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Light Force: A Stirring Account of the Church Caught in the Middle East Crossfire
For years, Christians have fled from the horrific conflict in the Middle East. Today, in the land where the church began, less than two percent of the people in Israel, West Bank and Gaza are Christians. Yet that remnant holds the hope for peace-if they can only persevere in faith and not be discouraged.
Light Force is the remarkable story of Brother Andrew's mission to seek out the church in the Middle East, learn about its conditions and needs, and do whatever he can to strengthen what remains. Through dramatic true stories, readers get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at real people affected by the centuries-old conflicts in this volatile part of the world.
Now available in paper, this gripping account of the church caught in the crossfire will captivate readers everywhere.
Light Force is the remarkable story of Brother Andrew's mission to seek out the church in the Middle East, learn about its conditions and needs, and do whatever he can to strengthen what remains. Through dramatic true stories, readers get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at real people affected by the centuries-old conflicts in this volatile part of the world.
Now available in paper, this gripping account of the church caught in the crossfire will captivate readers everywhere.
344 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
208 people are currently reading
664 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 20, 2021
Rating: 4.5 stars
Summary: The book is really a collection of Brother Andrew’s experiences in the Middle East from the late 1900s through the early 2000s. The structure of the book is a little confusing as it switches between speakers, times, and places several times throughout the chapters. It can be hard to keep all those names straight, and there didn’t always seem to be an organized structure to the chapters.
But I did enjoy learning about the courageous missionaries and pastors working in some of the most dangerous areas of the world and about their ministry organizations. I was especially fascinated by the reconciliation program for Israelis and Palestinians called Musahala.
A common theme throughout the book was Brother Andrew’s mission of strengthening the local church there, and I loved seeing how that developed throughout the book and how his mission led to any explosion of new churches and ministries started in the Middle East.
My Thoughts: It was a fascinating read! While the organization of the book was confusing, the information presented was very helpful. I learned so much about the past fifty years of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I quickly discovered that it’s far more complicated and nuanced than I had previously thought. Neither side has been right and each has had their share of injustices and wrongs, but I appreciate that Brother Andrew didn’t focus on which side is “right,” but that Jesus Christ is the only solution for lasting peace.
It was really interesting to see Brother Andrew and the local Christians work through practical, realistic ways the Palestinian church could be a light to their community, which often looks very different from our Western ideas. All along, Brother Andrew is very humble in admitting his mistakes and misconceptions coming in as a Westerner. He’s careful to show readers that he is human.
I was especially intrigued to learn about the Musahala program, where Israeli and Palestinian Christians spend time in the desert together to foster reconciliation and understanding between the two sides. This is such a creative way of bringing the two sides together!
It was heart-breaking to read about the intense suffering the Lebanese and Palestinian people have endured throughout the years. But despite the conflict, there is a thread of hope running through the book for those who rest in Christ. Although at the beginning of the book, the Christians in Palestine were depressed, discouraged, and afraid and the church was almost non-existent, by the end, they were a joy-filled, living, growing, and emboldened body for Christ, all because of Brother Andrew’s ministry. This shows me how much the encouragement and support of fellow believers can do for our souls!
It was so inspiring to read the individual stories of lives changed by the Middle Eastern conflict. God used the pain and suffering of this terrible situation to lead people to Christ and transform their lives. And I was inspired reading about the missionaries there, both local and foreign, who risked their lives and willingly entered dangerous war zones to bring hope to the people there.
The revival at Gaza Baptist Church, in the middle of a war zone no less, especially inspired me. That the Christians there could grow and accomplish so much for Christ in just six years is truly encouraging. With God, nothing is impossible!
The hope that this book presents is that even though Israel is a nation divided, Christians have the perfect opportunity, as one, unified body in Christ, to lead the way in reconciliation. Man will never be able to solve the problem. But Christ can. He alone is the solution, and He is sending the church as His light force.
I was really moved by Andrew’s challenge to the rest of the church around the world to help their hurting counterpart in Israel. It makes me wonder, would God have me do something there someday? Who knows? Maybe He has a plan for me there somewhere down the road.
If you want to hear personal stories of lives changed from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or be inspired by what God can do with His church, I would encourage you to read this book!
Summary: The book is really a collection of Brother Andrew’s experiences in the Middle East from the late 1900s through the early 2000s. The structure of the book is a little confusing as it switches between speakers, times, and places several times throughout the chapters. It can be hard to keep all those names straight, and there didn’t always seem to be an organized structure to the chapters.
But I did enjoy learning about the courageous missionaries and pastors working in some of the most dangerous areas of the world and about their ministry organizations. I was especially fascinated by the reconciliation program for Israelis and Palestinians called Musahala.
A common theme throughout the book was Brother Andrew’s mission of strengthening the local church there, and I loved seeing how that developed throughout the book and how his mission led to any explosion of new churches and ministries started in the Middle East.
My Thoughts: It was a fascinating read! While the organization of the book was confusing, the information presented was very helpful. I learned so much about the past fifty years of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I quickly discovered that it’s far more complicated and nuanced than I had previously thought. Neither side has been right and each has had their share of injustices and wrongs, but I appreciate that Brother Andrew didn’t focus on which side is “right,” but that Jesus Christ is the only solution for lasting peace.
It was really interesting to see Brother Andrew and the local Christians work through practical, realistic ways the Palestinian church could be a light to their community, which often looks very different from our Western ideas. All along, Brother Andrew is very humble in admitting his mistakes and misconceptions coming in as a Westerner. He’s careful to show readers that he is human.
I was especially intrigued to learn about the Musahala program, where Israeli and Palestinian Christians spend time in the desert together to foster reconciliation and understanding between the two sides. This is such a creative way of bringing the two sides together!
