How the Holy Spirit Is Encountering Syrian Refugees 2016  Israel, Islam & End Times

“It’s amazing what God has done in the last years,” Sharon said. “Before, we were not hearing much of people coming to faith. Now Syrian [Muslims] are getting baptised!”

Sharon* moved to the Near East nine years ago and now leads an outreach team that helps meet the spiritual and physical needs of Syrian refugees. Her team members provide aid and relief, share the gospel, lead Discovery Bible Groups, mentor individuals and start local fellowships of new believers. Amid the poverty and brokenness around her, Sharon also sees God’s grace at work.

“God is pursuing people,” Sharon said. “He is calling people to be disciples: to ‘come follow me’ and ‘make disciples’, [especially] among the Syrians.”

Each week Sharon teaches English. She is often invited to visit her students’ families, which enables relationships to deepen and opens up conversations about faith.

Sharon met Tara*, the aunt of one of her students, when she visited their home two years ago. A total of 28 relatives lived on a rooftop, including Tara, her husband, Ahmed*, and their four children. Sharon shared the gospel with them and, soon after, two other believers also came to share their faith with the same family.

Tara decided to follow Jesus and attended a Discovery Bible Group. Additionally, she started studying God’s Word with Sharon, while Ahmed studied the Bible with another member of the team. The couple joined a local church and, in July this year, they were baptised.

“It’s amazing what God has done in the last years,” Sharon said. “Before, we were not hearing much of people coming to faith. Now Syrian [Muslims] are getting baptised!”

In the past two years Tara, Ahmed and their children moved nine times, including temporarily living in a one-room apartment with no windows. Despite struggles of currently living with no regular income, as Ahmed cannot find work, Tara is keen to share the hope she has found in Christ Jesus.

Tara, a Syrian Kurd, wants to lead a Discovery Bible Group in the Kurdish language for her friends and neighbours.

Each week Sharon goes to Tara’s apartment to mentor and equip her to lead a group on her own. Together, they discuss Bible stories in Arabic until Tara knows them well and can retell the stories in Kurdish. They are praying for neighbours with whom she would like to start a Bible study.

“When I came, I expected two or three people to come to faith,” Sharon said. “It has changed my expectations to see so many people come to faith and tell their neighbours. God has done it, and He can do it again.”

Increased numbers of individuals coming to faith is evidence of the Lord’s grace at work.

“People are praying for Syria,” Sharon emphasised. “God’s Spirit is moving. God is doing something among the Syrians.”

While acknowledging challenges ahead, Sharon exudes excitement at an opportunity to be part of a movement of God in the Near East.

“The harvest is white. We need labourers. If it’s not you, ask someone else to come,” Sharon shared. “We are only going to reach unreached areas through the people we disciple.”

God is transforming lives and communities, as believers respond to God’s call to share their story of His grace in their lives and make disciples.

Please pray for God to raise up more Syrian believers to serve their communities and make disciples. Pray for OM Near East Field workers to live out the gospel in neighbourhoods in the Near East.

*Name changed.

Arab Youth Turn to Social Media to Bless Israel

Sunday, May 03, 2015 |  David Lazarus  ISRAEL TODAY

RELATED STORIES

• Arabs urged to serve in Israeli army
• Israel on High Alert as Arab Sector Erupts
• Exploding Israel From Within

Topics:

Israeli Arabs

Young people from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen and many other Arab countries are turning to social media to tell the world that they love Israel.

The trend began, according to Al-Monitor, a popular pan-Mideast media outlet, when an Israeli Arab Muslim who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wanted to convince other Israeli Arabs that the (IDF) are not an “army of evil” and that its soldiers are not as bloodthirsty as they tend to be portrayed in Arab propaganda films.

But instead of messages from the Israeli Arab audience he was targeting, he began receiving messages of peace and love from young Arabs all across the region.

M., who told his story to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, noticed that the Arab-Israeli political parties were putting up billboards protesting against recruiting Israeli Arabs into the IDF. “I saw the signs that were hung in Arab villages being run by activists of Balad and the other Arab parties under the banner 'The IDF isn’t worth it'. It infuriated me,” he said.

“I decided to respond to them on Facebook, so I made a page called 'The IDF is worth it', but instead of getting responses from the young Israeli Arabs to whom I was directing my personal campaign, I started to get photos and texts from young people around the Arab world. My jaw dropped,” M. told the website.

One young woman from Saudi Arabia posted a video holding a green Saudi passport against a street scene in Jeddah, saying in the background: “Good evening. I am a young woman from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. I am a member of one of the better-known tribes of the Hijaz, and I am showing you Darajeh Square, a famous landmark in Jeddah. I’d like to send a message of peace and love to Israel and its dear citizens. I know it is surprising that a Saudi Arabian citizen sends a message to the people of Israel, but it is a basic principle of democracy that everyone is free to voice an opinion. I hope the Arabs will be sensible like me and recognize the fact that Israel also has rights to the lands of Palestine.”

A young man from Iraq posted a picture of his passport along the Tigris River. “I want to send a message of peace and love to the dear Israeli people,” he said. “I decided to shoot this video and tell you, ‘True, we are two countries that do not have friendly relations, but that doesn’t matter. I believe that the number of people who support Israel here will grow consistently.’”

Other young people send M. photos of their passports with handwritten messages in Hebrew, Arabic and English. It is always the same: “We love Israel.”

