World Impact Ministries / Peter Youngren

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?

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.