It was heart-breaking to read about the intense suffering the Lebanese and Palestinian people have endured throughout the years. But despite the conflict, there is a thread of hope running through the book for those who rest in Christ. Although at the beginning of the book, the Christians in Palestine were depressed, discouraged, and afraid and the church was almost non-existent, by the end, they were a joy-filled, living, growing, and emboldened body for Christ, all because of Brother Andrew’s ministry. This shows me how much the encouragement and support of fellow believers can do for our souls!
It was so inspiring to read the individual stories of lives changed by the Middle Eastern conflict. God used the pain and suffering of this terrible situation to lead people to Christ and transform their lives. And I was inspired reading about the missionaries there, both local and foreign, who risked their lives and willingly entered dangerous war zones to bring hope to the people there.
The revival at Gaza Baptist Church, in the middle of a war zone no less, especially inspired me. That the Christians there could grow and accomplish so much for Christ in just six years is truly encouraging. With God, nothing is impossible!
The hope that this book presents is that even though Israel is a nation divided, Christians have the perfect opportunity, as one, unified body in Christ, to lead the way in reconciliation. Man will never be able to solve the problem. But Christ can. He alone is the solution, and He is sending the church as His light force.
I was really moved by Andrew’s challenge to the rest of the church around the world to help their hurting counterpart in Israel. It makes me wonder, would God have me do something there someday? Who knows? Maybe He has a plan for me there somewhere down the road.
If you want to hear personal stories of lives changed from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or be inspired by what God can do with His church, I would encourage you to read this book!
February 10, 2022
This book chronicles some of Brother Andrew's interactions with the persecuted church first in Lebanon and then in Israel. Even though I am living in the ME and work among Muslims, I have to admit that I was challenged in my assumptions. When I hear, "Palestinian" I generally think Muslim. I am pretty sure we all do. But what about the Palestinian Christians? Prior to Israel gaining statehood, about 15% of the Palestinian population (although they weren't called Palestinian yet) was Christian. Those Palestinian Christians were taking hits from both sides. The Israeli's treated them just the same as they did their Muslim neighbors (aka: horribly). But also, as the Palestinian Muslims grew more and more radical, the Christians in their midst were more and more oppressed. The pressure to leave the country was doubly intense to the point that the percentage of Christians among the Palestinians in the area had dropped to below 3%. This is the story of those that remained and what they have done to turn that tide. Beyond that, this book shows what the Palestinian church and Messianic Jews have done to bridge the divide and bring about reconciliation and understanding. It is demonstrably true that if the world followed the church's example, there would be peace in the Middle East. This book shows how.
My only gripe about this book is that it is now 17 years old. I would love an updated and revised edition or a sequel. Either way, this book was good enough that I am actually planning on going to Bethlehem this summer ('22) to volunteer here. If you want more info on that, feel free to send me a message. When a book makes that big of an impact, it has earned that rare fifth star.
My only gripe about this book is that it is now 17 years old. I would love an updated and revised edition or a sequel. Either way, this book was good enough that I am actually planning on going to Bethlehem this summer ('22) to volunteer here. If you want more info on that, feel free to send me a message. When a book makes that big of an impact, it has earned that rare fifth star.
July 22, 2011
Brother Andrew (the God Smuggler guy- read that too) says that what Communism was for the last half of the twentieth century is what Islam will be for the next hundred years, that is, the big Other, the worldview that tries to challenge Christianity on its own terms. This book, in any case, is about the mission that Brother Andrew and his organization are on to shine the light into the Middle East, especially Palestine. It is astonishing, and it helps one understand the politics, the tensions, and the hope for that region. It is worth mentioning that I borrowed this book from a couple who will be going on a year long mission trip to Bethlehem in a month or so. Aslan, friends, is on the move.
May 15, 2023
Light Force is a collection of memories and key moments in Brother Andrew’s mission work in the Middle East.
While what God did through Brother Andrew and the church in the Middle East is no less than incredible, I found the actual book itself disjointed and hard to read, mostly in the first 2 parts.
Still very much worth a read - it exposed my lack of understanding for Palestinien Christians and my disturbingly small view of God and what He has the power to do.
Quote from Brother Andrew’s outreach to Palestinien Muslims (but also relevant to any Christian!)
“We are the Bible non-Christians read”
While what God did through Brother Andrew and the church in the Middle East is no less than incredible, I found the actual book itself disjointed and hard to read, mostly in the first 2 parts.
Still very much worth a read - it exposed my lack of understanding for Palestinien Christians and my disturbingly small view of God and what He has the power to do.
Quote from Brother Andrew’s outreach to Palestinien Muslims (but also relevant to any Christian!)
“We are the Bible non-Christians read”
October 5, 2014
Arguably one of the most important books I have ever read...should be required reading for all western Christians. The church has let our Palestinian brothers and sisters down. No doubt in my mind that this fact breaks Jesus' heart. Not to mention hindering the spread of The Gospel in the Middle East. As Brother Andrew says there will be no peace in the Middle East until they know the Prince of Peace. And FWIW the author's love for the Palestinian people in no way detracts from his love for Israel, but the truth is the truth and there are fallen folks on both side of that particular equation. Please read this book!
November 20, 2015
I give this book a 4 because it is an important topic, but not because of great writing. It dragged for me often and I don't always theologically agree with it, but it IS important to become aware of the church in the Middle East.
February 21, 2023
Took me a while to properly get into this but it was such an interesting and important insight into the conflict in the Middle East and how local Christians are affected and bringing hope. I felt at times Brother Andrew focussed too much on the male narrative - would have loved to hear more about female characters, but this is in some ways a reflection of the culture.
