Middle East (MNN) — Politics have to be overcome in order to lead those in the Middle East to Christ. That message is being told loud and clear by an Arab Pastor working with Words of Hope , who’s beaming programming into 22 countries of the Arab League in the Middle East.
The Arab Pastor says many who practice Islam view Christianity as a western religion. He says it’s important to know that Christianity came from the Middle East. “It went to the world from there. We need to convince people that when you take the Word of God seriously there are no cultural barriers to the Gospel,” the pastor says.
The pastor says people in the Middle East view the United States as a Christian nation, but that’s obviously not true. He says, “The courts have allowed marriage for people of the same sex. They identify that with Christianity. We need to point out that that’s not the teaching of the Bible and therefore whatever’s in the western culture is not the Christian faith.”
The good news is that Christian radio is already having an impact on people’s eternity. “We have seen some encouraging responses from Iraqi and Palestinian people who are now really the ones who are most opposed to the West. When they hear the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Jesus, people are realizing whoever is identifying political activities with the Christian faith, they are not basing that on the Christian faith,” says the pastor.
Prayer is needed for Christians in Iraq. As the handover takes place in June, they believe their religious freedoms could be curtailed if an Islamic government takes control.
