World Impact Ministries / Peter Youngren

Every day people make thousands of decisions, expressing thousands of opinions. All these various views beg the question: In what is our knowledge grounded? Furthermore, how do we know about God? What about the accuracy of the Gospel accounts of Jesus? How can we be sure that God made us, and not the other way around? Many people have ready-made answers, but maybe we should ask; “how do we know anything?” Regardless of the answer let’s not apply a double standard, but whatever criteria we use to gain knowledge about anything, let’s apply that criteria to God as well. There are three fundamental ways in which people know things; experience, reason and authority.

Our campaign is in full swing, and every day has been filled from morning until evening. First we held a press conference to get word out through the media. I particularly stressed that we have peaceful intentions towards the large muslim population. My mission is to reveal Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, and now the Living Savior. Beyond this I don’t discuss religions - Jesus is our message.

I cried on my way to the meeting tonight. Nathan Thurber, who is with me here told me a story that moved me so much. I will let him tell it.

Nathan: From 2002 to 2009, I was involved in Gospel Festival set up and preparation for World Impact Ministries (WIM). For the past year my role has changed with WIM’s purchase of Grace TV. However, I had the opportunity to return to a Gospel Festival in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, this week in the role of a journalist interviewing those whom are healed each day at the Festival. Along with Kyle Sweitzer, another member of our media team at Grace TV, we visit the homes of those who were healed the previous day.

If you tuned in to the news this week you probably know that yesterday Elvis would have been 75 years old had he lived. I was never a devoted Elvis fan, though like most people I enjoyed his music from time to time. Whether a fan or not, no one can deny the impact Elvis continues to have on the American psyche.

A few years ago, while pastoring at Niagara Celebration Church, we did an illustrated sermon, “Crying in the Chapel”, telling some of Elvis’ story. To prepare myself, I read Elvis’ life story, “Down at the End of Lonely Street”, by Peter Harry Brown and Pat H. Broeske.

There are few, if any, things as rewarding to me personally as to present Jesus to people, who have never heard of Him. That’s what made the Ikara Campaign so special.

Our start was dismally small after the government had rumored the Gospel Festival was cancelled, and the muslim leaders had warned their people not to attend. Then night after night the crowd multiplied and thousands of muslims heard and received the Gospel. Pastor Oddleif Wahl from Norway shared in the Pastors Seminar. He has the same passion as our team - the Gospel.

Islam for a 1000 years

When I blogged two days ago I left you at the conclusion of the second evening service. As you recall we started with a very small attendance, 2-3000 only. The muslim authorities had spread the word that our Campaign was cancelled, and the leaders of the mosque had warned their people not to attend. By the second service the attendance had tripled. In each service, virtually 100% wanted to receive the new birth, provided by Jesus’ death and resurrection. The turning point that saved our Gospel Festival occurred one hour before the first service when I met with 31 imams, Islamic scholars and politicians. The agreed to the Festival, and we agreed to not have service on Friday, the muslim day or worship. It was felt our Gospel Campaign would disrupt and distract the meetings in the mosque.

Last minute victory in Islamic Nigeria.

With six hours to go until the first meeting would start, we were in trouble. Muslim leaders had been complaining for several days that our Gospel Campaign was held on a field less than 200 meters from the cities largest mosque. The city offered us another stadium, however, that in effect cancelled our Gospel Festival, and everyone knew it. It was a tactical move to shut us down.

One of the unique aspects of the Christian Gospel story is the humility of God. Religion normally allows for a distant deity, not a god who stoops, who comes down, entering human history to be a part of the human situation.  No, deities are described as remote, somewhat out of touch for mere humans. In the Gospel story, the divine incarnation happens in the most unpretentious place, in a stable. Christmas is a story of the creator God, who wants to be united with His creation. Yet, it is more than a desire. God is willing to humble Himself, and to endure enormous suffering to accomplish this union with humanity.                                                                

“Look at the mess the world is in. If there is a God of love he sure didn’t do a very good job”, is a frequent comment. Believers may respond, “Well God gave us a free will, we make our own choices”, and from there the discussion goes back and forth. Consider for a moment, what the world and we, the humans, who inhabit this planet, might be like if we were created without the ability to cause harm, evil and destruction. Who would we be? Would such a world even be possible? Are there limits to the power of an Omnipotent God?