August 17, 2015
Many people will be familiar with Brother Andrew's first book God's Smuggler, but did you know that once this book became a best seller Brother Andrew was no longer able to visit communist countries? The work of Open Doors, the organization he founded, expanded into other countries where Christians struggled to follow their faith in a hostile environment.
Light Force tells the story of Brother Andrew's passion to support struggling churches in the Middle East, and to encourage them in their evangelism towards the dominant culture. Brother Andrew's work also involves being a facilitator to draw Messianic and Palestinian Christians, and Muslims and Christians together.
The book is divided into four unequal parts. The first part explains Brother Andrew's mission to help the church in the Middle East. The second part outlines the history of Lebanon from 1979 - 1989 and tells of its devastating effect on the lives of Lebanese Christians. Part 3, describes the tragedy of the divided city of Jerusalem and tells how Open Doors and Brother Andrew support a range of different outreaches for Christians and non-Christians (including meetings with Hamas leaders and others). The final part describes the Intifada, tells how it is affects people's daily lives and how we, as the church in the west, could respond.
Most parts of the book are about different Middle East countries set in different times and this was confusing initially.
The book is written in an easy to read style and includes considerable dialogue and personal stories that bring this whole tragic situation to life in a very dramatic way. Brother Andrew does not comment on the political situation in these troubled countries.
At the back of the book there are references to other organizations working in the Middle East, a selected bibliography and a short profile of the authors.
As Brother Andrew says "there is no 'happily ever after' conclusion. The conflict in the Middle East isn't resolved. There has been no peace accord. Readers want results, conversions, etc but I can't produce those. I can only ask the question, What if I had not gone?"
"Christianity in the Middle East cannot be allowed to fade away as it is the birthplace of our faith and stands as a beacon of hope to the rest of the world."
Light Force tells the story of Brother Andrew's passion to support struggling churches in the Middle East, and to encourage them in their evangelism towards the dominant culture. Brother Andrew's work also involves being a facilitator to draw Messianic and Palestinian Christians, and Muslims and Christians together.
The book is divided into four unequal parts. The first part explains Brother Andrew's mission to help the church in the Middle East. The second part outlines the history of Lebanon from 1979 - 1989 and tells of its devastating effect on the lives of Lebanese Christians. Part 3, describes the tragedy of the divided city of Jerusalem and tells how Open Doors and Brother Andrew support a range of different outreaches for Christians and non-Christians (including meetings with Hamas leaders and others). The final part describes the Intifada, tells how it is affects people's daily lives and how we, as the church in the west, could respond.
Most parts of the book are about different Middle East countries set in different times and this was confusing initially.
The book is written in an easy to read style and includes considerable dialogue and personal stories that bring this whole tragic situation to life in a very dramatic way. Brother Andrew does not comment on the political situation in these troubled countries.
At the back of the book there are references to other organizations working in the Middle East, a selected bibliography and a short profile of the authors.
As Brother Andrew says "there is no 'happily ever after' conclusion. The conflict in the Middle East isn't resolved. There has been no peace accord. Readers want results, conversions, etc but I can't produce those. I can only ask the question, What if I had not gone?"
"Christianity in the Middle East cannot be allowed to fade away as it is the birthplace of our faith and stands as a beacon of hope to the rest of the world."
July 13, 2019
I knew a girl who was half Palestinian. One time I heard her say that she hated Jews. I knew very little about the whole conflict between Israel and Palestine, and I naively thought that Israel wasn’t at fault and that this girl had no right to hate Israel.
Now I know better.
I love the people of Israel, particularly because of my Christian faith. I have no Jewish roots, but I have always loved those people. In fact, it is a dream of mine to study at the Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel. But just because I love Israel does not mean I cannot see when they have committed evil.
It is my belief that the land belongs to Israel, but that Israel is meant to share what they have received. There is no reason to forcefully and violently remove people from their homes. I couldn’t believe the way that Israel shed innocent bled and killed so many people. It utterly shocked me. It was wrong on all levels.
After reading this book, I can see why my friend hated Israel. Of course, her hatred is wrong, but I see that there is a reason for it. I admire each and every Palestinian believer who forgave Israel and who made peace with them. I admire the Jews who have done likewise.
Brother Andrew is one of my heroes. While it is true that much of his work in this book did not yield as much fruit as we would like to see, I believe his ministry was effective. After all, the Kingdom of God begins as a small mustard seed.
This book is more violent than “God’s Smuggler,” but it’s definitely worth the read.
Now I know better.
I love the people of Israel, particularly because of my Christian faith. I have no Jewish roots, but I have always loved those people. In fact, it is a dream of mine to study at the Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel. But just because I love Israel does not mean I cannot see when they have committed evil.
It is my belief that the land belongs to Israel, but that Israel is meant to share what they have received. There is no reason to forcefully and violently remove people from their homes. I couldn’t believe the way that Israel shed innocent bled and killed so many people. It utterly shocked me. It was wrong on all levels.
After reading this book, I can see why my friend hated Israel. Of course, her hatred is wrong, but I see that there is a reason for it. I admire each and every Palestinian believer who forgave Israel and who made peace with them. I admire the Jews who have done likewise.
Brother Andrew is one of my heroes. While it is true that much of his work in this book did not yield as much fruit as we would like to see, I believe his ministry was effective. After all, the Kingdom of God begins as a small mustard seed.
This book is more violent than “God’s Smuggler,” but it’s definitely worth the read.
July 31, 2021
This book took me over a month to read, and to be honest I was relieved when it was over. I think part the reason that that I had a hard time reading this book was because of the theology. I have issues with several doctrines presented in this book, and besides being saddened and concerned to see these bad theologies promoted and preached in these people’s lives, I was not at all eager to pick up this book knowing I’d probably find some statement I disagree with.
