Universaty Outreaches, The Crusades and Jihad, and the Power of Prayer

​We praise God for His blessings and protection during a tremendous month of ministry. October has been packed with prayer, productivity and power.

The Crusades and Jihad
Maranatha Christian Fellowship again organized a series of public meetings for me in three universities in Minnesota, this time on The Crusades and Jihad. Previously I’d been invited to speak at the universities in Minnesota on Sudan, and on Slavery – The Rest of The Story. These presentations had engendered a lot of controversy and attention, particularly from Muslim students. This year’s university meetings on The Crusades and Jihad received even more opposition from Muslim and Atheist students. (The full presentation, with PowerPoint, is available on audio and data CDs along with the question and answer sessions on separate CDs from Frontline Fellowship).

Minstering to Muslims
The first meeting at Minnesota State University in Mankato was packed out, with standing room only, and with people sitting on the floor. Many Muslims came and participated in the question and answer session afterwards. The discussion time was lively, often highly emotional and volatile. Students who identified themselves as from Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Sudan participated in the often tumultuous discussion time.

​Terrorism Defended
After numerous students claiming that Islam was always peaceful and tolerant, that no Muslims take these Jihad verses literally, and that no one who participates in terrorism or violence could possible be a true Muslim, I asked one student whether she regarded Osama Bin Laden as a true Muslim or not. “Of course he is a Muslim!” came her response. “Even though Osama Bin Laden has planned and organized terrorist attacks which have led to the death of thousands of American civilians, do you recognize Osama Bin Laden as a Muslim?”“Yes, of course, he is a Muslim.” She asserted. “We cannot judge him!” agreed other Muslim students. Uniformly, the large group of Muslim students nodded their heads and agreed and verbally asserted that of course Osama Bin Laden was a true Muslim.

Suicide Bombing Justified
Then I questioned them concerning the Al Queda suicide bombers: “Are the suicide bombers true Muslims?” Incredibly, these Muslim students defended the suicide bombers, not only in Israel, but in England as well! They claimed that because of what Israel had done in occupying the West Bank, and Gaza, the suicide bombers were justified in blowing themselves up in order to kill as many Jews as possible.

“But what about the civilians in London?” I asked. “Surely you cannot support suicide bombing in London?” Yet, the Muslim students persisted in defending the suicide bombers, even in London, asserting that England was “a Crusader state!” and that I deserve to die because I was “a white male!”

After so many passionate assertions of how Islam is only peaceful, and always tolerant, and that they never support violence or terrorism, it was shocking to those present to hear those very same Muslims passionately defend Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda’s terrorism and suicide bombers, including those who attacked the commuters in the London underground.

Firsthand From Sudan
After many Muslim had insulted and threatened me, numerous black Christian students from Sudan stood up and defended my presentation, with personal testimonies of their experiences suffering under Islamic Jihad in Sudan. “What our bother has said, is true. We have seen it. This is the truth. Jihad is a reality in Sudan. Many black Christian men and women have been murderedin Sudan in the name of Jihad, in the name of Allah and Muhammad, and many children enslaved in Sudan.”

A Testimony of Salvation in Christ
Then a young woman from Azerbaijan presented her dynamic testimony. Vera had been raised a Muslim in this 99% Islamic state. She testified how the Lord had saved her and healed her and brought 20 other Muslims to Christ through her testimony in Azerbaijan. She testified of persecution, and being imprisoned and threatened for her faith.

The tension in the lecture hall was absolutely electric. You could have heard a pin drop after Vera’s radiant testimony. When the meeting closed, numerous evangelistic discussions ensued, with Christian students, including the Sudanese believers, interacting with the Muslim visitors and sharing the Gospel with them most passionately.

Only a Muslim Can Quote From The Quran
At the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, the venue was also packed out with large numbers of Muslims coming in throughout the presentation. The discussion time at the end was vibrant and volatile. Numerous members of the local Atheist Society participated, along with the Muslims, in challenging, insulting and threatening me. When I responded by quoting from both the Quran and the Bible, and clearly presenting the facts of history, numerous of the Muslims asserted that I had no right to quote from the Quran as I wasn’t a Muslim. There are many more emotional outbursts and some extreme hatred for Christianity expressed by some of the students in attendance at these meetings.

