Global Concern

“As I left Australia to spend three and a half months on a hospital ship in one of the world’s poorest nations I had no idea what was ahead of me,” says Abbey Rowe of Brisbane.

Converts from Islam to Christianity are increasingly concerned about a number of reports in recent months which have cited astounding statistics on conversion. It is true – and a matter for thankfulness to God – that more Muslims are now coming to Christ than at any other time in history. However, they are not converting on the vast scale alleged in some reports. These false reports, often initiated by non-Christians and then circulated by Christians, are a matter of grave concern, not just for those who love truth and accuracy, but also for the many individuals whose lives are being endangered by the publicity given to the exaggerated figures.

Brother Andrew urges Christians not to 'black list' radical Muslims.
By Deann Alford - from Christianity Today

Brother Andrew, founder of the persecuted-church ministry Open Doors and author of the forthcoming book Secret Believers, has been traveling to the Middle East for more than 30 years. During that time, he has met with Israelis, Christians of all kinds, and Muslim leaders from Fatah, Hamas, and other radical or militant groups. Ever since his Cold War days taking Bibles behind the Iron Curtain (made famous in his 1967 autobiography, God's Smuggler), American Christians have often responded to Brother Andrew's reports with some degree of skepticism, but always with awe. Christianity Today senior writer Deann Alford recently interviewed Brother Andrew on the current Gaza crisis and Christian relations with fundamentalist Muslims.

Most attention in Iraq is focused on Sunni and Shia families forced to leave their home towns by sectarian violence. The fate of non-Muslim minorities, particularly Christians, deserves equal attention. The Iraqi Christian population has fallen to a third of its level of twenty years ago.

The American led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 deepened the already existing division between the Middle-East and the West, divided America from long-time political allies, and even divided America itself. It even divided Christians. Three years down the track as the American military body count surpasses the number of victims of 9/11, more sober minds are evaluating what the real cost of the war has been.

In this age of rampant consumerism and selfish individualism, there seem to be few who genuinely answer God's call to give up everything to follow Christ. However Robby Keen, a new believer from the UK, has done just that in obedience to God. He is now serving the poorest of the poor and preaching Christ in a predominantly Muslim region near Mbale in Eastern Uganda - and God is doing wonderful things.

According to a 1999 report of the Secretary General of the UN on global water resources, the world is facing a worsening series of local and regional water quantity and quality problems in the years ahead.

It wasn’t quite the picture I expected to see in this war-torn east African city. As I looked around I couldn’t help marvelling at just how industrious and resilient these people were given what they had endured... What a strange experience it was for me to be actually standing there after all I had been through. Who would really believe my remarkable story if I told them?

In August 2005, a van pulled up outside a hotel in a city in China. Within moments, an elderly Chinese woman emerged from the lobby and quickly clambered into the van, which then accelerated out of the parking lot. Waiting intently in the back of the van was a young missionary from Melbourne, Australia.

It is said that calm precedes a storm. Ongoing tension between North and South Korea keeps political analysts on their toes and defence forces on stand-by. Andrew Ford provides an insightful analysis of Korean people, their history, culture and religion.