Sovereignty of God
From what I read in this book, I gathered that Brother Andrew is an Arminian. This particularly disturbed me because it’s such a damaging theology, especially to a struggling, persecuted church.
“God spoke to Cain before he committed his criminal deed and tried to convince him to do what was right and to resist the sin crouching at his door… If God couldn’t turn Cain away from his murderous course, then I certainly had no power to change Hamas hearts.”
God had no power to change Cain’s murderous heart? Well then how did the conversion of Paul happen?? If God has no power to change the hearts of the men He created, then we are in trouble.
Later: “‘So what have you learned from our friend Job?’ ‘That God is with us in the midst of our trials. I needed to be reminded of that. Faith doesn’t mean that God will eliminate my problems. Rather, I realize that God is with me and with my congregation in the midst of our problems.’ ‘And He is sufficient.’” Right. So how come a moment ago He was insufficient to stop Cain?
“Oh, that our hearts may be gripped by the potential power of Jesus to bring people together:”
“Potential”? Very bad word choice here. Jesus’ power isn’t potential, it is.
“…If we let Him, God can change things through you and me.”
God doesn't need us to "let" Him do anything. He’s the Creator of the world, our King and Father! Since when has He needed our permission to do something?
“So everybody is loved by God, but it’s up to you if you accept His love or not.”
Let me ask again, was it up to Paul? He was literally knocked off his horse and blinded by God. What about all the men Jesus cast demons out of? Did they ask for that?
“Our brothers and sisters have told us what they need. First, and most important, they have begged us to pray! It’s been the same throughout my fifty years of ministry: wherever I’ve gone to encourage my brethren, they have always requested prayer.”
Going back to the sovereignty issue, I just want to ask what the point of praying is if God doesn’t have the power to change hearts.
God and Allah as one and the same
“Rantisi answered me directly in English: ‘…The Christians are the closest people in the world to Muslims because God is our Lord and their Lord. By being so, we are really brothers.’”
“Suddenly I realized that I didn’t have to agree with Muslims to identify with their deep, heartfelt cries to God.”
“As the last notes from the mosques died away at 7:30, we observed that the words of the psalm described many of the prayers of Muslims, Jews, and Christians. People call out in distress, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Muslims cannot know God as Father. They call out to Allah, ‘the hearing one,’ but without knowing if He will answer their prayers.”
“[The director of a Muslim organization said], ‘All of this is for God. Our friends at the Baptist church are a big help.’”
All these passages make me think that Brother Andrew and his counterparts view Allah and God as one and the same. But Allah is not God.
Imbalance between time spent on Christians’ faults and Muslims’ faults
“Ayatollahs Fadlallah and Khomeini knew all about law, but nothing about grace.”
“The answer shook me. It suddenly dawned on me that Islam didn’t rely on a building. For many Christians, the Church couldn’t function without buildings. What difference would it make in our world if we believed every home was a church?”
“If only there were more Christians as faithful in the practice of their faith, then the world might take us more seriously.”
“As we continued on our walk, we discussed whether we would be so proud and bold in our witness three days after one of our sons had died. This man told us that his son was in paradise because he had died as a ‘martyr.’ This man’s faith was absolute. He had staked his life on that. How many Christians were just as certain of their faith? What about the local believers in Gaza? Without a similar faith and passion, how could they hope to be heard among the million-plus Muslims?”
From this book I got the feeling that Brother Andrew is constantly calling out the church. Certainly, many Christians in the West need to be convicted of their lukewarmness, but I noticed that he never really calls out the Muslims. And it almost feels as if he's holding Muslims up as an example for Christians to follow.
Maybe I’m not being fair. This book was to the church, about the church, so the fact that he spends more time dwelling on the Church and its issues than the issues of Islam may not be so problematic. Also, this book took me so long to read that maybe I’ve forgotten all the instances where he does call out the Muslims; I know there was at least one instance (first quote in this section). But combined with the fact that Brother Andrew seems to view God and Allah as the same person, these passages bothered me.
Related to that, another reason I was disappointed in this book was that Islam is never really explained, it’s just always stated as a wrong belief, but there isn’t too much detail about what is wrong about it. Maybe I just felt that way because I know more about Islam than this book went into, so it didn’t tell me anything new.
I did learn a lot about the Middle East and its conflicts, and more about the Christian presence there, so I wouldn’t not recommend this book to anyone, but I would warn them about the theological issues.
Sovereignty of God
From what I read in this book, I gathered that Brother Andrew is an Arminian. This particularly disturbed me because it’s such a damaging theology, especially to a struggling, persecuted church.
“God spoke to Cain before he committed his criminal deed and tried to convince him to do what was right and to resist the sin crouching at his door… If God couldn’t turn Cain away from his murderous course, then I certainly had no power to change Hamas hearts.”
God had no power to change Cain’s murderous heart? Well then how did the conversion of Paul happen?? If God has no power to change the hearts of the men He created, then we are in trouble.
Later: “‘So what have you learned from our friend Job?’ ‘That God is with us in the midst of our trials. I needed to be reminded of that. Faith doesn’t mean that God will eliminate my problems. Rather, I realize that God is with me and with my congregation in the midst of our problems.’ ‘And He is sufficient.’” Right. So how come a moment ago He was insufficient to stop Cain?
“Oh, that our hearts may be gripped by the potential power of Jesus to bring people together:”
“Potential”? Very bad word choice here. Jesus’ power isn’t potential, it is.
“…If we let Him, God can change things through you and me.”
God doesn't need us to "let" Him do anything. He’s the Creator of the world, our King and Father! Since when has He needed our permission to do something?
“So everybody is loved by God, but it’s up to you if you accept His love or not.”
Let me ask again, was it up to Paul? He was literally knocked off his horse and blinded by God. What about all the men Jesus cast demons out of? Did they ask for that?