The Atheist Holocaust
The question and answer time became explosive. There was lots of screaming and shouting, and wildly insane comments. One student stood up and declared: “Look at what Christians like Joseph Stalin have done in Russia!” I had to respond: “Excuse me, do I understand you correctly? Are you suggesting that Joseph Stalin, the Dictator of Russia, was a Christian?!” When the Muslim confirmed that yes, that was exactly what he was saying, I had to remind him: “But Joseph Stalin was an Atheist who destroyed over 48,000 churches and murdered millions of Christians. Communism is inherently Atheistic. Atheism, materialism and economic determinism are the three pillars of communism. Stalin declared that evolution prepares the way for revolution.”

The head of the Atheist Society exploded that it was outrageous for me to suggest that millions of people had been killed in the name of Atheism. I responded: “But, of course, that is the fact. Over 160 million people were killed in the 20 th Century alone, in the name of Atheism. Secular Humanist governments, such as in the Soviet Union, Red China, Cambodia, North Korea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Angola, Cuba and Zimbabwe, in the name of Atheism, have killed millions of their own citizens, in the name of Atheism and Darwinian social theory.”

Evangelising Muslims
As on every other occasion, when the meeting officially ended, the ministry continued with the Maranatha Christian Fellowship students well placed throughout the room to engage in effective evangelistic conversations with the visiting Muslims, Atheists and assorted pagans. These discussions went on for hours.

Specially prepared evangelistic DVDs with the testimonies of Muslims converted to Christ were distributed to interested students. There was much interest in our evangelistic and missions literature and CDs and numerous of the Muslim students requested Bibles and Christian films such as the Jesus film in their own languages.

After each meeting I had opportunities to personally share the Gospel with students from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Syria.

Cush Will Submit To God
I also had the opportunity of meeting with Sudanese students at Minnesota State University, and presenting to them a PowerPoint slide presentation on the situation in Sudan. I urged these Sudanese students, many of whom have concluded post-graduate studies, to return to their country, which is now at peace, and help rebuild Sudan on Biblical principles. Their training and skills are desperately needed in the reconstruction of Sudan.

Mission Symposium on The Horn of Africa
By God’s grace, I also had the privilege of being the main speaker at The Horn of Africa Mission Symposium in San Jose. The topics they assigned to me included: Refocusing Our Mission and Synergetic Strategy: Working Smarter. I encouraged the many African members present to seriously consider returning to their countries, which desperately need their skills, expertise and their faith. Every year Africa loses an average of 26,000 college graduates. Africa is being hemoerrahaged by the brain drain of university and college graduates leaving Africa for Europe and America.

We cannot fulfill The Great Commission by having so many of the best and brightest leaders, teachers, pastors, nurses, doctors, engineers and businessmen abandon Africa in her time of greatest need. They know the local languages, the cultures, the problems and the opportunities better than any foreign missionaries could. For every missionary going to Africa, there are more than ten African Christians with college degrees leaving Africa. This is undermining the church, and sabotaging all attempts to fulfill The Great Commission in Africa!

World Missionary Press
In Indiana, I was a keynote speaker at the World Missionary Press Anniversary Celebration dinner. I challenged the 750 people attending the WMP supper with a 300 picture PowerPoint slide presentation on the impact of Gospel literature and personal evangelism in Angola, Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. There was a tremendous interest in the Frontline literature, books and CDs at this meeting. World Missionary Press has already supplied Frontline Fellowship with 1,8000,000 Gospel booklets for us to deliver and distribute throughout Africa.

