Christian TV Channel in Turkey

This article appears in the April 2015 issue of Christianity Today.

"Muslim nation gets first Christian TV channel"

"Turkey's Christian population has dwindled to less than 200,000, but their voice just got louder. For the first time, a Christian television channel is now broadcasting on Turkey's government-regulated satellite, which reaches more than 50 million viewers. Produced by Turkish Christians, the channel SAT-7 TÜRK streamed online for 360 hours last year; it's expecting to expand its airtime significantly under the new deal. "So many things have miraculously fallen into place over the past few months that it is impossible to miss the hand of God." said Terence Ascott, founder and chief executive officer of SAT-7. Open Doors put Turkey back on its 2015 list of countries where it's hardest to be a Christian. But in January, prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu approved the building of the first Christian church in Istanbul in 100 years."

This is awesome news, I have been using the Open Doors prayer calender for a few months, and recommend you do as well. It's a truly good feeling to see your prayers being answered!!!

You can find Open Doors watchlist here:

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-pe…/world-watch-list/

And the Open Doors prayer calender here:
https://www.opendoorsusa.org/…/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/

The Insanity of God ~ Nik Ripken

From P. 140 "To me, the most startling thing Jesus ever said was when He assigned His followers the task of going out in pairs to share His good news with lost people.  He said that He was sending them "as sheep among wolves".  Still he expected them to prevail.  In the history of the world, no sheep has ever won a fight with a wolf.  The very idea is insane."

This and many more things went into The Insanity of God.  I laughed, I cried, I gritted my teeth, I questioned God, and I come full face into the insanity that is God.  

God is not "logical", "rational", "reasonable", and at times not "understandable".  NO matter how much we'd like to put him in a box we can understand.  We can't, He just is...  It's not for us to question, it's for us to do... 

He points this out in my favorite section.  A pastor in Siberia was arrested and imprisoned.  His wife and children were hungry.  They prayed.  In the middle of the night a deacon was awakened by the Holy Spirit and told to go feed them.  Despite the fact that it was 30 kilometers away, in the middle of the night, tons of snow on the ground, and a major chance of either freezing to death or getting eaten by wolves, he was told to "GO"...   After fighting with the Holy Spirit for a while over this directive, the deacon came to the realization that "You don't have to come back. You just have to go."  

THIS is awesome, and utterly brilliant!!! I love it!

This says it all.  If we are true believers, true Christians, He will ask us to do things to help others, and we are obligated to do them.  We shouldn't argue, beg, plead, ignore, or in others ways try to get out of what he wants from us.    

AND...

When we do, it is AWESOME!!!

I absolutely loved this book.  It was, I admit a little hard to read at times, but well worth staying until the end.  It opened my eyes to things in this world that I was really blind to.  It helped me to be grateful for things that I have, freedoms that I have, and never to take anything for granted.  I will never again take for granted that I can believe openly, I can speak openly, and I can read what I want without fear.  

I learned about a great website called OpenDoors.com.  On this website they share the story of many other countries that do not have religious freedom, and tell about persecuted Christians throughout the world.  

Reading through Nik's (not his real name) journey, and seeing his progress, as well as seeing his eyes opening, gives great encouragement to others on the same journey (especially me).  To go from thinking you know so much, to realizing there is more than you could possibly ever know, is an enlightenment that I am so glad Nik shared with others. 

I wholeheartedly recommend this one.  I could fill a book with quotes from this book, but rather than get in trouble for that, YOU go get this one! it's well worth the money!