“Our brothers and sisters have told us what they need. First, and most important, they have begged us to pray! It’s been the same throughout my fifty years of ministry: wherever I’ve gone to encourage my brethren, they have always requested prayer.”
Going back to the sovereignty issue, I just want to ask what the point of praying is if God doesn’t have the power to change hearts.
God and Allah as one and the same
“Rantisi answered me directly in English: ‘…The Christians are the closest people in the world to Muslims because God is our Lord and their Lord. By being so, we are really brothers.’”
“Suddenly I realized that I didn’t have to agree with Muslims to identify with their deep, heartfelt cries to God.”
“As the last notes from the mosques died away at 7:30, we observed that the words of the psalm described many of the prayers of Muslims, Jews, and Christians. People call out in distress, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Muslims cannot know God as Father. They call out to Allah, ‘the hearing one,’ but without knowing if He will answer their prayers.”
“[The director of a Muslim organization said], ‘All of this is for God. Our friends at the Baptist church are a big help.’”
All these passages make me think that Brother Andrew and his counterparts view Allah and God as one and the same. But Allah is not God.
Imbalance between time spent on Christians’ faults and Muslims’ faults
“Ayatollahs Fadlallah and Khomeini knew all about law, but nothing about grace.”
“The answer shook me. It suddenly dawned on me that Islam didn’t rely on a building. For many Christians, the Church couldn’t function without buildings. What difference would it make in our world if we believed every home was a church?”
“If only there were more Christians as faithful in the practice of their faith, then the world might take us more seriously.”
“As we continued on our walk, we discussed whether we would be so proud and bold in our witness three days after one of our sons had died. This man told us that his son was in paradise because he had died as a ‘martyr.’ This man’s faith was absolute. He had staked his life on that. How many Christians were just as certain of their faith? What about the local believers in Gaza? Without a similar faith and passion, how could they hope to be heard among the million-plus Muslims?”
From this book I got the feeling that Brother Andrew is constantly calling out the church. Certainly, many Christians in the West need to be convicted of their lukewarmness, but I noticed that he never really calls out the Muslims. And it almost feels as if he's holding Muslims up as an example for Christians to follow.
Maybe I’m not being fair. This book was to the church, about the church, so the fact that he spends more time dwelling on the Church and its issues than the issues of Islam may not be so problematic. Also, this book took me so long to read that maybe I’ve forgotten all the instances where he does call out the Muslims; I know there was at least one instance (first quote in this section). But combined with the fact that Brother Andrew seems to view God and Allah as the same person, these passages bothered me.
Related to that, another reason I was disappointed in this book was that Islam is never really explained, it’s just always stated as a wrong belief, but there isn’t too much detail about what is wrong about it. Maybe I just felt that way because I know more about Islam than this book went into, so it didn’t tell me anything new.
I did learn a lot about the Middle East and its conflicts, and more about the Christian presence there, so I wouldn’t not recommend this book to anyone, but I would warn them about the theological issues.
January 6, 2018
I really enjoyed this book for it touches a very hard, but beautiful and important aspect of Christianity: we must forgive our enemies. It is not possible through the human efforts, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I fully understand that the conflict has been horrible for the Innocents and also for the manipulated ones. Many Christians are suffering in Gaza and in all the other Muslim countries around the world, simply because this "religion" has some verses that allow other interpretations and, thus, terrible crimes may occur in "name of Allah".
Unfortunately Islam is a heretic branch of Christianity. When the Bizantine Empire expulsed the Nestorians, they went to the Syriac region and started to teach their heretic Christianity and their Neo-platonic philosophy. It was part of the base for what would become Islam, since the Arabs learnt their philosophy from the Syriac sources.
Islam began founding a large Empire during the Late Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. It conquered a lot of nations though the sword and made the "infidels" confess Allah putting their heads to prize: or Allah, or death!
Christians, Jews and followers of Zoroastrianism could keep their religion, but should pay a tax. For Muslims during that age it was better keep the "people of the Book" just to keep the income that they provided. This is why they did not obligated the conversions immediately.
It is just the peak of the iceberg...
Love really is the solution, together with the unique Truth, which is Jesus Christ, Son of God, dead and back to life from the dead ones.
However, although I understand and fully comprehend the suffering of Palestinian people through this book, as well as I condemn the immoral actions of some Israeli soldiers (as I think the own Israeli people should condemn), I still think that we shouldn't forgive that Islam is not and never will be a religion of peace. It never was! Just take a good Medieval History book and you will see there the evidences of Muslim attacks against Christianity. It was the Muslims Seljucid Turks whom provoked the calling of the Crusades, for they were threatening the Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land.
Even if a intelectual Muslim does not take a gun to shoot, his or her pen is powerful enough to make a huge crowd of fanatic followers to kill and destroy others!
It was just one intelectual Muslim who was needed to launch the bases for the Muslim Brotherhood! After it, they soon wished to assume the power in Egypt and also later in Syria. They always come saying that they bring a more pure version of Islam. It does not make me surprise when we open the newspaper and see a "Shariah police" working unofficially in Germany, monitoring the own German Muslims to check if they are doing things well.
May Jesus bless and change the hearts of our enemies, but never let us forgive that the evil ones should be handled by the Countries. If someone promotes the evil, this is why an Army exist, to defend the societies. As the criminal of the cross said to the other: "we are suffering what we deserve, but He did nothing to suffer it!"
That amazing criminal knew that he deserved his punishment. He was forgiven by God, but faced the consequences of his crime through the power of the sovereign Roman Empire. A State must be moral enough to protect the people. Islam, Nazism and Communism are a menace to all countries and to all innocent people around this world.
