fight between the government of Syria and the factions against the authorities. This civil war has had devastating effects on many towns and villages.

Pictures of Maaloula are found here

With Love to China

Much news coming from South Eastern Asia cannot be communicated to the world.

 

Here is one set of activities from a humble group of people living where it costs a lot to serve the Lord.

 

Pastor S is busy ministering in B,  M has spent the week plastering the walls of the small building. It's being prepared for leadership training in a couple weeks and they want to get most of the work done before then.

On Saturday's a small Bible club takes place, starting with . She is starting with the life of David. Previously went well; children had questions and a good discussion following the story. According to O, a number of the kids are secret believers, afraid to openly confess Christ because of family pressure.

J accompanies young people for a song. He is definitely growing in his music though he does miss lessons frequently because of an intense schedule as a pastor. He is already very talented, playing guitar and a history of singing in night clubs before he was saved.

 

Pray new believers would not give in to fear but have strength to obey and confess openly.

 

Pastor Chuck Smith - Transformative Influence After the Jesus People

In his church office, pastor Chuck Smith kept a crown made of thorns and a jar full of candy. The thorns were from the Holy Land. The candy was for his grandkids. The image suggested his special appeal as a preacher:

A harsh, old-school Christianity delivered with grandfatherly sweetness.

Smith, the founder of the Jesus People and the Calvary Chapel movement, and one of the most influential figures in modern American Christianity, died Thursday morning at his home in Newport Beach after a two-year battle with lung cancer, church officials said. He was 86.

The story of his life and ministry and impact is found here

WARNING - A Prayer for the North American Church

WARNING - You may not be the same after reading this prayer.

It comes from a farmer's wife, author, well know speaker, raising six children, schooling at home, and she has a not-quite daily blog called "A Holy Experience".

WARNING The series she is doing called "A Prayer for the North American Church"

A Letter to the North American Church: Because it is Time

Dear North American Church,

After a Sunday morning in Africa, you don’t look the same to me.
You look hungry.
Hungrier than anything I’ve seen in Africa. Find the rest Here

Praying for Your Enemies? Well, not quite ...

Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies, to love them and bless them. The way that Muslims in general are coming across in the Western Press leads many to consider them as "enemies". This is incorrect, since the actual violence being done in Iraq, Egypt, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Nigeria, Pakistan (wow, the list goes on and on) ... is being carried out by a very dedicated minority.

So, "Not quite! ... Muslims in general are not our enemies. Most are hard-working families who follow an interpretation of Abraham and the Covenant that is radically different from that of Christians. Most suffer terrible injustice and receive low wages.

My purpose in this blog is not to list the differences.

I want us to concentrate on praying for Muslims. There are many points at which Muslim people who have come to Canada, or the USA, or England, or Germany, or Australia (wow, the list goes on and on) .... can benefit from concentrated, concerned and passionate prayers.

Muslims people often feel rejection in the West. They generally have no Christian friends. We can talk with them, first of all asking their names, realizing that many of their first names have a spiritual significance. They are usually more ready to talk about spiritual matters than secularized Westerners.

Love them and ask them to pray with them when they open up (this is a short list!) about

feelings of rejection by westerners;
raising children in a secular society and the conflicts coming up in schools;
misunderstandings about gender and how they are treated as women;
enmities and hostilities in their home countries that cause shame and dissatisfaction;
feelings of emptiness living in our countries;
broken relationships;
surgeries and ill health;
crowded homes and lack of sufficient funds to pay the bills;
their relatives back home.

You may not have been called to be a missionary  overseas, but right on our front doors are oodles of opportunities to show we love and care for the strangers in our midst.
 

And So God Created the Missionary

Kingdom values and Kingdom are difficult to harmonize. The nine beatitudes  in Matthew 5 contain concepts that literally turn life upside down.

And usually people don't like change.

Jesus ended this list with an amazing declaration: "Blessed are people when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven."

Well, we didn't invent this idea. God did.

