Christians leave southern Iraq

Christians in southern Iraq continue to suffer badly from attacks by radical Muslims and are fleeing. Even the Pope’s visit in March could not change the lack of religious freedom, explain human rights activists.

Most Christians have since left the region for fear of being killed or kidnapped. The observer sees the interference by the neighboring states of Iran and Turkey as the biggest problem for Iraq.

On Wednesday, May 26th, there were again anti-Iran demonstrations in Baghdad. Update on https://www.obrist-impulse.net/christen-verlassen-den-suedirak

The promise of Jesus was kept

Pentecost – The promise of Jesus was kept: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).

In Jerusalem the presence of God came to the people, however not frightening like at Sinai, but arousing curiosity.

The Holy Spirit moves, he cheers, he fills all creation.

He is breathtaking. Wherever he picks up speed, develops strength or breaks out in the Bible – there is the Holy Spirit involved.

At Pentecost, God’s spirit came visibly to people. The disciples of Jesus suddenly understood God’s work and told of the great works of God (Acts 2). To everyone who accepts God’s offer in Jesus, God’s spirit opens a new dimension of life.

Pfingsten – Gottes Realität begegnen

Ascension Day

On this day, the disciples are very much looking forward to Jesus establishing the kingdom. Jesus opens a new chapter. He is now sitting on the father’s right hand. God’s presence is re-experienced through the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, he met over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15: 5). These included the women at the grave (John 20), the two hikers to Emmaus (Luke 24) and the disciples of Jesus. These encounters were encouraging, but nothing earth-shattering happened.

Ten days before the Jewish festival of Pentecost, Jesus met with them on a normal Thursday. The disciples had great expectations that Jesus would now establish the kingdom. But Jesus did not want to set a time for it and promised them divine power through the Holy Spirit, who will lead them into the whole world (Acts 1: 6-8).

When Jesus ascended towards heaven before their eyes on the Mount of Olives and disappeared from their eyes through a cloud, Jesus opened a new chapter. Suddenly there were two angels who declared that Jesus was now in heaven and that one day he would come back to earth from there. But first of all, the disciples in Jerusalem waited for the promised power from above, which came to them after 10 days on Pentecost and fulfilled them and changed everything.

In John 18:36, Jesus said to Pilate: My kingdom is not like one of this world.

read on → https://www.obrist-impulse.net/auffahrt-ausfahrt-himmelfahrtsfest

The suffering of the ex-Muslims

Muslims who have converted to Christianity lead a shadowy existence in France in the name of Christ. They are threatened by former co-religionists, in some cases persecuted, and in any case expelled. Hardly anyone reports about their suffering.

For most of them, their presence in a church is unthinkable. The French magazine “L’Incorrect” states that we “witnessing a real witch hunt in the context of the Islamic community”.

The motives for the conversion are quite different. In most cases, the newly baptized somehow stumbled upon the Bible, read the New Testament with growing amazement, and were enthusiastic about a God of love. Dreams also play a role for many.

But who can these new Christians turn to? Some church people are suspicious and suspect a trap by Islamists, others feared the revenge of Islamist relatives even without a trap.

read more https://www.obrist-impulse.net/das-leiden-der-ex-muslime

Growing number of conversions from Muslims to Christianity

According to the study published in February by the “Arab Barometer”, the religious awareness of Muslims is clearly declining.

The survey of 25,000 people in ten Arab countries shows that the proportion of atheists is increasing sharply – in Tunisia it even exceeds the 45 percent mark among 18 to 29-year-olds.

At the same time, a growing number of Muslims converting to Christianity is observed, which is not surprising to some. For example, for the American Jesuit priest Mitch Pacwa. “We are currently seeing the first mass conversions of Muslims to Christianity,” he confirms. For the Middle East expert, “the violence of Islam in its most widespread form – among the Islamists – is the reason of the increasing number of individual withdrawals.” Of the 4,468 adults who, according to Figaro, were baptized Catholics in France in 2020, which corresponds to an increase of 43 percent within ten years, the French Catholic Bishops’ Conference estimates that six percent came from Muslim families. Ten years ago this proportion was still four percent – even though the newly baptized adults were fewer at the time.

Father Gérard de Martigues from the Diocese of Nice comments: “The new converts come mostly from North Africa, to a small extent from Sub-Saharan Africa and not at all from Asia Minor”. Unfortunately, however, the Catholic Church is “often helpless, even half-hearted” towards these people. According to the priest, most of the new converts would join Protestant churches, the accessibility of which would attract the Muslims concerned. With 35 new churches opened annually in France (according to the Conseil national des évangéliques de France), mainly in problematic neighborhoods, they sometimes exceed the number of newly opened mosques.

The “conversion scenarios” observed were often similar: They begin with a “rejection of Islam, followed by an atheistic phase that ultimately ends in a gradual discovery of the Christian faith”.

