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WEST BROMWICH, UK (ANS) -- Brother Andrew, author of the best-selling book God's Smuggler, launched his riveting new book Secret Believers: what happens when Muslims believe in Christ, written with Al Janssen) at two UNITE events in West Bromwich, UK, on Saturday September 29.
 Brother Andrew said, "We have created an enemy image of Muslims. We fear fundamentalists. We fear the consequences when a Muslim state acquires nuclear weapons. We worry about Muslims emigrating to the West, taking over our neighborhoods, imposing Sharia Law. Isn't that why we fear them?
"Or maybe the real reason we fear Muslims is that we won't tell them "God loves you." Do we see members of al-Qaeda or Hamas as potential temples of the Holy Spirit? They won't be if we don't pray for them and if someone in whom Christ dwells doesn't go to them."
Secret Believers calls us to join a new "jihad" - one of forgiveness, radical love and unyielding prayer.
Speaking about the reasons he wrote the book, Brother Andrew says, "I wanted to tell the stories of Christian communities in Pakistan such as Shantinagar, destroyed by Muslims and how we publicly said 'We forgive you Muslims for what you've done to us'. The result: within a year we had a community centre, a literacy centre and a clinic there.
"Because the Christians were so open and learned to forgive it, was a new start for them too. It was a new start for Open Doors as well, because we were never in that town before and now we are. So we see in practice what forgiveness can do. Instead of a God of revenge, we have a God of forgiveness."
In Secret Believers, co-authored with Al Janssen, Brother Andrew also tells the stories of Muslims who have come to faith in Christ and have faced serious, life-threatening persecution, including being disowned and even hunted by family and community, living under constant surveillance and with terrifying threats, being kidnapped and arrested, interrogated, tortured and even killed. Brother Andrew's new book will enable you to enter their stories and experience life from their perspectives.
Brother Andrew founded Open Doors, which now serves persecuted Christians worldwide, more than 50 years ago and despite his age, he still travels extensively, telling Muslims and others about Jesus and encouraging members of the suffering Church. His messages to those in the West find an eager response from both young and old.
Peter Wooding, senior news editor of UCB UK, was able to interview the famed Dutchman during a break in the proceedings on Saturday in the Midland's town of West Bromwich, which has a large Muslim population.
Wooding first of all asked Brother Andrew what he hoped the event and his new book would achieve.
"What I want to achieve is that things will change; change in the church; change in our society; change in our country; change in our culture and, above all, change in our attitude toward what people perceive as the biggest threat in the world Islam," he said.
"So we're here to first of all launch the book that we wrote recently and tell about those that are following Jesus Christ in the Muslim countries and tell about the opportunities that we still have which are almost unlimited. Honestly when I tell my stories people say, 'Can you do that in a Muslim country?'
"My reply is absolutely! The biggest meetings of my missionary career of over fifty years are in the Muslim countries. There's no problem getting a lot of people together including Muslims and reaching the fundamentalists. So I want to tell the people unless we change our mind and become positive and begin to look at Muslims and learn to pray for them and then contact them and witness for Jesus then nothing will change. But I believe we can change now is the time to change so I want to speak of this. That's why I'm here today."
Peter Wooding then asked Brother Andrew what the Christians response should be the "war on terror."
The Dutchman replied, "I have problems with that with that phrase - 'war on terror' or 'war on terrorists.' That is the same as 'war on sin.' 'War on terrorists' is nebulous because we don't know where they live; we don't know where they are. They have no address or nation. So that's not a good statement.
"But 'war on terrorists' refers simply to people who follow the evil desires of their heart and the methods to do something about it are two-thousand years old -- go and preach Christ to them, because I've never met spirit-filled Bible believing evangelical Christians who put explosives around his waist. So this is the only effective, very effective way, to fight terror -- lead them to Christ. Then you first have to love them.
"Secondly, you have to go there and here's the problem. Because of their reputation of being terrorists, you probably don't go. That's why they grow bolder they think we're cowards. They're scared of us and the more we get into the defensive attitude, the fiercer they will attack us. So to change the roles, we have to go on the offensive. Go in there and contact them which is relatively easy. I've done it for years now and simply share Christ with them."
Brother Andrew went on to say, "People have asked me, 'Is it not dangerous, Andrew, to do what you do?' And my reply is that it is far more dangerous if I would not do it because now, if you go and see that they're receptive and warm; they're people like us who have wives, family, children, and grandchildren, in what aspect are they different from us? As I go I find out they're friendly and they're open; they want to share their faith and I want to share my faith, so there's no problem there.
"Therefore, this is the time that we should aggressively love Muslims; pray for Muslims, go to Muslims without any prejudice or fear. so let's fear God and that fear of God drives us into the so called 'Enemy Camp.' Actually, they are not enemies, because Jesus said, 'Pray for your enemies. love those that persecute you' and, if you love your enemies, they're not your enemy anymore; they become your friend. But it's our initiative; it's our act of faith; which you do in the name of Jesus that will change the balance."
Peter Wooding then said to Brother Andrew that he was asking attendees to join up to the "UNITE Declaration," and asked him to talk about that.
"First of all," he said, "it is to unite with the Body of Christ. That means where they are persecuted; that's in large parts of the world; basically the entire Muslim world and still a large part of the communist world. Unite with the Church of Jesus Christ. There, so that they can enjoy the liberties or at least the privileges that we have that have come to our culture, and our faith and our church life because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"Then unite in the resolution that God's Book is the only answer and that we must make a united effort to reach them and emphasize on prayer today. There are other aspects which are all in the declaration; that they have a right to assistance when they're persecuted, and that we have a right to know what's happening with them when they accept Christ because they are to pay a price they should not take that lightly. Anyone who pays the price for my liberty, I should honor him or her and that the very thing that's happening even yesterday
"I think it was yesterday that the leader of Salvation Army was killed in Pakistan in his home. I was with him on the platform very recently; a fine brother. That hurts very much and yet some people say then you shouldn't go there and I say, 'No, then we should go more until that stupid killing and antagonism stops.'
"So that's what we call for, and we are united in our aim that the only way to get rid of sin is the Gospel of Jesus Christ so then let's get on with it. Let it not just be words - 'pious waffle' -- as we call it, but let it be a resolution that God can use me and that, when I begin to pray that I will be willing in my heart to hear God say well how about you answering your own prayer. Then be careful what you pray. He may send you."
Brother Andrew concluded by explaining more about his new book, Secret Believers.
"That book tells the story of people that have decided to follow Jesus," he said. "In some cases, they don't prefer to be called Christians because that has a rather negative connotation in the West, because over there they see every white man as a Christian. So as a follower of Jesus Christ, they don't have to conform to the Christian tradition and culture as long as they follow Jesus Christ. We tell their stories and they're so grateful because their story has never been told.
"All the people we describe in the book are known to me. Many of those people I've baptized, but also a number of these people are I baptized and befriended have been killed including those that we dedicated to be pastors and evangelists in Afghanistan. So I want to story to be known so we were very careful in putting this story together so that we would not endanger their lives but that we would share enough to put a burden on the hearts of the readers and from now on they would intercede for the persecuted church."
To hear a half hour radio documentary presented by Peter Wooding, who is the youngest son of Dan and Norma Wooding, on the UNITE Event, tune into UCB UK on Sunday Oct 7th at 2pm for In Focus on Sky Channel 0125, DAB Radio and at www.ucb.co.uk
Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books.
Used by permission of ASSIST News Service www.assistnews.net
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