He wants people to go out boldly and, even when persecuted, continue being his "sent out ones" (John 20:21 Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

That's why God Created the Missionary. This is an amazing video - well worth your time. Loren Cunningham began the movement called Youth With a Mission (YWAM) and visited every country in the world, one of the few to have ever done this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gSuxP9wza4

Is Forgiveness the Most Difficult Action in God's Kingdom?

Forgiveness: the pleasure of having the slate become clean after a nasty incident; Being forgiven wipes away so many ugly feelings, isolation and regret. Wow!

Forgiving others-often difficult! Forgiving our enemies?  "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you., that you may be sons and daughters of your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:43-45) What do we do with these words? Are we to take them "literally"? Is this possible?

Today I'm watching the attempts of Kenyan authorities to learn what happened in Westgate Mall in Nairobi. Terrible signs of grief; unbearable shrieks of horror; a despicable crime: terror cutting the lives of 68 and injuring 175. Wow!

Several thousand miles to the east, at the same time, : At least 75 people were killed in a suicide bombing outside a church. This took place in Peshawar, Pakistan. Apparently, it's the worst attack on Christians, called, "a minority". Wow!

Can we hear of such events and find the word "forgiveness" coming into our minds, much less

finding the strength to actually follow the words of Jesus Christ?

 

My mind goes back several years to the death of three Christians in Eastern Turkey. Five young men under the age of 17 deliberately cultivated friendship with these believers. They said they wanted to "know about Christianity". However, the five capturing these Christian workers. Two were Turks and one German; they suffered torture and brutal deaths. The five young men were caught, arrested and a long legal process began.

 

While the court cases are still not completely finished in Turkey - the judicial approach - another kind of action, forgiveness, knocked down hatred and demolished many strongholds.

 

One of the widows, on the day of burial of her husband, said, "I live in your city. I buy bread at the stores where you buy bread for your children. My children go to the schools your children attend. This is my home. I am here to declare that I forgive those who murdered my husband." Very simple words, a very short message. But, a very deep reality: forgiveness:

 

Those words rocked the city of Malatya.

 

The impact across Turkey, for days afterwards, was one of utter unbelief. One of Turkey's most respected journalists wrote, "This action, by one missionary, accomplished more than a thousand missionaries preaching for a thousand years." The topic of forgiveness dominated personal conversations for days. "Why would a Christian widow forgive those who murdered her husband?

 

"For, though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Wow - Wow - Wow! (2 Cor.  10:3-5)

 

 

The Gospel According to Zaccheaus - Grace for Shame - Part 3

This is the third of three blog posts in which the story of Zacchaeus is viewed through the Scriptural concept of shame, an approach that is probably rarely understood in the West. Take with permission from Grace for Shame - The Forgotten Gospel by John A. Forrester, available through www.pastorsatticpress.com

"For Zacchaeus the verdict of his community no longer intimidates him. He senses, in Jesus, a greater verdict that overrides local convention. Jesus welcomes him into a new community and in so doing welcomes Zacchaeus back to himself. Remarkably, his first words are, "Behold, Lord" - (possibly the Hebrew hineni) - look at me! His shame is lifted. No more need to hide. He can stand before the Lord openly, boldly, in confidence.

And now we see how, for Zacchaeus, and for many like him, healing for guilt follows healing for shame. Zacchaeus needed ontological restoration before there could be ethical restoration. Now that Zacchaeus finds himself honored and respected, he can begin to think about honoring and respecting others. He is now neither shameful nor shameless. He inhabits the place of the honorable. In a moment of time his value system is radically realigned. No danger now of Zacchaeus seeking worth in wealth. He has found worth in the eyes of God. He immediately gives away half of his considerable possessions. Then, where he has cheated, he returns 400% (far beyond the 120% required in Leviticus 6:5). Jesus has restored personhood to Zacchaeus and in consequence Zacchaeus is no longer able to objectify (depersonalize) others. Jesus has returned Zacchaeus to himself and to others.

Here, for the sake of Zacchaeus and anyone else who will listen, Jesus pronounces the verdict of the Kingdom of God on this event.

And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (v. 9, 10)

What they have just witnessed, is salvation. A man was lost, lost to himself as well as others. But now he has been restored - he has been saved. For this Jesus came.