M. also engages the senders in private conversations. “After I got a video from Baghdad, I asked the person who sent me the clip what it was that caused him to express support for Israel.” The Iraqi man responded, "You’d be surprised. I’m not the only one. There are a lot of young people here who think like me. Everything that is happening to us here in Iraq — the killings, the terrorism, the veritable bloodbath — showed us that Israel has nothing to do with it. There are many young people... they are fed up with the religious wars between Sunnis and Shiites.”

Of course, there is also a growing pro-Israel sentiment among young Israeli Arabs, especially Christians. Ehab Ashkar, an Arab believer from Nazareth, had this to say when Israel Todayasked him about the phenomenon:

"As an Arab who lives in Israel, it is a great honor for me to live side by side with my brothers the Jews. I bless them and love them and it is a privilege to tell them about my faith in their book, the Bible. There is a real way that we can live together in love, unity and peace, Arabs and Jews - through our prince of peace, Jesus Christ."

Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates from ISRAEL TODAY.

Trojan Horse: UK Fears Islamic Takeover of Schools CBN News by Dale Hurd, CBN News Sr. Reporter

Trojan Horse: UK Fears Islamic 

Takeover of Schools

By Dale Hurd

CBN News Sr. Reporter

LONDON -- The British government has announced that schools will be required to teach "British values."

The news comes after Islamists took over several schools in the United Kingdom. This alleged plot to turn British faith-based schools into Muslim training academies has been dubbed "Operation Trojan Horse."

"Individuals with a religious motivation have taken public money and basically created madrassas, basically created religiously motivated schools that promote intolerance, and this in some cases is a criminal enterprise," Islamic expert George Igler said.

The decision comes at a time when Britain was already in an uproar over the explosion of Muslim halal food in the nation's food supply and after revelations that several predominantly Muslim sex gangs around Britain were using English girls as sex slaves.

Whether it's food or schools, Islam is advancing in Britain. Islamists want to conquer the United Kingdom.

"Look, we have around 100 Sharia courts in this country," Anne Maries Waters, who runs Sharia Watch UK, said. "We're the only Western country with a functioning network of Sharia tribunals and councils."

"They're dealing with marriages, divorce, even with criminal matters. They're marrying children," she said.

In Birmingham, with its large Muslim population, authorities say Islamists were turning schools into centers of extremism.

For instance, in one school the Muslim call to prayer was broadcast across the school playground, and non-Muslim teachers were forced out.

"In the most serious cases, a culture of fear and intimidation has taken grip since the schools were last inspected," Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector of schools for England, said.

Michael Gove, British secretary of state for education, told parliament this will not happen again.

"Schools that are proven to have failed will be taken over, put under new leadership, and taken in a fresh, new direction," Gove said. "And we will put the promotion of British values at the heart of what every school has to deliver for children."

The fact that Muslims are in a position to take over several schools shows the growing influence of Islamic radicals in Britain.

Watch: CBN News - video

Who is Kamran? - Former Muslim from Iran with Rick Joyner - Video, Prophetic Perspective on Current Events

Kamran Yaraei - former Muslim from Iran

Who is Kamran?

Rick Joyner

Kamran Yaraei

Monday, March 31, 2014

Rick Joyner introduces Kamran Yaraei who was born a Muslim. Kamran tells of his encounter with Jesus that changed his life.

Watch here: Who is Kamran? - 

Rick Joyner Video | Prophetic Perspective 

on Current Events

Islam Posts Rapid Growth in US—Are Christians Ready?

10/23/2013 MISSION NETWORK NEWS, charismanews

41

4

0

10

The Crescent Project is helping Christians learn how to reach out to Muslims. (Facebook)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the number of mosques in the U.S. soared 74 percent between 2000 and 2010. The report also found there are now 2.6 million Muslims living in the U.S.—an increase of 66 percent.

What are Christians doing to reach out to them? According to the Crescent Project, they're not doing enough.

Fouad Masri, founder and president of the Crescent Project, says Christians need to listen to Jesus.

"Jesus says, 'You are the light of the world,'" Masri says. "Jesus is asking us to shine our light. Today, more than ever, Muslims see that they are in darkness. Muslims, for the first time, are asking questions."

Unfortunately, Christians don't know how to be a light to Muslims today. Masri says that's why the Crescent Project is holding its Oasis Conference in the Dallas area next week.

"We're asking Christians to come to the conference," he says. "Join us in praying for Muslims. Join us and learn how to share the gospel with Muslims."

According to Masri, you probably have Muslims in your hometown.

"It could be someone who's a student, an immigrant, somebody who's a refugee," he says. "We're asking Christians to lock arms with us and [share] this beautiful message about Jesus with our Muslim neighbors."

The Oasis Conference is being held at 121 Community Church in Grapevine, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Masri says the training is highly effective.

"Three out of four [people] who come to our training have never shared the gospel with Muslims," he says. "However, after they go through the training, 74 percent of them get involved in reaching Muslims."

The training does even more than that.

"Four out of five [alumni] become mobilizers," Masri says. "They start talking to churches [and] friends about the issues of Islam in America, about the issues of Islam overseas and about how to build bridges with Muslims."

According to Masri, because many Muslims are searching for truth, many are surprised when they hear Jesus is still alive. He references two Afghan women who watched the story of Jesus on video and began to cry. Was it because of the crucifixion scene?

Masri explains, "They said, 'No. We're crying because Jesus rose from the dead, and nobody has told us for 2,000 years. For 2,000 years, we never heard that the end of the story was resurrection.'"

This article originally appeared on mnnonline.org.