 "How can I understand unless someone helps me?" (Acts 8:31 CEV) |
Exodus from Darkness Daniel Shayesteh |
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'Searching for Truth Together' |
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in Jesus Christ' |
April 2008 |
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Contact details Biography of Daniel Shayesteh July /September 05 June / July 2005 March / May 2005 Feb 2006 April 2006 July 2006 Sept 2006 December 2006 April 2007 August 2007 October 2007 December 2007 Feb 2008 March 2008 April 2008 |
We would
like to thank you, our dear churches, Christian organizations, brothers
and sisters, and partners in the ministry, for your kindnesses and
sacrifices, standing with us in the ministry. We praise God for your
supports and prayers have produced ‘huge’ fruit in the world. We want to thank our Savior, Jesus, who has freed us so that we are able to speak about the freedom we have tasted. We love Him so much, and will stand for Him no matter what the cost might be. In our lead article we look at ‘What have we done to them that they hate us?)’. Contents: 1. A message from Daniel and Mary Shayesteh: “What have we done to them that they hate us?)” 2. Latest news on Daniel and Mary’s ministry in Russia, Germany and The Netherland – March 08 3. Upcoming Events – Sth. America, Australia, NZ and USA. 4. Exodus from Darkness Prayer Requests 5. Daniel’s Books We also invite you to visit our NEW EFD website at http://www.exodusfromdarkness.org.au 1. What have we done to them that they hate us? Our audiences always ask us, “What have we done to Muslims that their leaders hate us so much?” They wonder what they and the West have done that Muslim leaders in the world hate the West. Is it because of colonialism, petrol exploitation, or slavery that Muslims hate the West? They love to ask this and to hear answers that address this problem. To our audience’s surprise, our answers were different from what they expected to hear. We took them to the history; back to the rise of Islam as the state religion in Saudi Arabia. Christians (or Jews or Hindus or Zoroastrians) of the seventh century AD did not do any particular wrong to Arabs whereby Muhammad and his successors could label them as unclean, animals or worst of beasts who deserved to die and go to hell unless they became Muslim. Every attitude of Muhammad and his successors was based on the call of the political religion of Islam, which forces others to join the army of Islam. The motivation was fully a politico-religious one, not social or moral. If it was social or moral, why then would Muslims forgive non-Muslims if they joined Islam? Even the Qur’an proves that it is not anything other than a religious reason. Only 5% of the references for hell in the Qur’an are for moral failure, but the remaining 95% are for those who do not follow Islam. The second reason that it couldn’t be any other reason but politico-religious is because Islam, in every aspect of life, is harsher than other beliefs in the world. Look at the following verses of the Qur’an: (Muhammad) Do not treat your wives alike, no matter how eager you may be to do so (Q.4:129) Wives should not be saddened for anything you may give/tell them (Q.33:51) …as to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them, refuse to share their beds, beat them… (Q.4:34) The party of Allah (In Arabic: Hezballah) … shall be triumphant(Q.5:56). Prepare against the infidels (Christians and Jews) whatever arms and weaponry you can muster so that you may terrorize them (Q.8:59). I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them (Q.8:12) Muhammad is the apostle of Allah; and those who are with him are strict with Unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other (Q.48:29) Of a truth ye are stronger (than they) because of the terror in their hearts, (sent) by Allah. This is because they are men devoid of understanding (Q.59:13) So fight them (non-Muslims) until there is no more disbelief (in the whole world) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (Q.8:39). Why then would a wise Muslim push non-Muslims to follow Islam if non-Muslims are more loving and less authoritarian to their family members and others than Muslims? For Islam, it does not matter how loving or harsh you are in your attitudes to others; if you do not follow Islam, you are guilty and have to be humiliated or killed (Q.9:5, 29). Christian nations have always been in the forefront in helping the poor Islamic countries. Do Allah and Muhammad appreciate this? If you give your whole wealth to Islam but not your heart, you are still not in a right relationship with Islam and you, therefore, have to be frightened, terrorized and killed. So, it is not what you have done to Muslims, it is that you are not yet Muslim, and for this reason you are hated. Daniel and Mary Shayesteh 2. News from Daniel’s trips: Krasnodar, Russia On Monday, March 2, I arrived in Krasnodar/Russia for five days of teaching in the Christian University of Kuban. The audience consisted of students , pastors, leaders and elders from various Russian cities and from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belorussia and a few other republics. Every day I lectured eight hours and answered questions. The subjects covered were “The Basics of Islam”, “The Rise of Islam”, “Unveiling the Nature of Islam”, “The Work of Allah and God”, “Cultural Differences and Evangelism”, “The Urgency of Evangelism to Muslims”, and three lectures about “Conversational Evangelism”. Early Saturday morning, March 8, I had to fly to Berlin to speak on Saturday and Sunday in two churches. My flight from Krasnodar to Vienna was