The Testimony of Pastor JKH from Lebanon
Their people killed our people, burned our houses, stole our harvest, and destroyed our economy. They occupied our land for more than 30 years. Our hearts were filled with hatred and enmity. Isn’t that the natural reaction!
I grew up in fear and anger. I used to cross the road running to my school trying to escape the sniper. I escaped two big car explosions by few minutes while going to my university. I escaped bombs many times. Now it’s their turn to pay the price. Isn’t that the natural reaction!
We prayed for God to take our revenge, to destroy their land as they did to our land, to sink their country with blood and tears. This is what’s happening now. Shouldn’t we be thrilled! Isn’t that the natural reaction!
But something strange has happened. Where are those negative feelings that we had? Our hearts are aching for their pain. Our prayers are continuous for their country. Our church is working day and night to help them, to heal their wounds, to wipe their tears and to feed their children. Our love is real and genuine for them. What a paradigm shift! What an amazing grace! What a wonderful savior and master we have! “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they do”, but also
Father, forgive us for we don’t know what we do and
what we say and what we pray many times.
Our war is a spiritual war and we are in the midst of the battlefield now. The Jews waited for the Messiah to cast the Romans out of their country but He cast the demons out of their children- He cast out the real enemy.
I heard a story from a country that was at one time divided between East and West. People from one side of the country brought a truck full of garbage and threw it over the separating wall to the other side. Next day, people from the “recipient” side brought a truck full of chocolate and sweets and unloaded it over the other side of the wall with a big sign saying: “Everyone gives of what he has”. We have the love of Christ in our hearts and here is the outcome.
We are serving five hundred families now. We are visiting them one by one trying to help with both hands, spiritually and physically. Thank God for the generous partners and for the wonderful and burdened team who are serving with love. Many of the families are coming to church on regular basis now. Many gave their lives to our Lord and Savior. We repeatedly hear: “We had a wrong idea about Christianity”. Now is the time to reveal our real Christ.
I believed and still believe that Lebanon is the key to the Middle East. May God help us to be faithful in our ministry.
March 2013