DAWN Fridayfax 2003 #35

USA

Electrified by the song inside

“Deep inside, we have a song buried. When we were children, this song was very loud - a song of astonishment and ecstasy, the song of the creature about the creator. Then, one day, it faded away, drowned out by busyness, possessions, ambition and selfish values. Tiredness and cynicism turned it into a nostalgic memory. But you can rediscover this song if you want…” That is the summary of the new book by Dr. Ravi Zacharias’, one of the greatest contemporary Christian apologetics. In his new book ‘Recapture the Wonder’, Zacharias writes “Life should be a pearl necklace of astonishment and the irresistible urge to talk about it. Every one of us knows moments in which life seems almost unbearably wonderful, and everything is crystal clear. It was too good to be true, but we wish such moments would last forever. But many people are disillusioned, because they have lost their ability to be astonished, because ‘the song’ was drowned out. Through an encounter with their Creator, everyone can re-awaken the ability to dream and follow these dreams, because if our dreams come from God, they contain the ultimate fulfilment of our purpose in life.”
Source: “Recapture the Wonder”, Integrity Publishers, http://www.integritypublishers.com

India

Demons go through the roof

“It’s the rainy season in India, which means more snakes - and more demonic activity,” writes Dr. Victor Choudhrie. “The farmers go about their work, asking the Gods for special favour. The Saperas - snake charmers - appear everywhere with their poisonous Cobras in bamboo baskets. Hindus sacrifice milk, among other things, to these Cobras - many not realising that Cobras can’t drink milk because of their forked tongue. During the Hindu festival Dev Uthani, in which the local God ‘sent to sleep’ by the Hindu priests are ‘woken up’, millions of idols are made. But the Living God does not sleep. Millions were expected to attend a Hindu event in Nasik near Bombay in August 2003, but God sent a flood; the whole temple complex was under three feet of water, so that only the most dedicated came to celebrate. In northern India, minor and major miracles are happening as never before. When Jesus delivered a demonised man, the Christians told the demon to leave a clear sign that it had left the region: it left a large whole in the roof. Concerted prayer is making a growing number of religious centres ineffective, and some have even been closed,” says Choudhrie.
Source: Victor Choudhrie, e-mail victor_btl@sancharnet.in

Siberia

From magician to missionary

“Kyrill had a bad start. His head started to grow soon after his birth, and doctors predicted that he would soon die. His parents did everything they could to save him, finally bringing him to an occult healer who whispered spells over him. Kyrill spent his childhood in ‘White Mountain’, a village inside the Polar Circle, where it was sometimes so cold - under minus 45 degrees - that the children were sent home from school,” writes missionary Lena Fast. “The occult influences from his childhood soon had their effect. He slept badly, spirits visited him at night, and he drew pictures of demons at school, which he hung up in his room. Just as he was becoming more involved in magic to harm other people, his uncle, who did not believe in God, gave him a copy of Matthew’s Gospel. The word ‘do not judge, lest you be judged yourself’ (Matt. 7:1) made an impression on him. His friend Stephan, who had become a Christian, invited him to church. Kyrill repeatedly fell asleep, and was unable to think about spiritual things. A Christian invited him to live in his house, which helped. Kyrill came to believe in Christ, attended a Bible school founded in 2001, and has now returned to his home village as a missionary.”
Source: DMG 4/2003, Lena Fast

Egypt

Today in the train, tomorrow on TV

Nathan and his family sat in the train on the way back from ministering in a number of villages when strangers addressed them - journalists from the national TV, interviewing families. They asked Nathan about his relationship with his wife and children, even continuing when they discovered that they were Christians, recording their Biblically-based answers. When they discovered that Nathan taught children in a school, their questions became even more detailed, and Nathan suddenly had a national platform to explain the basics of the Gospel and the difference between nominal Christianity and true discipleship. To his astonishment, the interview was broadcast on Egyptian national TV at prime time - around 9.00pm on Saturday evening. His telephone rang into the early hours of the morning. “That is absolutely unknown in a predominantly Islamic society,” he says.
http://www.inter-nationalneeds.com

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