Showing posts with label Brooklyn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brooklyn. Show all posts

Friday, August 11, 2017

10 Reasons We Keep Seeing Established Churches Failing - JOSEPH MATTERA CHARISMA NEWS


Many churches refuse to reach beyond the culture and predominant ethnic makeup of their congregation. (Pexels)

10 Reasons We Keep Seeing Established Churches Failing

JOSEPH MATTERA  CHARISMA NEWS
Where I live, dozens of large old church buildings that used to hold thriving congregations strewn along a major avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Some have been torn down and developed, while others are supported by social programs and/or rentals from other congregations. As I ponder this, I have come to the conclusion that there are 10 primary reasons established churches eventually fail.
1. They are not intergenerational.
Many of the churches in my community were at one time ethnic churches that have failed to pass down their faith to their children. When we first moved into this community we noticed that the average age of the believers in these churches was probably over 60 years of age. Consequently, there are many large congregations populated primarily with older people, and the concern of this article is whether these churches will exist in two decades.
2. They refuse to adapt to the changing demographics.
Many churches refuse to reach beyond the culture and predominant ethnic makeup of their congregation. It is the job of the lead pastor and elders to continually analyze the changing demographics of their community so they can stay ahead of the curve. I once warned a group of ethnic pastors that they would not have a church in 10 years if they did not adopt their strategies to the rapid gentrification taking place in their community. In other words, in order to reach certain people groups, a church has to focus on developed leaders representing that group and eventually give them a prominent role in decision-making and public ministry.
3. They use old methodologies.
The outreach strategies and methods of ministry in some churches are the same today as they were 40 years ago. The way we do evangelism, dress, speak and relate to our congregation has to be relevant without compromising the gospel. In the same way we are called to exegete Scripture, we are called to exegete our communities if we are going to continue to thrive.
4. They lost the zeal of its founding members.
Many established churches start with great passion and vision in their founding and move to merely consolidating, maintaining and administrating their vision in the next generation. Every mainline Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox denomination was in its beginning a thriving apostolic movement (read the book of Acts along with church history). It is the challenge of every established church to generationally pass on the torch of its original vision and zeal so that their love for Christ doesn't dissipate. Established churches that lose their vision and zeal eventually go from power to programs, revival to routines and community transformation to perpetuating mere church traditions.
5. They fail in their succession plan.
Truly, there is no success without a successor. Established churches that pick the wrong lead pastor to succeed the original apostolic visionary risk losing everything they built. Succession is tricky and often messy and hard to map out since every local church has a different culture, context and community. This is why succession planning needs to be done with much prayer, fasting and inside and outside consultation along with checks and balances. In most cases (there are always exceptions), the best successor is a spiritual son of the congregation who already has within them the DNA and vision of the house.
6. The core leaders lost their oneness.
Satan's No. 1 plan to thwart the vision of a local church is to sow seeds of discord, disunity and division in the ranks of the elders and leaders of a congregation. Churches that fail to maintain biblical oneness among their key leadership will have a rocky road ahead due to the intense spiritual warfare and complexities every church has to navigate through. Only a strong, unified core team will continue to move forward and perpetuate the church's vision. Leaders have to keep first things first and learn to overlook petty differences for the sake of kingdom advancement.
7. They succumb to the values of secular culture.
Many established denominational and independent churches in the past several hundred years have gradually gone down the slippery slope of secular accommodation. In order to be relevant and/or to be accepted by the surrounding community, whole church movements and denominations have accepted cultural norms that are antithetical to biblical values and ethics. When churches allow culture to inform their ethics and values instead of Scripture, they lose their distinction from the world and begin to decline. All historic Protestant denominations that have embraced liberal theological constructs are rapidly losing members and dying off.
The only churches that are continuing to grow worldwide are evangelical churches that are biblically based. Jesus said that if the salt has lost its saltiness, it is good for nothing but to be trampled under the feet of men (see Matt. 5:13). Churches that cease to reflect His light fail to be salty and risk being closed down by none other than the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 2:5).
8. There is no provision for a lack of vision.
Proverbs 29:18 teaches us that without a vision, the people become discouraged (or perish depending on your translation). When there is no longer any compelling vision in an established church, there will not be enough volunteers motivated to serve in the ministry (read Ps. 110:3) and the finances will rapidly drop. Truly, God only gives provision for that which reflects His Vision.
9. There was no long-term financial solution.
If at all possible, established churches that own their building should attempt to utilize their facilities in ways that can help financially support their ministry. Whether it is developing their property or renting space to another entity, if at all possible, creating an income stream enables a church to function even when their tithes and offerings drop (sometimes because of the weather, or other times because of a crisis in leadership or a church split). Creating a long-term financial base is a wise move to compensate for the vicissitudes of the life of a church.
10. They lost their prophetic edge.
Established churches who fail to maintain consistent corporate prayer and fasting eventually lose their prophetic edge and operate according to fleshly wisdom. This results in them missing divine opportunities, kairos moments and presumptuously making decisions that result in a loss of momentum, key people and kingdom advancement. When lead pastors, elders and core members are too busy to spend quality time seeking God together, they will miss what the Spirit is saying to the church (Rev. 2:7) and are on the road to failure.
My prayer is that every church planted by God will last for generations and be effective until Jesus returns for His bride.
Joseph Mattera is an internationally known author, futurist, interpreter of culture and activist/theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence nations. He leads several organizations, including The United States Coalition of Apostolic Leaders (uscal.us). He also has a blog on Charisma magazine called "The Pulse." To order one of his books or to subscribe to his weekly newsletter go tojosephmattera.org.
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Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Meet the 'Secret Christians of Brooklyn' - Jim Denison