Zacchaeus thought he was seeking Jesus, but Jesus was first seeking him. Jesus came into this world looking for hidden, shamed people. He could not do this from heaven. He had to be Emmanuel. He had to be "God with us". He had to humble himself and become the "Son of Man" in order not to frighten away the Zacchaeuses of this world. Zaccheaus, in lifting his face to Jesus, proves himself to be a true son of Abraham, that great man of faith.

Note also the group orientation, salvation "to this house". There is a corporate quality to the New Testament salvation that makes independent westerners nervous, but not Jews! Before this encounter with Jesus the whole household has suffered from Zacchaeus' dishonorable behavior and thus shared in his shame. Likewise now the whole household shares in the considerable cost of restitution. But they also share in the salvation of Zacchaeus. They share in the re-honoring of Zacchaeus as his salvation is applied to them all."

The Gospel According to Zacchaeus - Grace for Shame - (2)

This is the second of three blog-posts on Zacchaeus, taken with permission from "Grace for Shame: The Forgotten Gospel" by John A. Forrester. The book is available through www.pastorsatticpress.com and I highly recommend it for ministry in today's world.

"We sense, too, that Zacchaeus climbed the tree not only to see but to be seen. Shame prompts hiding. It is when shamed people have the courage to expose themselves to the gaze of God that they discover the love of God. Then God's love is 'poured into our hearts' (Romans 5:5). Zacchaeus exposed himself in the tree, somehow knowing, trusting, that Jesus would not reject him. "He experiences the joy that accompanies every encounter between a depleted self and positive mirroring" (Pembrook, "Toward a Shame-Based Theology of Evangelism").

This is all to much for the crowd. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, 'He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.

The muttering is negative gossip. Here is widespread public disapproval of Jesus' actions. Luke wants the reader to feel the weight of Jesus' counter-cultural approach. We can almost hear the derision in their voices.

Remember that shame is contagious. The shame of Zacchaeus now attaches to Jesus. In staying in Zacchaeus' home Jesus is squandering his own honor within the honor-shame rules of the community. True, Jesus lives by other rules, he is demonstrating a radically different honor-shame construct, but he will pay a price in the local context. This is the journey to Jerusalem and the cross. "He who forgives those we denounce must surely die. And Jesus died." Margaret G. Alter, "Human Shame and the Hospitality of God" Dialog, 36 (1997), 269

Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."

Zacchaeus stood. There is a sense of solemnity and formality about this. It was fascinating for me to hear this passage preached by a Chinese brother. The shame-healing dynamics of this story were much more apparent to him, speaking out of his roots in a shame-oriented culture. He was especially taken by the verb "stood". Perhaps, for the first time, Zacchaeus stands tall. He stands in dignity.

(Continued in final part 3)

The Gospel According to Zacchaeus - Grace for Shame (1)

(The following excerpt is taken with permission from "Grace for Shame, The Forgotten Gospel" by John A. Forrester, pp188-)

At the cross Jesus bears shame for the human race. In the journey to the cross Christ is seen taking on himself the shame of others as he sets them free. He is demonstrating what it means to take up the cross daily - to bear daily the shame of others.

Jesus enters Jericho and is passing through. A man is there by the name of Zacchaeus. He is a chief tax collector and is wealthy. He wants to see who Jesus is, but being a short man he cannot because of the crowd. So he ruins ahead and climbs a sycamore-fig tree in order to see Jesus coming down the road.

Zacchaeus is a man ensnared in shame. As a Jewish tax collector, working for the Roman occupying forces, he is a social outcast, a reject. In fact he is a chief tax collector, a title that ironically only makes him less honorable (thus more shameful). His mother had named him Zaccaeus, a name that means "pure," or "righteous", but he has grown up a "sinner." His very name mocks him ("There goes Mr. Clean!")

In meeting Zaccaeus we are meeting a man who has squandered all of the deposit of honor he received at birth. In a world of honor and shame his credit rating is zero. His short physical stature is a metaphor for his diminished personhood He is one to be over-looked. Alongside other men he is inconsequential. Nevertheless, he has worked his way into the position of chief tax collector. If he has no respect, at least he has power. And he has money. In his accumulation of power and wealth he is attempting to make up the deficit in his depleted self. But the inner hunger remains.