canceled because of heavy fog and postponed to the following Monday. As a result, my meetings in Berlin were canceled. Praise God that my delay was not in vain. On Sunday morning, March 9, I gave our testimony in a church called The House of the Gospel. That evening, I gave our testimony in a Baptist Church. In both churches, I summed up the message by encouraging them to invest extra hours in evangelizing Russians to the presence of Jesus. The audience loved the message and was overwhelmed. Several Muslims were present in the church. They were open. I had the opportunity to talk to them personally and encourage them to surrender themselves to the love of Christ. I also met many Christian students from Africa who are studying medicine and engineering in Russia. They all plan to go back and serve their countries and lift up the name of Christ within their professions. This was an opportunity for me to give them my books as gifts so that they could understand the threats of Islam in their countries and stand against it appropriately. Berlin, Germany On Monday morning, March 10, I arrived in Berlin. The Open Door Alliance Church was my host. A Christian family took me on a tour of both the western and eastern (formerly communist) sides of the city. I was able to see signs of the Berlin wall in the middle of the streets and also the actual wall (which is left standing in some parts of the city). Communism, which was trying to unite the nations, divided this nation. The world’s philosophy cannot be other than this. It rejects God first, and then its own citizens. On Monday evening, I talked about our life story in an evening meeting of The Open Door Alliance Church. I also answered questions. Erbach, Germany On Tuesday morning, March 11, I traveled seven hours from Berlin to Erbach. On Tuesday evening, I gave our testimony in a home fellowship and answered questions. On Wednesday, March 12, I was taken to a city called Worms in order to see the imperial palace where, in 1521, Martin Luther had stood in the presence of the emperor and defended his faith. Martin Luther said to the emperor that he could not give up his faith and would be ready to die for the sake of his faith in Christ. We pray that God may raise warriors like Martin Luther for the present Germany so that they might stand for Christ, love their country, and save it from ungodlinessness; which is the cause of all problems in Germany. On early Thursday morning, March 13, Rev. Vernon drove me to Stuttgart in order to discuss the possibility of publishing the Russian version of my book “Christ above all gods” with a Christian organization that does ministry among Russian speaking nations. On Thursday evening, I told my life story in another home fellowship in Erbach and answered questions. Holland My visit to Holland coincided with the fear that the whole country was experiencing because of Wilder’s (a Dutch Parliamentarian) film called “Fitna”. He gathered various clips of website shows concerning Islam’s threats to non-Muslims and put it in Dutch in order to inform his people of the danger of Islam. This frightened many Dutch politicians, leaders, and people (including Christians) because of the threat of some Islamic countries. My visit was a wake up call to the churches and to the Dutch people, via several newspaper and magazine interviews, that they should not be afraid since Christian faith is based on the Truth and unconditional love of Christ. Actually, fear is a gateway for the entry of Islam. I received good feedback, as well as a few objections due to political correctness, about what I said and taught about Islam. In my trip to Europe, I was encouraged by many young Christians who showed interest in learning and challenging the non-Christian beliefs spread in the West. Praise God that many Muslims also heard the message and some were encouraged. Delft, Holland On Sunday morning, March 16, I gave my testimony in the Delft Alliance Church and encouraged people to understand Christ in the context of the world. Our testimony spoke to them about the revealing nature of God of the Bible (unlike the unrevealing nature of other gods), the holiness of Christ against the dualistic nature of all other gods, and the superiority of Christ’s values above all others. The presence of God was tangible in the meeting. Haarlem, Holland On Sunday afternoon, March 16, I spoke about our life story in the Haarlem Iranian Church. They knew the depth of the change Jesus has made in our lives. They also knew the places I had been and the people I had relationships with. They praised God with tears in their eyes for such a great transformation and for the encouragement they got that day. On Saturday, March 29, I went back to the Iranian church and spent time with their Iranian Youth Group from 10am to 2pm; teaching about the basic differences between Christianity and Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Communism, Humanism and the New Age beliefs. I also taught them how to raise appropriate questions at the right times in order to challenge and influence others. I also answered their questions. Interview, Holland On Tuesday, March 18, I was interviewed by a Christian magazine called Opwekking (Revival) for one and a half hours. Wageningen, Holland On Wednesday, March 19, I was taken to Wageningen in order to speak in ABC church. The church had invited a wide range of people; those with different church backgrounds and some without church backgrounds, and international students (since Wageningen is a University City). So the audience consisted of Christians from various churches, Dutch students, international students (from various countries, including the Middle East), as well as people from a nearby Refugee Care centre. I spoke about the following things: 1. In the first 50 minutes, I spoke about our life story, referencing my talk with the Quranic verses and the comments of Hadiths. 