In short, brilliant book, but do not let the romanced vision of the terrorists and Muslims change our visions. I truly loved how he was wise to chat with them and how he cares for the Palestinan people. I do not approve everything done by Israel, but we must admit it is probably the unique free democracy of Middle East.
I fully understand that the conflict has been horrible for the Innocents and also for the manipulated ones. Many Christians are suffering in Gaza and in all the other Muslim countries around the world, simply because this "religion" has some verses that allow other interpretations and, thus, terrible crimes may occur in "name of Allah".
Unfortunately Islam is a heretic branch of Christianity. When the Bizantine Empire expulsed the Nestorians, they went to the Syriac region and started to teach their heretic Christianity and their Neo-platonic philosophy. It was part of the base for what would become Islam, since the Arabs learnt their philosophy from the Syriac sources.
Islam began founding a large Empire during the Late Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. It conquered a lot of nations though the sword and made the "infidels" confess Allah putting their heads to prize: or Allah, or death!
Christians, Jews and followers of Zoroastrianism could keep their religion, but should pay a tax. For Muslims during that age it was better keep the "people of the Book" just to keep the income that they provided. This is why they did not obligated the conversions immediately.
It is just the peak of the iceberg...
Love really is the solution, together with the unique Truth, which is Jesus Christ, Son of God, dead and back to life from the dead ones.
However, although I understand and fully comprehend the suffering of Palestinian people through this book, as well as I condemn the immoral actions of some Israeli soldiers (as I think the own Israeli people should condemn), I still think that we shouldn't forgive that Islam is not and never will be a religion of peace. It never was! Just take a good Medieval History book and you will see there the evidences of Muslim attacks against Christianity. It was the Muslims Seljucid Turks whom provoked the calling of the Crusades, for they were threatening the Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land.
Even if a intelectual Muslim does not take a gun to shoot, his or her pen is powerful enough to make a huge crowd of fanatic followers to kill and destroy others!
It was just one intelectual Muslim who was needed to launch the bases for the Muslim Brotherhood! After it, they soon wished to assume the power in Egypt and also later in Syria. They always come saying that they bring a more pure version of Islam. It does not make me surprise when we open the newspaper and see a "Shariah police" working unofficially in Germany, monitoring the own German Muslims to check if they are doing things well.
May Jesus bless and change the hearts of our enemies, but never let us forgive that the evil ones should be handled by the Countries. If someone promotes the evil, this is why an Army exist, to defend the societies. As the criminal of the cross said to the other: "we are suffering what we deserve, but He did nothing to suffer it!"
That amazing criminal knew that he deserved his punishment. He was forgiven by God, but faced the consequences of his crime through the power of the sovereign Roman Empire. A State must be moral enough to protect the people. Islam, Nazism and Communism are a menace to all countries and to all innocent people around this world.
In short, brilliant book, but do not let the romanced vision of the terrorists and Muslims change our visions. I truly loved how he was wise to chat with them and how he cares for the Palestinan people. I do not approve everything done by Israel, but we must admit it is probably the unique free democracy of Middle East.
January 2, 2023
After God’s Smuggler was published, Brother Andrew became too well-known to continue smuggling Bibles behind the Iron Curtain; fortunately, many were inspired by the book to take on that task. Yet, he was not one to sit on his laurels. His next mission field was the Middle East. More than a decade before the fall of the Iron Curtain, he anticipated the inevitable collapse of the bankrupt ideology of Communism and started looking downfield like a quarterback after the snap. As he noted, “Islam is where the primary conflict will be for the next one hundred years. And the outcome will decide what this world will look like for the next one thousand years.”
Brother Andrew saw his mission as strengthening the church where it struggles for survival, to help it escape a victim mentality and actively work on winning people to Jesus. He had done this for churches behind the Iron Curtain by smuggling Bibles and other Christian literature to them, but the Middle East required a different approach and offered different opportunities. He worked with Open Doors to fund Christian book stores, Bible colleges and seminaries with the purpose of strengthening and encouraging the churches of the war-torn areas of the Middle East. Much of the book focuses on his efforts in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza:
• Lebanon’s civil war was hard on the church in Beirut, and he spent a significant time there, encouraging pastors and providing necessary funding.
• Bethlehem Bible College suffered greatly during the intifadas, with the school and local Christians caught in the crossfire between Palestinian protestors and Israeli reprisals. Curfews disrupted work and class schedules and often meant that people couldn’t get to work. In an effort to maintain a Christian presence and outreach there, Brother Andrew provided encouragement, and Open Doors provided funds.
• With the help of Open Doors, a Bible bookstore was opened in Gaza to provide Christian literature for the church as well as for Muslims seeking Jesus.
Brother Andrew didn’t just encourage the church; he also met with the leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. When he did this, he often presented the gospel and gave them copies of the Bible and God’s Smuggler, which they actually enjoyed reading. I didn’t see that coming! In addition, after Israel deported a number of men associated with Hamas to a barren mountain in southern Lebanon, he met with them and provided them with Christian literature and supplies. He also functioned as an intermediary between them and their families. I have no idea if anyone became a believer as a result of his efforts, but he may have won some breathing room for the church and its outreach efforts. For example, he met with Yasser Arafat to secure facilitated approval for that bookstore in Gaza.
Brother Andrew’s efforts weren’t without controversy. On account of his work with the Palestinian Christians, he was sometimes accused of being anti-Israel. He was pro-church, and that position compelled him to work with Christians, whether they were Messianic Christians or Palestinian Christians. One Christian organization, Musalaha, promotes reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, and the book describes their efforts to get Israeli and Palestinian Christians to look beyond their ethnic rivalries and see each other as brothers in Christ. Such efforts are pro-peace and hardly anti-Israel. May they continue and bear the fruits of peace!