Not only is Zaccaeus a shamed person but he is also shameless! He runs ahead. A mature man in a position of authority would not run in that society. It would be undignified and degrading. But Zaccaeus has no respect worth protection. Not only does he run, he also climbs a tree. A ridiculous little man perched like a bird on a branch, but who cares?

Here is the sham;e-healing presence of Jesus. He "overlooks" no one. He could have chuckled at the sight of the little man in the tree, but he shows deep respect. In using Zacchaeus' name, Jesus recognizes his "distinct subjectivity and personhood". Furthermore, Jesus "looked up" to Zaccaeus. This becomes a metaphor of Jesus' humility. He reveals himself to Zacchaeus as needy. Jesus needs a place to stay. Zacchaeus is given the dignity of helping out the famous Jesus in his time of need. He gets bragging rights. All of this, of course, is done very publicly. Just as shame is loss of public place, honor is gain of public place.

John Forrester's book, Grace for Shame: The Forgotten Gospel is essential reading for anyone who has a desire to reach across the barriers presented by newcomers to North America. People who grow up in an honor-shame based culture will generally not feel comfortable in a service where guilt-forgiveness is preached. This book is available through www.pastorsatticpress.com

Laodicea, Turkey - Church Restored, ready for you to worship there

The main street in Laodicea - Colossae was 10 miles away

Laodicea ! That rich city - amazing place - huge - possibly the largest ruins in Turkey.

Check out the baptistery in Laodicea that is 1,500 years old. The present city of Denizli (ancient Laodicea), is undertaking the reconstruction of the ancient city and it's well worth a visit if you go to Turkey. I've had the privilege of visiting there 20 times between 1995 and 2011. Each visit showed the amazing progress in the archaeological digs.

Soon you can go into this reconstructed Byzantine Church, built between 560-590 AD. The photos here (1 - 7) take you inside the building. Photos 7 - 10 show an ancient Byzantine Basilica Church, built on the ruins of a previous government building. Photos 11-17 show articles dating back 5-7,000 years.  (Click on the "Here" for the web site to see 17 photos from Laodicea- published this week in Hurriyet Daily News - Istanbul.)

Archaeologists reconstruct the Temple of Apollo

Oh, one more thing: My fifth novel on the Seven Churches of the Revelation is called "Rich Me!" and it takes place at the end of the First Century AD. (I hope to publish it a few years later.) It's a story that hangs on the previous four novels in a series of seven novels called The Agonizing Hallelujah.

The first novel in this series of seven novels is called "Through the Fire" - takes place in Pergamum, around the central figure of Antipas. I hope to publish it two years down the line.

I'm looking for half a dozen early readers and also for an artist for the front and back covers. The manuscript is edited, but now I hope to find a half a dozen people to give a critical read for the book.

Brazil's Evangelicals A Growing Force In Prayer, Politics

by Lourdes Garcia Navarro,

July 22, 2013 3:34 AM from NPR       

With Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro for a weeklong visit celebrating World Youth Day. Hundreds of thousands of Catholics have made the pilgrimage to see the Argentine-born pontiff, and he is expected to receive a rapturous welcome.

Still, Pope Francis's visit comes at a delicate time for the church in Brazil. Catholicism — the nation's main religion — is facing a huge challenge from evangelicals.

In advance of the pope's visit, evangelical Christians held a rival gathering at Sao Paulo's convention center. It was massive event, with more than 200 stalls scattered around and thousands of visitors over the past few days.

Christianity in Brazil is big business — not only are major superstar pastors represented at the convention, but businesses like Sony Music have booths as well. Brothers Lucas and Renault Lourenço have been singing together since they were in their teens, and together they are the Brazilian evangelical version of the boy band. Now in their early 20s — sporting matching faux hawks and wearing jeans — they came to reach out to their established fans and sell records to new ones.

