Welcome to Frenchtown Evangelistic Assembly! May you feel the presence of Almighty God in our midst today.
Numerous Syrian Muslims who fled their war-torn country and found refuge in Lebanon have converted to Christianity despite threats and attacks on new converts, according to a report. George Saliba, Bishop of Syrian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, said he has baptized around 100 Muslim Syrian refugees since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011. Bishop Saliba said the church accepts converts only after confirming that their faith is genuine. One convert, Abu Radwan who was baptized by the bishop in Beirut said Jesus appeared to him in a dream about 2 years ago. There are also several Syrian converts at an evangelical church in Beirut; but the church cannot be identified due to safety concerns.
Many Muslim refugees are still turning to Jesus even though they have to risk their lives to do so according to a report. Abu Radwan was once stabbed while he was going home from the church. His attackers were Syrians from his own tribe. Because of threats his wife still wears a hijab outside of church for her safety.
A large number of Muslim refugees in Europe are also accepting Christianity. A June 2016 article from The Guardian noted a steady rise in Muslim attendance at Christian churches in Europe. Trinity church in the Berlin suburb of Steglitz, for instance, saw its congregation increase from 150 to 700 due to new Muslim converts. The Austrian Catholic Church also had its adult baptism rise by nearly 70 percent in the first three months of 2016. More churches in Germany have reported this growing phenomenon in December 2016. Apparently, Muslims, especially Iranians, are seeing Christianity as a new chance at freedom. Last year, the founder and CEO of SAT-7, a Christian satellite network that reaches out to refugees fleeing war-torn Syria and Iraq, said many Muslim families are turning to Christianity, where they encounter a message of peace and love.
Pray for these Muslim converts in your prayer time this week. Pray also for others of them who may be in the valley of decision that they would make up their minds and submit to Him who said, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6).
SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK
BAPTISM CLASS
Today, 5:00pm
BOARD MEETING
Today, 6:00pm
LUNCH HOUR HOTLINE/BIBLICAL DYNAMICS
Wednesday, 12:00 noon- Lunch Hour Hotline
5:30pm- Biblical Dynamics
SISTERS-IN-UNITY: PRAYER NIGHT
Thursday, 6:00 p.m.
PRAISE & ADORATION PRACTICE
Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
HOUR-OF-POWER PRAYER SESSION
Saturday, 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
NEXT SUNDAY
Worship & Ministry Service, 9:00 a.m.
The King’s Daughters Ministry Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
Luke- Part 1
Who wrote the book?
While Luke’s name never appears in this gospel, ancient Christian tradition unanimously ascribes the book to him. One ancient prologue written to introduce the gospel describes Luke as a Syrian from Antioch. With this piece of information, we can deduce that Luke was probably not Jewish. Paul also listed him with other Gentiles in his greetings to the Colossians (4:14). The ancient prologue goes on to state that Luke eventually settled in the Greek city of Thebes, where he died at age 84.
Luke’s own introduction to his gospel indicates that Luke composed the letter with the purpose of providing a careful rendering of the events of Christ’s life in chronological order. As a physician, Luke would have been trained as a careful observer, a quality that would have been invaluable in this project. The result was the first part of a two-volume work written to Theophilus. We know the subsequent volume as Acts.
Where are we?
Much of the dating of the book of Luke depends on the dating of Acts. Luke’s second volume cuts off with Paul imprisoned in Rome, before Paul’s death (AD 68) and even before the persecution of Christians broke out under Nero (AD 64). It stands to reason that the book of Luke was completed before Acts. But when?
Acts 21:17 says that Luke accompanied Paul on the apostle’s final visit to Jerusalem, a visit that occurred in AD 57–58. Eventually, the Jews had Paul arrested in the temple, a two-year ordeal which ended with Paul’s imprisonment in Caesarea. Luke likely used this time apart from Paul to begin gathering information for writing the gospel from primary sources—those people who had witnessed the ministry, death, and resurrection appearances of Jesus. If Luke took to writing his gospel soon after the information was gathered, then it would have been completed around AD 60, after Paul had been transferred to a Roman prison.
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MEDIA MINISTRY
World Overcomers: WSTA 1340 AM station: Sundays at 12:30 p.m. & Tuesdays at 6:00 a.m.
•Website: http://www.wom.vi & Email: info@fea.vi
•On our Website you will find: Live Streaming, free copies of our audio message & radio broadcast.
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OVERCOMER: Living a Life of Victory!