Brother Andrew saw his mission as strengthening the church where it struggles for survival, to help it escape a victim mentality and actively work on winning people to Jesus. He had done this for churches behind the Iron Curtain by smuggling Bibles and other Christian literature to them, but the Middle East required a different approach and offered different opportunities. He worked with Open Doors to fund Christian book stores, Bible colleges and seminaries with the purpose of strengthening and encouraging the churches of the war-torn areas of the Middle East. Much of the book focuses on his efforts in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza:
• Lebanon’s civil war was hard on the church in Beirut, and he spent a significant time there, encouraging pastors and providing necessary funding.
• Bethlehem Bible College suffered greatly during the intifadas, with the school and local Christians caught in the crossfire between Palestinian protestors and Israeli reprisals. Curfews disrupted work and class schedules and often meant that people couldn’t get to work. In an effort to maintain a Christian presence and outreach there, Brother Andrew provided encouragement, and Open Doors provided funds.
• With the help of Open Doors, a Bible bookstore was opened in Gaza to provide Christian literature for the church as well as for Muslims seeking Jesus.
Brother Andrew didn’t just encourage the church; he also met with the leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. When he did this, he often presented the gospel and gave them copies of the Bible and God’s Smuggler, which they actually enjoyed reading. I didn’t see that coming! In addition, after Israel deported a number of men associated with Hamas to a barren mountain in southern Lebanon, he met with them and provided them with Christian literature and supplies. He also functioned as an intermediary between them and their families. I have no idea if anyone became a believer as a result of his efforts, but he may have won some breathing room for the church and its outreach efforts. For example, he met with Yasser Arafat to secure facilitated approval for that bookstore in Gaza.
Brother Andrew’s efforts weren’t without controversy. On account of his work with the Palestinian Christians, he was sometimes accused of being anti-Israel. He was pro-church, and that position compelled him to work with Christians, whether they were Messianic Christians or Palestinian Christians. One Christian organization, Musalaha, promotes reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, and the book describes their efforts to get Israeli and Palestinian Christians to look beyond their ethnic rivalries and see each other as brothers in Christ. Such efforts are pro-peace and hardly anti-Israel. May they continue and bear the fruits of peace!
April 28, 2018
This is a very important book.
Over and over as I read, I thought of the adage, "The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." I felt comforted and afflicted during this book, and with good reason. The Holy Land is a contentious area and it seems that everyone has an opinion on who does and does not belong there. This debate is usually based around two groups: Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims, but this book focuses on the often overlooked Palestinian Christian population in Gaza and the West Bank.
While I don't personally share Brother Andrew's particular theology or doctrine, it's hard not to admire both his sincere mission to facilitate peace as well as his willingness to engage in dialogue with anyone, including Hamas.
This book is also vital for Christians in the West who, too often, forget the plight of Christians (and others) in Palestine: "Of the 700,000 Arabs who fled or were driven out of Palestine, at least 50,000 were Christians... He wondered why the Church around the world didn't seem to care about them. Many Christians seemed far more eager to rejoice about the birth of Israel than to understand the suffering of their fellow believers... Many of the Christians he'd met in the States didn't see the two sides of this coin. They blindly supported everything the state of Israel did, whether good or bad, right or wrong. He understood that many reacted this way as a response to the horror of the Holocaust--he still cringed at the pictures he'd seen and the stories he'd heard. But should justice for one people come at the expense of another?"
The situation of the Church in the Middle East is fraught but not without hope for peace. I'll be passing this book along to a pastor friend of mine.
Over and over as I read, I thought of the adage, "The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." I felt comforted and afflicted during this book, and with good reason. The Holy Land is a contentious area and it seems that everyone has an opinion on who does and does not belong there. This debate is usually based around two groups: Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims, but this book focuses on the often overlooked Palestinian Christian population in Gaza and the West Bank.
While I don't personally share Brother Andrew's particular theology or doctrine, it's hard not to admire both his sincere mission to facilitate peace as well as his willingness to engage in dialogue with anyone, including Hamas.
This book is also vital for Christians in the West who, too often, forget the plight of Christians (and others) in Palestine: "Of the 700,000 Arabs who fled or were driven out of Palestine, at least 50,000 were Christians... He wondered why the Church around the world didn't seem to care about them. Many Christians seemed far more eager to rejoice about the birth of Israel than to understand the suffering of their fellow believers... Many of the Christians he'd met in the States didn't see the two sides of this coin. They blindly supported everything the state of Israel did, whether good or bad, right or wrong. He understood that many reacted this way as a response to the horror of the Holocaust--he still cringed at the pictures he'd seen and the stories he'd heard. But should justice for one people come at the expense of another?"
The situation of the Church in the Middle East is fraught but not without hope for peace. I'll be passing this book along to a pastor friend of mine.
January 30, 2024
This book was written more than a decade before Hamas’ history-changing attack on an Israeli on October 7, 2023. Because I had also read this book more than a decade before that day, I had been for years following news from West Asia with a less lopsidedly Zionist POV than I had before. That doesn’t mean I became a Jew-hater, and you won’t either if you read this book. Rather, may you draw inspiration, whatever your faith is, from the kind servant-heart of the author, going above and beyond to be, “as far as it is in your power, at peace with all men.”
A story from the book that I recall goes something like this: An American Christian was on one of those “Holy Land” tours that have been popular (and profitable for the locals) since Canterbury Tales’ days. While this tourist was admiring a building (I forget the details of how they met up) a Palestinian Christian struck up a conversation with him. “It’s a beautiful property, isn’t it? It belonged to my family, but we were evicted by the Israelis…” The American Christian went home a changed man, still a Christian, but a Christian with a more comprehensive understanding of not just the beauty and wonder, but also the deep pain in this important little corner of the world.