The Creation Museum
I was also a guest at the new Creation Museum in Kentucky. I enjoyed a couple of hours with Ken Ham, the Founder of Answers in Genesis, and spent two days exploring, examining and experiencing the Creation Museum. It is absolutely magnificent, one the very best museums in the world. Bible-based, Christ-centred, God-honouring and powerfully effective in inspiring and equipping Christians to give a reasoned, logical defense of the Scriptures in a hostile and secular society. Their museum is very well designed to bring the Gospel of Christ to unsaved inquirers and skeptics. This is an experience no visitor will ever forget. It is absolutely world class, brilliantly laid out. I brought back to South Africa boxes of great Creation Evangelism resource materials from Answers in Genesis.

Ministering in America
My US ministry trip also included six church services, seven radio and TV interviews, including on The Harvest Show which is broadcast to 42 million people worldwide, including throughout the Middle East. I talked at Sunday Schools, lectured at universities, conducted chapel services, missions rallies and a men’s camp.

Reformation Celebration in Cape Town
I returned to South Africa just in time for the Reformation Celebration week which included services, a seminar, lectures, presentations, including to a school assembly, and a businessmen’s breakfast, radio programmes, and a special Reformation Day Celebration service at the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek.

Reforming Prayer
My new book: The Power of Prayer Handbook, is now available, having been launched during The Reformation Celebration. Rev. Erlo Stegen, the Founder of KwaSizabantu Mission, writes in the Foreword to The Power of Prayer Handbook: “Revivals are born in the atmosphere of true prayer. Desperate prayer. No Christian will ever grow spiritually if this part of his life is neglected…prayer is not a monologue, it’s a two-way conversation. We speak to God and we need Him to speak to us. The example of the Pharisee and the publican praying in the Temple was used as an example of false and true prayer. The Pharisee prayed with himself (Luke 18:11), God didn’t even come into the picture. Since his own life was not right with God it revolved around himself and brought no response from Heaven. The publican or tax collector on the other hand prayed from his heart in such a way that God immediately responded and Jesus could say ‘ He went away justified’ . May this book by Dr. Peter Hammond serve to inspire many to pray in such a way that the power of God would be revealed.”

It is our heartfelt prayer that the Lord will use The Power of Prayer Handbook to bless, challenge and equip readers to experience the power of dynamic Bible-based prayer. Those who want to revive their prayer life, restore the church prayer meeting, and see the course of history changed by prayer, will want to obtain this practical handbook which includes chapters on Imprecatory Prayer, Praying for Justice, Praying for the Persecuted, Prayer and the Sovereignty of God, How to Revive Our Devotional Lives and Guidelines for Extended Prayer Focus, National Repentance and Revival.

New Resources Available

Please continue to pray for our many new resources being developed here at Livingstone House, including new audio CD boxsets on: Understanding History; The Biblical Worldview Summit; The Great Commission Course; The Great Reformation; The Muslim EvangelismWorkshop as well a series of MP3s and data CDs (with the lecture notes and PowerPoints for our various leadership training programmes). Through The William Carey Bible Institute these audio CDs, books and DVDs are being donated to Bible colleges and Christian school libraries throughout the continent.

Serving The Persecuted in Zimbabwe
Please continue to pray for our evangelists who have been delivering Boxes With Love, medicines and emergency food to destitute pensioners and other Christians suffering in Zimbabwe. 11 November is The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. We have been enthusiastically promoting this through Frontline Fellowship News, the www.frontline.org.za website, through e-updates, on our weekly Salt & Light radio programme and through articles in JOY! magazine.

JOY! Magazine
By God’s grace, the latest JOY! magazine includes an interview with Rev. Bill Bathman Missionary to the Persecuted, a tribute to Dr James Kennedy, and an article on Praying For the Persecuted Church.

Projects in The Pipeline
Please continue to pray for all of our missionaries and staff, and for our book projects Reforming Our Families and War Against God which are nearing completion.

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Please also try to mobilise your congregation or school to observe the 11 th November as an International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

Thank You
We are very grateful for your prayers, for your encouragement and support. May the Lord continue to be your joy and strength.

Yours for the fulfillment of The Great Commission,

Dr Peter Hammond
Frontline Fellowship 
P.O. Box 74
Newlands, 7725
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: (021) 689-4480
Fax: (021) 685-5884
Email: [email protected]