"This fair attracts many people, even people who are not evangelicals, which is essential because that way people will know the gospel and so every day there will be even more of us evangelicals," Renault says. And, in fact, there are more every day. Recent polls show that evangelical Christianity is the fastest-growing sect in Brazil. According to the Pew Research Center, 22 percent of the Brazilian population identifies as evangelical Christian — up from 5 percent in 1970. Unfortunately for the Catholic Church, most of them switched from Roman Catholicism.

These days, only about 62 percent of people in Brazil say they are Catholic. In absolute numbers, however, this still makes Brazil the country with the most Catholics in the world. Natalia Andrande says events like this attract new followers, and she says that's her message to Pope Francis.
"This is a way of showing we are strong, that we are also the church," 15-year-old Andrande says. "It's a way of changing people's minds."

Evangelical groups, and there are many, have also translated their numbers into a growing political clout. While the Catholic clergy are prohibited from being in government, President Dilma Rousseff has an evangelical bishop as a Cabinet minister. Despite the pope's imminent visit, Rousseff prayed and reportedly sang with an evangelical group that recently came to lend her support. That's the reason analysts say that evangelical churches have grown so big and so fast: They reach out to people on many levels and are visible in politics. But they also have, for example, drive-through prayer centers for busy commuters or rehab centers for the dispossessed.

One small center is called Cristolandia, and it's located right in the center of what is known as "Crack-landia" in Sao Paulo. The congregants are mostly drug addicts and prostitutes. They come to get a free meal and, if they want, eventually treatment for their addictions at evangelical rehab centers located in the countryside. "I was a Catholic, but the church lost its sense of solidarity with the poor, with the drug addicts, with the prostitutes, the murderers and the thieves," says Cristolandia Pastor Humberto Machado. "The church closed its doors to these people." And that's why he says Catholicism has been losing favor.

This week Pope Francis will be visiting a shanty town in Rio. He is already being touted as the "slum pope," in reference to his focus on social justice and poverty. But it will take a lot to gain back some of the ceded ground. While there is only one church in the community he will be visiting, there are four Pentecostal temples.

Same-Sex Marriage is Still Wrong; And Its' Getting Wronger Every Day

Same-Sex Marriage Is Still Wrong; And It’s Getting Wronger Every Day

Written by: Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner
Wednesday, July 17th, 2013
by Ephraim Radner,
 
The unexpectedly rapid civil acceptance of same-sex marriage in the West may lead one to imagine that the issue is somehow already settled.  Whatever doubts one may have had, they have been swept away by the overwhelming flood of changed public opinion.  Fait accompli.  Traditional Christians must simply step aside now.

Such a judgment would be a mistake. Indeed, far from the matter being settled, at least form a Christian perspective it has hardly been engaged, despite claims to the contrary by proponents of same-sex marriage. What we have had instead is a bait-and-switch set of tactics, first seeking civil and religious recognition and affirmation somehow of same-sex attractions, then pressing for ordinations, then blessings of unions. What comes next? The question of a “slippery slope” is hardly a fallacy here, for in this case we have a historical track-record of legal advocacy and movement that stands as quite rational “evidence” for the slope’s existence.

All the while, most discussions claimed that “marriage” was never nor could be ever the issue at stake. But here we are: changes to “marriage canons” and Prayer Books are now in the works. At this stage the advocates of change are merciful enough to suggest “conscience clauses” for those who disagree.

“Disagree” how, exactly? What happened? Was a carefully developed argument offered, studied, engaged consultatively across lines of commitment and ecclesial fellowship, and then adopted by a kind of consensual accord? Of course not! Failure to persuade on the part of same-sex advocates has simply been reinterpreted as “legitimate decision in the face of minority dissent”.

For the rest of the article go here

Does "Forgive your Enemies" go this far?

In Istanbul, Turkey, a huge historical Armenian building is being rented despite the ongoing trial.

The Sanasaryan Han in Istanbul’s Eminönü neighborhood, was won by Özgeylani Construction Company, despite the ongoing trial over the ownership of the building. The building is claimed by the Armenian Christians. Armenian Christians around the world claim that upwards of 1,500,000 of their people died in a "genocide" in 1915 when Turkish soldiers forced them out of the eastern most areas of the Ottoman Empire.