2. In the second 20 minutes, I spoke about "How Christians can be a blessing to Muslims". 3. In the last 30 minutes I answered questions. Mijdrecht, Holland On Thursday evening, March 20, I spoke at a home fellowship in Mijdrecht. First, I spoke about our life story, very briefly, and then I spoke about the “Confidence and Courage” of salvation in Christ. At the end, I answered their questions. Gouda, Holland On Sunday morning, March 23, I spoke in Gouda Alliance church about our life story. Aalmsmeer, Holland On Friday evening, March 21, I spoke about “The Suffering of Cross and Its Applications” in the Good Friday Event in the Aalmsmeer C&MA church. On Tuesday morning, March 25, I spoke to the staff of Aalmsmeer Alliance church about the necessity of preparing ourselves to give reasons for our hope in Christ and to answer the questions of our society. The talk was based on 1Pet.3:15. At 1pm, Tuesday, I was interviewed for two hours by a Christian newspaper, called Nederlands Dagblad (Holland’s Daily Paper), about Islam and its values. On Wednesday, March 26, I had two interviews, altogether four hours in length, with a Christian Magazine called Het Zoeklicht (The Search Light), and a Christian Newspaper called Reformed Daily. The questions were about our life story, the problem Islam has created for the world, and the appropriate responses to it. On Sunday evening, March 30, I gave our testimony in a combined church meeting in Aalmsmeer LEG Church (and AIG church). Zoetermeer, Holland On Thursday, March 27, I spoke to a group of pastors, elders and Christian students. From 11am to 12 noon, I spoke about our life story with overriding focus on the philosophical and doctrinal reason of our conversion from Islam to Christ. From 1pm to 2pm, I answered the audience’s questions about: 1. The recent crisis by and about Islam and the way Christians need to respond. 2. What Christians need to do in order to change their society for Christ/ 3. In what areas Christians need to change their attitudes for influential evangelism? 4. How Christians should deal with multi-beliefs and philosophies in the West? Ijmond, Holland On Sunday morning, March 30, I spoke about our life story in the Heemskerk C&MA Church in Ijmond. 3. The Remaining Parts of 2008 Calendar April 2008, South America May 2008, USA June-July 2008, Australia and New Zealand August-December 2008, USA and S. America 4. Exodus from Darkness Prayer Requests Please praise the Lord with us for all that has been achieved through the ministry of Exodus from Darkness. Exodus from Darkness is a ‘Specialised Apologetics and Evangelism Ministry’ with three major goals: Raising up Middle- Eastern evangelists, awakening non-Christians and Christians to the uniqueness of Christ and caring for our societies. Since the early 1990’s hundreds of thousands of people have heard Daniel speak in person around the world in English, Azerbaijani, Turkish or Farsi and we estimate that many millions have now heard Daniel through books, CD, DVD, radio, newspapers and television. Praise the Lord for the many times now that Mary and Daniel have been able to travel together. We speak in Jesus' Name to many hearts across the world, that they will be challenged to search for the Truth with all their heart. Please pray for the Lord’s guidance and creativity to be poured out upon us so that we can work together with churches to share the gospel persuasively with local communities. Please pray for all the people who hear Daniel and Mary’s teachings and testimony so that they will grow in their courage to live and speak for the Lord. Please pray for the continuing provision of all Daniel and Mary's financial needs. They have sacrificed much to ensure Daniel and Mary could speak and lecture across the world. A donation to help them would be a blessing for them. We thank God for groups of people who are supporting Daniel and Mary's ministry spiritually and intellectually as we consider the most effective ways for their ministry to grow in the years ahead. Please pray that the Shayesteh's ministry will be guided along the path of greatest fruitfulness for the kingdom of God. 5. Daniel's books Many people have been blessed through the special insights into Islam and other religions that are provided by Daniel's books. Always accompanying these insights is Daniel's testimony to the uniqueness of Christ our Lord in every dimension of life. Please make use of Daniel's books listed below and share them with your churches, bible colleges and friends. “The Difference is the Son” compares the Qur'an and the Bible against the backdrop of Islam's early history and Islam's contemporary message. Daniel concludes that the difference between these two books in all dimensions of life is the 'Son' - our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the only source of eternal confidence. “Christ above all gods” looks at the nature of 'god', sin and salvation in all the world's major religions, while at the same time challenging the conscience (God given!) of every human being to search for the Truth. ' The Difference is the Son' - suggested donation $20 + $5 for postage " Christ above all gods " - suggested donation $15 + $5 for postage. Daniel’s Testimony DVD- suggested donation $15 + $3 for postage. For contact details for ordering these books, please see the end of this email. I close with the words of Jesus. "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:37,38 (CEV) |