Dinner church at St. Lydia's.

Dinner church at St. Lydia's. (Instagram/St. Lydia's)



Meet the 'Secret Christians of Brooklyn'


Dinner church at St. Lydia's. (Instagram/St. Lydia's)

"I'm a pastor, but my church isn't weird. I'm not from a scary church." That's how Emily Scott describes St. Lydia's, a congregation recently described by The Atlantic as "the secret Christians of Brooklyn."

Their services are staged as dinner parties. They attract young professionals and homeless people alike. St. Lydia's is designed to emulate early Christian worship, centered on meals and community. Their model is working, because they provide a safe place for people to seek the God their souls so long to know. 

Just as our bodies need physical food, so our souls need spiritual nourishment. That's why Jesus called Himself "the bread of life" (John 6:35) and promised water to quench every thirst (John 4:13-14). The worship service you attended yesterday is not sufficient for your soul today. Scripture calls us to "seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!" (Ps. 105:4).

But our souls have an enemy. British minister Samuel Chadwick says: "Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray."

Since Satan so hates prayer, we can expect him to do all he can to keep us from continued intimacy with our Father. In my experience, he employs four primary strategies.

One: Self-sufficiency. He tries to convince me that I don't need more of God than I have. The enemy wants prayer to be a morning chore, not continued communion with the King of the universe.

Two: Internal distractions. As I set aside time to pray, tasks suddenly come to mind. People and problems begin to crowd my thoughts. I have learned to keep a pad and pen nearby, so I can write down these distractions and focus on my Father.

Three: External interruptions. When I begin to pray, it's amazing how often the phone rings or people knock at the door. That's why we need to arrange for uninterrupted time with our Father—an early morning walk, a closet with no technology, a day in solitude.

Four: The pressure of busyness. Charles Hummel's classic booklet, Tyranny of the Urgent, notes that the urgent and the important are seldom the same. What seems urgent seldom is. And we must refuse the urgent if we would do the important. 

It is the same with prayer. The busier we are, the more we need God's strength. I can pick up a book by myself, but I need help to move a bookcase. The more you have to do, the more you need time with the One who can empower you to do it.