The Turkish government claims that the events happened during World War I, that the deaths were not a "genocide", and that "only" 315,000 Armenians died. Most recently, the Turkish government has begun handing back some of the 9,500 properties seized from Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox Churches in 1974.

The issue I want to illustrate involves the ongoing struggle of being a member of the Kingdom of God, in which earthly loyalties and properties are temporary, and being a citizen of this world, in which human rights and justice are necessary and important. (This is one of the major themes of this blog.) This theme overlaps other situations: race relations, property rights, freedom to dress using religious symbols, freedom of expression, etc.

(From Hurriyet Daily News, July 20,) "The tender for renting the historical building, organized by the Directorate General of Foundations on July 18, was won by Özgeylani Construction Company, despite the ongoing trial over the ownership of the building.

"Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate claims that the han, which was donated to the patriarchate in 1881 by a Russian-Armenian Mıgırdiç Sansaryan, belongs to them as they have the documents to prove the donation. The Directorate General of Foundations, on the other hand, claims that the building did not fall under the jurisdiction of a law on the return of properties to community foundations that took effect in 2011 as it had been owned by a person.

"Şahin Gezer of Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate Real Estate Commission told the Hürriyet Daily News that they had hoped until the last minute that the tender would be halted. Gezer said they would continue their legal action. "The Sanasaryan Han had an autonomous status when compared to the other Armenian foundations, Gezer said, adding that this was due to the fact that other foundations had churches and schools, whereas the han had been donated to the patriarchate by a natural person.

"Gezer said that the rent of the han should be equally distributed between Armenian schools and public schools without any discrimination, while adding that this was as an offer to the Directorate General of Foundations “as we are equal citizens.” "Commenting on the resolution on foundations, which entered into force two years ago, Gezer said more than 400 properties were returned but major problems were being faced. “For example, the returned space is accepted as a green area or is closed for housing, so even if it is returned you cannot use it,” said Gezer.

I  quoted  at length because most people don't know the legal issues faced by Christians in Turkey. it illustrates the tensions we have as followers of Jesus Christ. When we are told to "forgive our enemies, to love our enemies and to pray for our enemies", does that mean we abdicate the claims of our earthly citizenship? The Mennonites, in large measure, did that historically. They moved from place to place based on the need to avoid bloodshed and now are found in Canada, USA, Mexico, Paraguay and other nations.

How should Armenian believers act and think when faced with the Turkish government's use of tiny details in law to avoid handing over such a massive building, worth many millions of dollars in a prime real estate location? Of course, the Armenian Patriarcate will launch a law suite and it may go all the way to the European Court of Human Rights. Turkey is the champion loser of cases brought to the ECHR, and alongside Russia, is the champion of cases brought against its government.

There are countless cases like this, every year, brought against Christians in the Muslim countries. Usually the Christians lose the fight in the courts. What do you think the issues are in the hearts of Christians when faced with injustice? Let me know what you think!

The Recent World History of Christianity

The Recent World History of Christianity

http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/49480/

The history of Christianity is about cross boundaries, always becoming home in individual journeys and places. The Gospel is democratic in the extreme - tremendous changes are taking place - within the last 150 years. The African Christian population today is larger than the whole Christian population 150 years ago.

Click on the web site to see a 2 minute clip that will introduce a great topic.

Leave the web site on and you'll get an introduction to many other areas of study within the Christian faith.

Bono: David sang the blues and Jesus did some punk rock

(We are not used to hearing the superstars of the music world speak so candidly about their faith and how this forms the  foundation for their life and vision. Published in RNS Religion News Service on June 21, 2013)

    

(RNS) U2 frontman Bono exchanged Bible references and bantered about music, theology and evangelicals’ role in AIDS activism in a recent radio interview with Focus on the Family President Jim Daly.

Growing up in Ireland with a Protestant mother and a Catholic father, Bono imitated C.S. Lewis in “Mere Christianity,” where Lewis argued that Jesus was a lunatic, liar or Lord.