Not only the “bloodthirsty Islam of jihadist movements” shakes the convictions of some Muslims, but also “the contradictions of the Koranic narrative: the massacre of the Jewish tribe Banu Quraiza or the marriage of Muhammad to the six-year-old Aisha weaken the ‘beautiful example’ of the Prophet, like him been hammered since childhood ”.  https://www.obrist-impulse.net/wachsende-nummer-von-konversionen-von-muslimen-zum-christentum

Miracles in Beirut

In the midst of the chaos ‘on the streets, the father ran with the children to find shelter somewhere. When he caught his breath he asked Stephen why he wasn’t scared after the second explosion. The three-year-old replied very calmly: “I didn’t hear the bang, papa, because I was looking at the three angels who were standing in front of us …”

Only in retrospect do more and more stories become known of how people were saved from death on the day of the explosion in Beirut. They were collected and passed on by the national leader of the Uncharted Ministries, Amir Salaam, and other local Christians.

Josef studies at the Christian Alliance Seminary. He was in his room studying at his desk. Seconds before the explosion, he got up and went to the bathroom. Once there, he asked himself: «Why did I come here at all? I don’t even have to go to the bathroom… ” That was when he heard the explosion. When the shaking subsided and he got up again, the bathroom was the only one in the whole apartment that was intact.

Alaa and Hiba were in their home from the pastors’ college where Alaa is studying during the explosion. He was sitting at his desk, his wife was lying on the bed. After the first bang, Alaa instinctively ran to the bed and carried his wife out of the room, standing under the door frame. Then the building was shaken by the second explosion. They were on the fourth floor, wondering if the building could withstand the shock. When they finally opened their eyes, the door frame under which they stood was the only thing left in the room. The bed on which Hiba had recently been lying was littered with broken glass.

Malaysia has lifted the “Allah” ban

Christians in Malaysia are now allowed to use the word “Allah” for God in religious publications.

That was decided by a high court on Wednesday March 10th, 2021. The court – the third highest instance in the country – declared a 35-year ban to be unconstitutional. During the first trial in 2010, 11 churches were bombed by Islamic fanatics.

“The Malaysian government Monday (March 15) appealed the court’s decision”.

According to a lawyer, the new regulation is a “confirmation of fundamental religious freedom for non-Muslims in Malaysia”.

In the whole of the Orient, Allah simply means God. The Arab Christians referred to God as Allah long before the Prophet Mohammed appeared in the Arabian desert.

The Malaysian government Monday (March 15) appealed a court’s decision to overturn a decades-old official ban and allow Christians in the Muslim-majority country to use “Allah” to refer to God.

read more on → https://www.obrist-impulse.net/malaysia-allah-verbot-aufgehoben

Bible and Quran

The big difference between Bible and Quran is that the Bible is a collection of different texts by around 40 writers over 1500 years.

The Quran says (sura 85: 21-22) that he is a divine revelation of the heavenly Koran to Mohammed between 610-632. Mohammed recited the oral messages and so the Quran has been passed on from generation to generation.

The confusing thing is that 63 resources are needed to document 96 percent of the Quran until the year 719. The document that gets most of the Quran, include only around 53% from the Quran, although the Quran has been send to 7 cities since 656 and it is obligated to recited in the original manner. Over the century’s different Arabic versions of the Quran raised up. Continue reading Bible and Quran

Saudi converted Americans to Islam, until he saw Jesus

Nasser, who was born and raised on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, longed to die for Allah by waging jihad, and thus improving his chances of making it into Paradise.

Nasser’s parents were opposed to the idea of their 12-year-old going to Pakistan for training and being smuggled into Afghanistan to fight the Russians, but many of his older friends did join jihad. Continue reading Saudi converted Americans to Islam, until he saw Jesus

A Shepherd to my people

David was called, to be a shepherd to his people. In 2 Samuel 5: 1-2 it is written:

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “The Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’”

Prayer: Heavenly Father you do not see the leaders of a people as rulers, but as shepherds, because you are a shepherd yourself. The way you deal with us is completely different from what we often experience in this world. A shepherd cares for those entrusted to him. This is how we should deal with the people who are entrusted to us, motivated by the experience we have with you. To care and  to help each other. Give us this eye for your personality, so that we can encourage each other, especially in this challenging times.

You lead us through the Holy Spirit so we can see how we can help each other. To whom we should talk on the phone or give a little gift.

At this point we would also like to ask you for our government. Give them wisdom to make the right decisions. Bless them in their assignments and give them unity on the actions that must be taken, and which can be left out.

Heavenly Father, we ask you for wisdom among our people so that we do not endanger one another, but also find ways to encourage one another.

We ask you for people who are sick that you be with them and give wisdom and strength to the doctors and carers.

We also pray for the family members who have lost someone. Help us to be there for one another, just as a shepherd who is there for those entrusted to him. Let us be people like caring shepherds.

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