World Impact Ministries / Peter Youngren

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?

One of the bonuses of traveling to places in the world where most people don’t get to go is unusual experience. Now I don’t mean seeing strange animals, or mere traditions; I mean unusual spiritual experiences. Indonesia is a fascinating country. Though it is the world’s largest Muslim country with more than 200 large unreached people groups, among the Chinese people—which are 40 million strong, there are many large churches.

One of the most inspiring I’ve come across is the Tiberias Church, which conducts 178 services per Sunday across various locations in Jakarta. Total membership across Indonesia is 500,000, with most of these in Jakarta. According to church growth experts, it’s the 9th largest church in the world.

In any business, you need a customer, and a product that meets the actual or imagined need of that customer. The business of religion is not all that different. The need of the adherent to a religion is fueled by two vital ingredients; a guilty conscience and a displeased deity. Skilled practitioners of religion, any religion, know how to nourish both concepts, on a weekly, or at times even daily basis.

The idea of a guilty conscience is perpetuated by a continual focus on how we must do better; pray more, study harder and be more active in our religion. God may be described as loving, merciful, almighty, and all-knowing, but he (or she) must always be at least slightly displeased. There must be the sense that we are not quite measuring up to the standards set by the Divine.

The last night in our Gospel Festival in Kupang was one of those services, where anything could happen. Just when I told the singers to sing another chorus, the song was interrupted by spontaneous applause; somewhere in the crowd another person had been healed. Just when we were about to lift our prayers about a certain prayer request, then I saw a wheelchair and some crutches were lifted in the air, as somebody else was receiving healing. The crowd was roaring praise to Jesus. Every one of our meetings in Kupang ended with a parade of testimonies, but this last night it seemed everything happened; tumors, paralysis, blindness, deafness, cancers, arthritis, were gone.

It is great to be back in the world’s largest Muslim nation, the site of 20 successful Gospel Campaigns for our ministry. The welcome at Kupang airport was similar to what we meet in so many places here. The people go out of their way to make us feel welcome. Often I meet people, who think of Indonesia as a place of militant terrorist. There have been rare cases of bomb attacks, but the people here, including the Muslims, are really among the friendliest in the world. The mayor, the Regent and the Chief of Police were at the airport welcoming myself and our whole team. I was surprised that all the dignitaries sang “Happy Birthday”, when I got into the airport. Somebody had let the cat out of the bag, maybe Marius.

Of course some of the team had already been here for a while preparing. Later that evening the Governor of the province came to our hotel and spoke words of welcome.

Local muslims are angry. No, their fury is not directed at me. On the contrary, this protest is in support of our Gospel Festival, and against the police force, because the permit for the Gospel Festival has been withdrawn due to suicide bomb threats. The people are desperate. Some have traveled great distances because news has spread of the miracles that have happened already during the first three days. I have just been told that many muslims are also at the local press club, demonstrating and complaining to journalists that the Gospel Festival has been stopped. Hundreds of police moved in on the Gospel Festival ground and began to tear down metal detectors, lights, the sound system and stage. In a situation like this it’s always difficult to know what is truth and what is fiction, but one thing is sure; tens of thousands of muslims are angry because they are being denied the Gospel. Word on the street is that I am under house arrest by the police. Another version is that I was attacked leaving the last meeting and have been captured, while the third version is that I have been forcibly ejected from Pakistan. I can assure you that none of this is correct. This is a telling example of how rumors and speculations take hold and then take on a life of their own.

I have just come from our Pastors Seminar.  Pre-registration was at 985, but by the time we started, last Thursday morning, the number was exceeding 1400.  I have hardly ever seen Pastors so tightly packed in an auditorium.  The purpose of the seminar is to alter history, nothing less.  Pastors David Sterling and Don Sparman have joined me in the teaching.  The number of Christians in Pakistan remains dismally below 1%, and born-again Christians may be about 1 in 10,000.  I asked the pastors, “Are you really preaching the gospel? Or are you preaching a Christian religion message of human performance and merits just like the message of any other religion?”

Tonight the Gospel cut through with razor-sharp precision. Last night I announced to the people to bring the blind, and they did. At times when I took the people through the promises of God for blind people, there was such a “matter-of-factness” about my words that I did not feel like I was preaching. I was simply announcing what Jesus has done and the ensuing confirmation of his Gospel. At one point I took considerable time to announce that the world’s sins have been put away by one sacrifice. It really sank in. I felt like I was cutting through frozen butter with a red-hot knife; hearts were melted. Ten thousand or more responded to receive Jesus. Remember, we are in a city that is almost totally Muslim.