A newly-hired lumberjack cut down more trees on his first day than anyone else in the camp. The next day, he fell behind the others. By the third day, his production was so low the foreman asked for an explanation. "I don't understand," he said. "I'm working as hard as ever." With a flash of insight, the foreman asked, "When last did you sharpen your axe?" "Sharpen my axe?" the lumberjack replied. "I don't have time to sharpen my axe."
Jim Denison, Ph.D., is founder of the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, a non-sectarian "think tank" designed to engage contemporary issues with biblical truth. Join over 100,000 who read Dr. Denison's daily Cultural Commentary: denisonforum.org/subscribe. For more information on the Denison Forum, visit denisonforum.org. To connect with Dr. Denison in social media, visit twitter.com/jimdenison or facebook.com/denisonforum.
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Sunday, June 7, 2015

Millions Watch Testimony of Jewish Believer in Yeshua

Mottel Baleston

Millions Watch Testimony of Jewish Believer in Yeshua

Sunday, June 07, 2015 |  Ryan Jones  Israel Today

An online evangelism effort by local Israeli Messianic Jews has become something of an Internet sensation over the past month after the video testimony of an Jewish man who came to faith in Yeshua (Jesus) went viral.

Mottel Baleston’s was just one of the latest in a series of video testimonies titled “I Met Messiah” produced by the Israeli Messianic group One For Israel in cooperation with Chosen People Ministries.
But Baleston’s testimony apparently touched a nerve, and by the first week of June well over five million people had viewed the brief video explanation of how he had many years earlier come to faith as a young man in Brooklyn.
Growing up, Baleeston was acquainted with a large number of Italian Catholics, leading him to believe that Jesus must be Italian. In the video he explains how “the understanding that [Yeshua is] actually Jewish was a shock. And then to hear that the New Testament was written by Jews, I couldn’t believe it. …when I open it, I’m reading a story written by Jews about Jewish people.”
What followed as a natural progression for a young man seeking spiritual truth. “As I came to faith that Yeshua - that Jesus was the Messiah, it was clear that that was the most Jewish thing I could do,” he recalled. “This is the One who was promised in our Bible.”
The most tear-jerking part of the testimony is when Baleston recounts convincing his father to attend a lecture by an author he knew to be a believer. Baleston was happily stunned when both he and his father raised their hands when asked by the speaker for all Jewish believers in Yeshua to identify themselves.
One For Israel director Eitan Bar told Israel Today that Baleston’s testimony had opened a lot of doors. By press time, it had been shared over 175,000 times on Facebook and had a “reach” (number of personal profiles on which it was viewed) of well over 15 million on the largest social network.
“It sparked discussions among many Jewish groups,” said Bar. “I myself got into discussions with Orthodox Jewish Rabbis from the USA and France about Yeshua!”
Bar concluded that he felt “like we are changing the direction of Jewish evangelism. After 1,900 years the Gospel is finally ‘going forth from Zion’ (Ps. 14:7).”
Check out Mottel Baleston’s testimony: Messiah
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Monday, April 13, 2015

Red Heifer Found in Small Farm in New Jersey [VIDEO]

Red Heifer Found in Small Farm in New Jersey [VIDEO]

“This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come.” (Numbers 19:2)
A possible parah adumah, a full red heifer, is attracting attention across the Jewish world as the cow, located on a small farm outside of Lakewood, NJ, is getting set to reach its second birthday, Hamodia reported.
An extremely rare phenomenon, according to Jewish law, the cow would only become permissible for use after its second birthday, in which it will be fully inspected for any blemishes, included hairs that are not red.
A red heifer is necessary to make ash needed for the ritual purification process to carry out services in the Jewish Temple.
“Somebody from Brooklyn called and offered me one million dollars for her, but I told him that she’s not for sale. This is a gift from Hashem (God),” owner Herbert Celler told the newspaper. “When he asked what I’m going to do with her, I told him that I’m going to be the first in line when Moshaich (the Messiah) comes.”
According to Celler, the cow was born on April 2, 2013 during Passover. The farmer explained that he has been “extremely vigilant” in making sure that the cow does not engage in any work or sustaining any blemishes, which may disqualify the cow according to Jewish law.
“My workers know that no one is allowed to even touch her,” he said.
The ref heifer, who is female, comes from a breed of cows indigenous to the Netherlands. She weights between 500 and 600 pounds. Both parents are regular black cattle, although the mother, who is named Bonnie, does have some red hairs on her back legs.
According to Cellar, livestock breeders have ambitiously attempted to create red heifers via artificial means or generic manipulation. However, the red heifer’s red-brown eye color is one sign of the cow’s authenticity.
When asked why he doesn’t name the cow like his other livestock, Celler explained: “If you have to bring her for a korban (sacrifice), I don’t want to get attached.”
“A lot of people have been coming to see her,” Celler said. The red heifer is protected by an electrified fence so prevent visitors from getting too close.
“Some rabbis from Israel are supposed to come check her out sometime soon. This is a gift to the Jewish people.”

Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/35243/red-heifer-found-small-farm-new-jersey-jewish-world/#77q3b3UeMhDH8yVa.99


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Israel burials set for 7 kids killed in NYC fire - USA TODAY

Israel burials set for 7 kids 

killed in NYC fire

Seven children from an Orthodox Jewish family who died early Saturday when fire swept through their Brooklyn home are to be buried in Jerusalem, where the family had lived before emigrating to New York.

Funeral services for the four boys and three girls of the Sassoon family, ages 5 to 16, are to be held Sunday afternoon at a Brooklyn chapel that serves their religious community.
The bodies will then be flown to Israel and buried in Jerusalem at 2 p.m. Monday, the Israeli network Arutz Sheva reported. The family had lived there for many years before moving to the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn two years ago. A friend said the family had planned to return to Israel to live.
It was the city's deadliest fire since 2007.
Fire officials believe the blaze was started by a malfunctioning hot plate being used to keep food warm during the 25-hour Sabbath, when religious restrictions forbid cooking. The house had only one smoke detector, in the basement.
"I call this not a tragedy but an absolute disaster," said state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who represents the district. "Everyone's in utter shock."
He urged the Orthodox community to make sure that hot plates were working properly and that smoke detectors were installed properly and functioning.
Authorities identified the Sassoon family victims as girls Eliane, 16; Rivkah, 11; and Sara, 6; and boys David, 12; Yeshua, 10; Moshe, 8; and Yaakob, 5. All were found in upstairs bedrooms of the two-story, brick-and-wood, single-family home.
Their 45-year-old mother, Gayle, a Brooklyn native, and 14-year-old sister, Tzipara, remained in critical condition Sunday at area hospitals. They survived by jumping from a second-story window. Gayle Sassoon reportedly was burned over 45% of her body, and Tzipara suffered broken bones and smoke inhalation.
Seven children were killed in a house fire in Brooklyn early Saturday morning. Video provided by Newsy Newslook
"I heard a child yelling, 'Mommy! Mommy, help me!' " neighbor Andrew Rosenblatt told reporters. "I looked out the back window, and I saw flames, smoke. ... The smoke and the flames were horrendous."
Other neighbors said Gayle Sassoon was heard yelling, "My kids are in there! My kids are in there! Get them out! Get them out!"
Firefighters arrived about four minutes after the blaze was reported at 12:23 a.m. Saturday, but it was too late to save any of the children trapped inside.
"They're some of the nicest, most well-behaved kids," neighbor Isaac Apton told the New York Times. "A great family."
Another neighbor tearfully described them as "beautiful little children."
"It's unbelievable. It doesn't seem possible," Rose Insel, told the Associated Press, recalling how she had given the children lollipops after they shoveled her walk unprompted.
Their father, Gabi, was at a religious conference in Manhattan at the time and did not learn of the tragedy for several hours because of the Orthodox prohibition on electronic communications. He was found praying at a synagogue Saturday morning, and fell to his knees in tears when given the news, the New York Daily News reported.
"What will happen to us now? Where will I go?" he told Arutz Sheva on Sunday.
The Times said he met his wife when she moved to Israel after having divorced her high school sweetheart. They had eight children, and lived in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem for many years before moving to Brooklyn to be closer to her family.
They ultimately intended to return to Israel, a friend of the father said.
"You can't explain it, it's unbelievable," Alon Deri told the Israeli news site Walla! News. "I hope we wake up from this bitter dream. It's like the story of Hannah who dedicated her seven sons."
Source: USA Today

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Are We Headed Toward Revival or Retribution? DAVID RAVENHILL

Are We Headed Toward Revival or Retribution?

