DAWN Fridayfax 2000 #50

Indonesia

Have you seen a white man recently?

A well-informed source, who will, for obvious reasons, remain unnamed, reports that an ex-Imam (Islamic spiritual leader) has led 3,000 Moslems to Jesus in a very short period. He came to believe in Christ through appearances and dreams, in which a white man told him to study the Bible. His method is simple: in conversation, he asks others "Have you seen a white man in your dreams recently?" If they have not, he tells them "I was just wondering. Thanks." If they answer positively, he continues by asking whether they are interested in learning who this white man is. And who is not interested in the identity of a mysterious person who appears in their dreams? The ex-Imam then shows them several Bible passages in which a white-clothed man is mentioned, explaining "That is Jesus. He wants to speak with you, because he wants you to follow him." Many Moslems have been prepared for that step by their supernatural encounters, and accept the invitation.
Source: name and address withheld

Egypt

Moslems may watch the Jesus Film

Moslem leaders at Cairo's respected Al Azhar university have examined the Jesus Film, and reached the conclusion that it does not disparage Islam, so may be viewed by Moslems. Many Moslems have decided to follow Jesus after viewing the film, which is based on Luke's gospel.
Source: Open Doors

Mongolia

She does hear God!

A while ago, an elderly Christian women in Darchan, Mongolia, remarked disappointedly that she did not seem to hear God's voice. A little while later, after receiving her monthly pension of 15,000 Tugrik (around $20), she wanted to pay a tithe to the church. During a prayer meeting with three other Christians, she suddenly had the idea that she could share her tithe with the other three women instead, and gave them each 500 Tugrik. All three were very surprised, for they had each prayed for exactly that amount of money without mentioning it to the others. The elderly woman now knows that she does hear God!
Source: Gerd Bungenberg, Darchan

Japan

Young cells for the 'new race'

"Bringing the gospel to the Japanese is almost proverbially difficult," according to Dawn Ministries' Wolfgang Fernandez. Many refer to the period immediately following the Second World War, when the Japanese were open for the gospel. Unfortunately, only a small number of missionaries responded, and the window of opportunity closed. Today, according to Fernandez during a seminar with the Japan Cell Church Network (JCCN), a new window is opening: the Japanese youth. Around the globe, the 18- to 35-year-olds are known as 'Generation X'; in Japan, they are called 'the new race'. Japan's ageing population structure contains over 50 million in this group. For the first time in Japanese history, the young generation no longer represent traditional culture. "This also means that they are far easier to reach with the gospel than their parents' generation," says Fernandez. Japan's denominational churches are growing only slowly, or even shrinking, but many so-called 'third wave' churches are developing a cell-church strategy. The JCCN consists of around 200 churches, each of which has between 2 and 17 cells; these numbers are not very impressive for many countries, but for Japan, a minor revolution. The JCCN has brought forth the Youth Church Cell Network (YCCN), which, together with Dawn Ministries, aims to develop an evangelistic strategy for the entire nation. The vision is centred around the fact that there is a huge vacuum in the youth culture; youths are turning away from their parents' religious traditions, regarding their values as irrelevant. This is a window of opportunity for the gospel. Traditional Christian churches are often unable to meet the challenge of the post-modern youth culture, and their traditions are probably a hindrance. Can 'New cells for the new race' - new forms of church, targeted at being planted in the youth culture - show a new path?
Source: Wolfgang Fernandez, www.dawnministries.org

Germany

Healed before the operation

Bärbel and Siegfried Ferch lead a home group in Berlin which is well-known because many people have been physically healed there. One day, a non-Christian couple attended, with a particular need: the woman was seriously ill, and was to undergo an operation the following day. She had a tumour on her spine, and the doctors had given her a 50/50 chance of survival, recommending that she should prepare her family for her death. "In this situation, she grasped at the last straw: the prayer of Christians," say the Ferchs. The following day, she went to the hospital, and asked the doctor to take one final X-ray. To his astonishment, he discovered that the tumour had disappeared, even though it had been clearly visible on the previous X-ray. He was unable to explain how that was possible. The couple decided to follow Jesus.
Source: Josua Bote, fax (+49)-30-6721415

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