Once again, we have seen over a Million people make decisions for Jesus at our altar calls for Salvation. We have planted 10 new churches in Burma, and the 168 churches that we have so far planted there continue to thrive and to grow. We reached the milestone of seeing over 30,000 people receive the Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with Fire at one time in one single service. We saw the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear. We also saw the Lord raise a woman from the dead at one of our crusades.
The Lord has been Gracious and Faithful and we have been able to fulfill everything that He told us to do this year. In fact we did much more for the Gospel this year than we did last year.
For this we give all Glory to our Lord Jesus, who alone is Worthy to receive Glory, Honor and Praise!
We are living in tough and difficult times. The truth is that in such difficult times the Lord does not tell us to cut down our vision to match the size of the shrunken economy; On the contrary He bids us to press forwards and to do more for Him than ever before. This is because He is El Shaddai, the God who is “More than Enough!”
The economy has slowed down; but we have seen many of God’s people step up to make even greater sacrifices. Many, in spite of financial fears and difficulties, have reached deeper down in faith than ever before and made great sacrifices to enable us to continue to preach the Gospel to the lost.
To those friends and partners I say, “I am thankful for and commend your love and your faith, that you chose to put the Gospel above all things. Your faith shines as an example to us”. It reminds me of Gideon’s small band who were willing to give their all in the battlefield. Through their Faith and their fearless dedication God did mighty things through that small band that He would otherwise do using a mighty army!
This is the Christmas season. For us this is truly “The most wonderful time of the year”. Christmas in actuality is really about the Gospel because we remember and celebrate how God sent His only Son to the world to save the world.
But is the Christmas Story another beautiful legend or is it reality? If it is reality what does it really mean for us?
I remember my very first Christmas as a Christian. It was December 1975. I had just received Jesus and was eagerly telling everybody I knew about what Jesus had done for me. Because of this I had been confined to an Army Mental Institution. Christmas day came. I had stashed away a little cupcake and a small candle for the occasion. Coming out of Islam and not knowing Christian Christmas traditions, I did the best that I could under the circumstances. On that Christmas morning in the “cage” in which I was locked up, I lit the candle, read the Christmas Story aloud from the Bible and celebrated the Lord’s Birthday with the muffin.
As I bit into the cupcake, suddenly the Presence of God filled the place. Great peace filled my soul. It seemed to me that I was soaring above my circumstances, I was victorious above all things and received an assurance that better days were to come ahead.
Two weeks later I was out of the Mental Institution. I went out on the streets and began to preach the Gospel. A couple of months later I was arrested and imprisoned for this. The year was 1976 and I spent almost that entire year in prison. Upon my incarceration I was told that I was detained “until further orders” and that I would come out of prison “either as a Muslim or in a coffin”.
I told them that I would rather die there than go back to Islam.
Months passed and one day I sat down and took stock of my situation. There I was, in prison, having lost everything in this world. I asked the Lord, “Lord, I have made many mistakes in my life, and if my faith in Jesus is yet another one of my mistakes, I am the greatest fool of all and have indeed lost everything. So I need to know. I really really need to know….. If Jesus truly is the Son of God, if He is truly risen from the dead, if the Word of God is true, then I have won. I have won eternal life; I have won Heaven! So please God I need to know!”
At that very moment God answered. The Glory of God came into the prison cell. My bed began to shake with God’s Power. The Presence of Jesus filled that place and I heard a voice that said, “I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Matthew 25:36). I began to weep. That day God circumcised my heart. I knew that Jesus was real. His Word was real. Heaven was more real than earth. The promises of God are more real than the things that we can see.
That day became a turning point in my life. God himself marked and circumcised my heart. Since that day I have known Jesus as a reality, as a person who lives in me and is always with me. I know that the Savior who I serve is far greater than all my circumstances, that His Grace is far greater than my faults and weaknesses. Since that day I have made my share of mistakes but I cannot remember a single day when I have not been On Fire for Jesus. Since that day I have never looked back.
And that is not because of me, but because of Jesus, because of what He has done for me.
Today I live in America, where I am free to worship God, free to preach the Gospel. I travel all over the world telling people about Jesus and people come out in huge multitudes to hear that beautiful Old Story about the Savior. And then God confirms that Message with Signs following, to show the world that Jesus is the Truth, that He is alive today!
Jesus came into our world. He became one of us. He paid the ultimate price upon the Cross. He Rose again from the dead. The Gospel is true beyond truth itself. The Word of God is true. Jesus is real! We are redeemed! We are more than conquerors through Him who has loved us!
So beloved, let us celebrate this Christmas triumphantly! Let us go into the New Year 2010 triumphantly, full of Faith that our God is able to bless us, prosper us and cause us to increase and to abound in all things! This is Harvest time. Joel said “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe” (Joel 3:13).
Let us Preach this Glorious Gospel! Let us sow! Let us reap! Let us do the work of God with all our hearts! Let us celebrate this season with praises unto God. We are on the winning side and we can never fail, never lose. We are destined to win, to conquer. We are blessed to be blessings wherever we go!
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place”. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
Have a Blessed Christmas, you and your loved ones. And may 2010 be your best year yet!
In Christ
Christopher, Britta and Family
Our Teams in the US, Sweden, Zimbabwe and Burma