David Ravenhill
David Ravenhill
Within the last three days I've received two very different YouTube messages from two senior charismatic prophetic leaders. The first leader, Rick Joyner, was citing a very vivid and frightening dream he recently had of terrorists coming across our southern border and carrying out unimaginable acts of brutality. So horrendous were these acts that Joyner stated he was not even going to describe them due to their violent and barbaric nature. (Only today we learned of the beheading of an Oklahoma woman by a recent convert to Islam.)
The other video centered around the "Appeal To Heaven" movement. Dutch Sheets, a well-known teacher and prophetic minister, was relating how our nation's first flag was that of a green pine tree on a white background bearing the words "Appeal to Heaven."
America during its first fledgling years knew the people's only hope for existence as a nation was sole dependency upon God. The point of the message was that several people through dreams, etc., believed that God was once again bringing us back to this place of absolute dependency upon Him; and that as we sought Him, He would bring about a Third Great Awakening in our nation.
My first reaction to these very different prophetic words was one of confusion. On one hand was the possibility of retribution while on the other, that of revival.
What was I to believe? As I pondered over these words I came to the realization that both were correct and that one was not necessarily in opposition to the other.          
Let me see if I can explain myself. I believe it's all a matter of timing or order.
Imagine if you were one of the many hundreds of missionaries who had given their lives to serve God in China prior to the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao Zedong. Once the revolution had begun, you were forced to leave—no doubt wondering in your mind what on earth was going to happen now that all the missionaries had been forced out. Fast-forward to the present, and we are now witnessing one of the greatest moves of God in recent history. What at first appeared to be a major disaster turned into mighty testimony to the power and grace of God.
The prophet Isaiah declared, "When the earth experiences Thy judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." He went on to say, "Though the wicked is shown favor he does not learn righteousness" (Is. 26:9-10). It is my personal belief that America is in for a time of judgment and that to be shown favor now would only delay God's ultimate purpose.
That said, I believe we are going to see an increase in violence, terrorism and natural calamities. God will use this to separate the carnal from the consecrated and in turn, produce a church that is truly Christ-centered. It would not surprise me in the least to see an underground church in America in the not-too-distant future—a church where every member functions in their God-given gifting and where everyone depends not only on each other but also holds fast to Christ their Lord and Head.
I truly believe that God wants to send revival to our nation, but revival now would simply cause the vast majority of believers to go on with business as usual.
I well recall during the first year of our ministry working with Brother David Wilkerson in Teen Challenge in Brooklyn, New York. One cold winter's day two drug addicts came in seeking shelter. Bro. David talked to them for a while and then I saw them leave. Bro. David said to me after they had left that he couldn't help them because they were not desperate enough to give up their drugs. He went on to say that all they really wanted was a bed for the night and a good hot meal. I somehow think that is what the church is looking for in revival—a good sermon, some great music, followed by some carpet time.
But I believe God's plans are radically different. He's looking for a pure, passionate, powerful people whose only desire is to extend His kingdom. A people who will love not their lives unto death, and whose first love is not the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL, but Christ Himself.
We are nowhere near to having Christ as our first love. God must first produce a real CRY in His people. We cry when we are in pain and not until. King David said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now I have kept Thy word" (Ps. 119:67, KJV). Or to put it another way, "Spare the rod and spoil the child."
The shakings have begun. Watch out for more. But remember, that while "no chastening seems to be joyful for the present ... afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11, NKJV, emphasis added).
I see Joyner's dream coming to pass first, and then followed by a great awakening.
That's my opinion, and time will prove me right or wrong.
David Ravenhill has served the Lord for more than 40 years as a missionary, pastor, teacher and itinerant minister, having worked with the late evangelist David Wilkerson, Youth With A Mission, pastor Mike Bickle and the late evangelist Steve Hill. He is the author of several books, including For God's Sake, Grow Up! and Welcome Home.


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Palestinian convert to Christianity hosts Evangelical TV show.


 

‘Ex-Muslim’ preaches the Gospel

 
By LINDA GRADSTEIN/THE MEDIA LINE02/04/2013
 
Palestinian convert to Christianity hosts Evangelical TV show.
When Hazem Farraj was 15, he became a Christian. But as a Palestinian Muslim
living in east Jerusalem, he couldn’t tell anyone, especially his father.