Show caption

Bono exchanged Bible references with Focus on the Family’s president Jim Daly as they bantered about music, theology and evangelicals’ role in AIDS activism in a recent radio interview. Photo by Lisa Cadman/courtesy of Focus on the Family

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“When people say ‘Good teacher,’ ‘Prophet,’ ‘Really nice guy,’ … this is not how Jesus thought of himself,” Bono said. “So, you’re left with a challenge in that, which is either Jesus was who he said he was or a complete and utter nut case.”

“And I believe that Jesus was, you know, the Son of God,” Bono said, according to a transcript provided to Religion News Service. “I understand that for some people and we need to … if I could be so bold, need to be really, really respectful to people who find that ridiculous.”


“First of all, David’s a musician so I’m gonna like him,” Bono said. “What’s so powerful about the Psalms are, as well as they’re being gospel and songs of praise, they are also the Blues. It’s very important for Christians to be honest with God, which often, you know, God is much more interested in who you are than who you want to be.”

As Bono praised David’s “honest language with God,” Daly noted that “sometimes it gets you into hot water with the more orthodox folks, because they see you as edgy, maybe too edgy at times.”
It’s a criticism that Bono’s used to hearing.

“You’ve gotta be very careful that grace and politeness do not merge into a banality of behavior, where we’re just nice, sort of ‘death by cupcake,’” Bono said. “Politeness is, you know, is a wonderful thing. Manners are in fact, really important thing. But remember, Jesus didn’t have many manners as we now know.”

Bono recalled the section in Luke 9 when Jesus told a man not to wait and bury his father but to follow Jesus immediately. Daly responded to Bono’s summary, “Seems cold-hearted.”
Bono replied, “No, seems punk rock to me. He could see right into that fellow’s heart. He knew he wasn’t coming and he was just, it was pretense. We’ve gotta be a bit more cutting edge, not look to the signs of righteousness. Look to the actions.”

Bono made an explicit connection between his faith and his work with the ONE Campaign, the humanitarian organization he founded to fight poverty and disease. “It’s very annoying following this person of Christ around, because he’s very demanding of your life,” he said while chuckling. “You don’t have to go to university and do a Ph.D. to understand this stuff. You just go to the person of Christ.”

Daly threw a C.S. Lewis quote at Bono: “When a man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that’s left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less.” Bono jokingly replied, “Yeah, that could turn up on the next U2 album, but I won’t give him or you any credit.”
In his work on HIV/AIDS, malaria, poverty and other areas, Bono noted the challenge of finding the right issue to take on.
“We have a pastor who said to us, ‘Stop asking God to bless what you’re doing, Bono.’ Which by the way, I constantly do. He said, ‘Find out what God is doing, ’cause it’s already blessed,’” Bono said. “And when you align yourself with God’s purpose as described in the Scriptures, something special happens to your life. You’re in alignment.”
Most of the 9 million HIV/AIDS victims who were saved are alive because of treatments funded by the U.S., Bono said. “I am here to thank the American people for that,” he said. “And I also want to thank the evangelical community for that, because it wouldn’t have happened without their leadership, because they like myself, pestered George Bush and the administration, who actually deserve praise for starting this out.”

He compared HIV/AIDS to biblical stories of leprosy.
“People don’t understand in that Scripture, the Samaritan was at odds with the ideology of the person he stopped on the road for. This is why we call it The ONE Campaign,” he said. “You and I can have many disagreements on many philosophical, theological things. But on this we know we can agree on.”

Daly said he expects potential blowback from Focus listeners who might see Bono as unorthodox.
“Does he use a bad word here and there? Yeah, probably. Does he have a Guinness every now and then? Yeah, probably,” Daly said. “When you look at it before the throne of God, I think (God will) say, ‘You saved so many children.’”

Daly said his predecessor James Dobson might not have done an interview with Bono, but Dobson did get blowback for having Dr. Laura Schlessinger on his program because she is Jewish. “Bono clearly accepts Jesus as Lord. I wasn’t prepared for his quickness in inserting Scripture into the dialogue,” Daly said of the artist who has been married to his wife, Ali Hewson, for decades. “I celebrate with them that they have four children and have been married 30 years. Not everyone in the Christian community can say that.”