Totals:

 Country Detail:

I hope this letter finds you fully aware of God’s sovereignty. Our hope in this time is to abide in the knowledge that God is in control. Without this perspective, you will not be able to extend courageously God’s Kingdom in the way that He has established for you. See Hebrews 11:32-40.

With sovereignty assured, today’s troubles take on new meaning. Our King, Teacher, and Friend is teaching us and preparing us. Hebrews 12:11 says:

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

I have taken heed of the phrase “those who have been trained by it.” This means that it is possible to suffer the circumstances and not be trained by them. Specifically, it is possible not to allow your heart to be changed, your character strengthened. It is possible to retreat into a fallen perspective and look out for your own survival.

Isaiah 42:23-25 (The Message) tells us plainly:

But is anyone out there listening? Is anyone paying attention to what’s coming? Who do you think turned Jacob over to the thugs, let loose the robbers on Israel? Wasn’t it GOD himself, this God against whom we’ve sinned– not doing what he commanded, not listening to what he said? Isn’t it God’s anger that’s behind all this, God’s punishing power? Their whole world collapsed but they still didn’t get it; their life is in ruins but they don’t take it to heart.

If you find yourself discouraged, seek fellowship. Be transparent with a brother or sister and let God restore your perspective. As He restores your perspective He will restore your joy and mission.

Our joy is the long arm of Jesus Christ. He is able to save and transform EVERY human heart. Our mission is to build relationships that allow His Kingdom to touch EVERY human heart. We will not transform the world by criticizing it, but He will transform the world by redeeming it. He “heals our land” when WE repent of our critical, survivalist ways and extend His Kingdom as boldly as He did. Even submitting Himself to death on the cross. His actions were the opposite of self-preservation. Lord, help us to learn from the very personal struggles we are all enduring. Change us for your glory.
With you In Christ, Matthew Brennan

Our Chief Editor is an Arab follower of Jesus living in a Muslim country. There are no local churches in his town, thus he has no concept of church as a place. Once a month he drives to a friend’s apartment two hours away to pray in secret. Each Friday his Muslim neighbors answer the call to prayer and gather at the mosque to hear the Imam teach. He is curiously absent. They ask him, “We know that you do not go to the mosque, but you confess and display a great faith in God? How can this be?” He responds, “One man changed my life… Jesus Christ.” Puzzled, they stare in amazement. His two eldest children have confessed their faith in Christ. The boy, now 17, was baptized in a nearby river.

In his own words he describes our relational approach to declaring the truth of Christ to Muslims:

“We created our ministry as a bridge-building website that draws Muslims to specific information on subjects that interest them. From there, we lead them in a sincere, but discreet way, through the consideration of issues of truth, faith, and religion.”

“Our aim is to break the powerful Muslim strongholds that, through the centuries of hostility, have been powerfully erected against the message of Jesus Christ. Our way is the contextualization, dialogic, bridge-building way. This does not mean compromising the essential Christian truths, but rather an exploration of the similarities and common grounds between Muslims and Christians. We use these as a familiar background to establish an enduring relationship with Muslims for the purpose of facilitating the communication to them of Christ’s message.”

“Thus, as bridge-builders, we operate from within an Arab Muslim context, using an Arab Muslim discourse. We do not use manipulation, but as we ourselves are from an Arab Muslim background, we strive as such to lead our Muslim brothers in a mutual sincere dialogue to the truth.”

Two months ago I asked our Chief Editor, a Muslim
background Christian of Arab ethnicity, to write a
narrative detailing the “field level” progression of our
ministry.  This is the first of several updates that will
include some of his thoughts on ministering to
Muslims as well as fresh testimonies of Muslims that
are putting their faith in Christ.

As a backdrop, it is important to understand the
challenges we face in sharing the Gospel.  This will
help you understand why we embrace a bridge
building approach and how it has helped us
overcome some of the same challenges Jesus faced
when reaching out to Samaritans or Romans.

Again, thank you for your support and prayers.  I hope
that the forthcoming updates will educate and inspire
you.

Thoughts from our Chief Editor

Our Chief Editor is an Arab follower of Jesus living in a
Muslim country.  As a young Muslim, he had a genuine
desire to know God.  He met a very kind Syrian man in
a book store and they began to discuss literature.  He
did not realize that this man was a Christian from a
Muslim background.  Their relationship grew and
eventually his new friend gave him an Arabic Bible.  As
he read the book of Isaiah and the
Gospels, God showed him who Jesus was.  He has
followed Christ as Lord ever since.  Needless to say,
we listen when he speaks.

 In his own words, these are the challenges in
reaching Muslims for Christ:

• From a very early age, Muslims are
  instructed
  and warned against evangelism.
• Evangelism is combated in a systematic way in
  most Muslim countries. The penalty of conversion is
  death in some countries like Saudi Arabia. In other
  countries like Morocco there are systematic
  campaigns against evangelism.
• The Bible is outlawed in most Muslim countries.
  Carrying or reading the Bible in public for a Muslim is
  enough to raise suspicion or contempt.
• The link between evangelism and colonial
  occupation of Arab territories has always been a
  boiling issue among Muslims. The majority of
  Muslims believe the events in Afghanistan, Palestine,
  and Iraq are part of a large-scale policy to Christianize
  the ‘Land of Islam,’ and thus converts are viewed as
  traitors or Western recruits to facilitate this ‘colonial
  Christianizing undertaking.’
• Conversion to Christianity is viewed as an act that
  brings lifelong shame on the convert, and separates
  one from the community for the rest of his or her
  life.

With so many fundamental challenges, how could a
Western Christian hope to successfully share the
Gospel with an Arab Muslim?  History has proven that
the challenge is indeed daunting.  That is why we
listen to and serve Muslim background Christians that
have been fruitful and effective in reaching Muslims. 
They embody Arab culture and carry Christ’s spirit. 
They are able to build a relational bridge that we have
found difficult to build.

In the coming months you will read stories about their
success.

Closing Thoughts

 In Luke 4: 18, 19 Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
        Because He has anointed Me
        To preach the gospel to the poor;
        He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, 
        To proclaim liberty to the captives
        And recovery of sight to the blind,
        To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
        To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

Read the rest of the chapter and note how often Jesus
went outside of the Jewish culture to “preach the
gospel to the poor”.  This is why we go with Him to the
Muslim world.  His gospel is for every man and
woman.  He has promised that out of every tribe and
nation there will be Kingdom citizens.  Do you see
Muslims as future family or as enemies?