“For almost three years I was an underground believer,” Farraj told The Media Line
during a visit to Jerusalem. “I would go to the local mosque and to the Dome of the
Rock in Jerusalem and pray Islamically, but in my heart I was praying to Jesus.”

Today Farraj, 27, is very public. He lives in California and hosts Reflections, a
Christian TV show in English and Arabic. He is grateful for everything in his life,
he says, but he has also made sacrifices for his faith.

Farraj was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1984. Like many immigrants, his father
insisted the children speak Arabic at home. An observant Muslim, he worked hard
to teach his children about Islam.

When Farraj was 12, his father moved the family back to Beit Hanina, a middle-class
 east Jerusalem suburb. The large family of 13 siblings studied Islam, and many
of them became more committed Muslims.

“Islam says to pray five time daily – I only prayed four times, because I was too
lazy to get up for the early morning prayer,” Farraj recounts. “Do the prayers.
Memorize the verses from the Koran. Go to Islamic class and the mosque.
It was all just actions to me. The deeper I got into Islam, the more depressing
it was for me.”

Farraj decided the solution was to convert some Christians to Islam. He approached
his upstairs neighbors, Christians, and they began a discussion that lasted more than
a year and a half.

“I said to them, ‘What if I told you that God can answer your prayers in the name of
Allah,’” he recalls. “Now, he wasn’t answering my prayers, but I needed something to
hold onto. They told me things I was searching for, like ‘Cast your worries upon Jesus,
who cares for you’ and ‘God so loved Hazem that He gave His only son for him.’”

When Farraj was 15, he attended an east Jerusalem church with these neighbors.
He does not want to name the church, fearing it could become a target of attacks.

“I sat in the last pew in the back corner, and I saw something I had never seen,” he
recalls with a wistful smile. “I saw a guy named Steve singing with a guitar and
smiling as if he knew Jesus. I saw people at the altar raising their hands and
loving God, and it made me mad because I wanted it to be the God of the Koran.”

He fled to a downstairs room, where he lay a piece of carpet on the floor and
prayed facing Mecca in Saudi Arabia, according to Islamic rules.

Nothing happened. He went back upstairs to the church, and, he says,
became a Christian.

“I started to pray in the name of Jesus and something happened on the inside that
transformed me,” he remembers.

Soon afterward, the second intifada broke out, and his father moved the
family back to the US.

Farraj continued to practice as an underground Christian. Finally, just before his
18th birthday, he told his father that he had become a Christian. His father cut off
all contact with him, and Farraj has not seen him since.

The pain hurts even 10 years later.

“You don’t ever get over it, you just get through it,” he says. “It has left me
wounded even today.”

He also has no relationship with his stepmother or his siblings.

At age 18 he followed his former neighbors to Alabama, where they had moved.

“I slept for six months, and when I wasn’t sleeping I was eating – I weighed
225 pounds and I was so depressed,” he recalls.

“Then one day I came across a Christian TV station, and there was this preacher.
This voice inside me – I believe it was the voice of God – said, ‘I’ve called you to this.’
I knew it meant that I was called to tell people about Jesus and to help them
come to prayer.”

His TV show, Reflections, reaches millions of viewers around the world.

Farraj says there are “many” underground Christians in Arab countries today, and that
he gets emails thanking him from around the Arab world.

He also gets death threats.

David Parsons, the media director of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem,
says there are “hundreds” if not “thousands” of underground Christians in the West Bank.

“There’s a lot of upheaval in the Arab and Muslim world right now,” Parsons told
The Media Line.

“Some are saying ‘Islam is the answer,’ but there are a lot of Muslims who know they
tried it for hundreds of years and it’s not the answer. As a Christian I would attribute it
to the movement of the Holy Spirit. People are looking for different answers.”

Parsons says the International Christian Embassy has opened branches in “several
North African countries.”

Farraj says his recent trip to Jerusalem was to recharge his own batteries and to meet
underground Christians.

“I love Jerusalem,” he said with a grin. “I’m here to enjoy the spirituality of Jerusalem
and to encourage the believers. I thought I was the only ex-Muslim in the world,
but they’re really everywhere.”


http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=308463