A story from the book that I recall goes something like this: An American Christian was on one of those “Holy Land” tours that have been popular (and profitable for the locals) since Canterbury Tales’ days. While this tourist was admiring a building (I forget the details of how they met up) a Palestinian Christian struck up a conversation with him. “It’s a beautiful property, isn’t it? It belonged to my family, but we were evicted by the Israelis…” The American Christian went home a changed man, still a Christian, but a Christian with a more comprehensive understanding of not just the beauty and wonder, but also the deep pain in this important little corner of the world.
July 26, 2019
Important book for anyone, but most importantly the the wider international church body. I have a great interest in the church in Palestine and used my dissertation as a means to expire this, I feel this book covers good ground in this area. I also feel it is a very useful account because it roots from the lives of Palestinian Christians themselves e.g first hand experience from within. Would have been interested to find out more about the role of women in the church in Palestine/ wider Middle East. Overall, Brother Andrew / Open Doors’ focus on sharing Christ’s love with those in need in the Middle East is a vital and active message, especially regarding the church in the West in relation to it’s Middle Eastern counterparts.
August 4, 2024
I think my expectations were too high because of Gods Smuggler. It’s interesting to hear things from the Palestinian perspective but at times I felt he chose certain language to downplay the atrocities committed by suicide bombers. He kept talking about how in their minds they were just killing “enemies”. If he means unarmed civilians including children, I think that calling them enemies isn’t appropriate. I’m all for loving the Palestinians (I loved how Bro Andrew loved the communist even as he fought against them) but I’m not at all about minimizing atrocities. I didn’t feel he did that with the communists but it felt like he did with the Palestinians. Plus this book desperately needs a good editor to keep the narrative going at a faster pace.
December 3, 2023
This was a very timely read after the current situation in Israel/Palestine. I don’t pretend to know all the intricacies, details, nuances behind the conflict. All I do know is:
1. There are many Christians within Palestine that are caught in the fray.
2. There are millions of Muslims who don’t know Christ. And while it’s easy to just dismiss them as heretical, insane, misguided, lying, demonic, etc., they need Jesus. Brother Andrew has a gift (probably could be called the HS) where he is able to operate with love being the first thing.
I appreciate this book for helping me remember that.
1. There are many Christians within Palestine that are caught in the fray.
2. There are millions of Muslims who don’t know Christ. And while it’s easy to just dismiss them as heretical, insane, misguided, lying, demonic, etc., they need Jesus. Brother Andrew has a gift (probably could be called the HS) where he is able to operate with love being the first thing.
I appreciate this book for helping me remember that.
December 22, 2021
3.5 probably. Encouraging to see people’s faith through suffering and learn more about Open Doors. As well as the author’s change in heart from being super pro-Israel to realizing there are two sides to the story. It’s a little bit confusing and all over the place as far as characters go. Overall it just didn’t really grab me as well as God’s Smuggler. It’s interesting to see OD’s first experiences in Muslim areas though, and how that plays out on the ground in sun-Saharan Africa where the context is quite different in a lot of ways.
February 27, 2024
As someone who lived through a 5 year civil war, at the beginning of the story I felt a bit annoyed at brother Andrew because of some of his comments but the more I read the more I saw that he was not just a preacher but he did what he preached. This book gave me a new perspective on the conflict in Middle East, confirming that there are always two sides to each story. I learned more about the Palestinian side and I didn’t know much. Overall I felt book was informational and inspiring- as a Christian I want to at least pray for this area of the world more.
January 4, 2026
Considering the conflict currently occurring in the Middle East with Hamas, it is incredible to think that a similar, if not worse, situation is occurring now.
To read a second book and see more of Brother Andrew's faith is awe-inspiring. The decisions he made and situations he found himself in are incredible to read and more shocking to think this actually happened and he survived. He did so much and yet only looks to share the stories of others that he comes into contact with.
A true giant of the faith.
To read a second book and see more of Brother Andrew's faith is awe-inspiring. The decisions he made and situations he found himself in are incredible to read and more shocking to think this actually happened and he survived. He did so much and yet only looks to share the stories of others that he comes into contact with.
A true giant of the faith.
July 21, 2018
Brother Andrew does a great job in showing through his ministry that peace in the Middle East is not only possible, but that it is a task that should be valued and undertaken by the entire body of the church.
In his experiences, he humanizes those often demonized by the media, and offers hope for those like myself who struggle to see how any peaceful resolution can come to the continual bloodshed in Israel/Palestine and Lebanon. Highly recommended!
In his experiences, he humanizes those often demonized by the media, and offers hope for those like myself who struggle to see how any peaceful resolution can come to the continual bloodshed in Israel/Palestine and Lebanon. Highly recommended!
June 18, 2021
This is an important read for Christians in the West. A reminder that in other parts of the world freedom of religion is not protected by a constitution. The stories in this book are heartbreaking but I was also encouraged by the bravery of some people who were risking their own safety to help and encourage believers in these countries. Highly recommend.
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September 23, 2022I enjoyed the stories in this book and I was very glad I read it. The main thing I disagreed with was that Brother Andrew thought Jesus merely might come back, depending on how well we spread the Gospel. The Bible says that Jesus will come back (Isaiah 55:9-13) (Matthew 24:12-14). I especially liked reading this with a group.
August 16, 2025
Caution: Filled with Dispensationalism
The Church, through the teaching of Dispensationalism, is responsible for the carnage in the Middle East. If Christians would have brought Jesus, instead of John Nelson Darby to Palestine, the Christians would have been received as peace makers instead of arms suppliers.
The Church, through the teaching of Dispensationalism, is responsible for the carnage in the Middle East. If Christians would have brought Jesus, instead of John Nelson Darby to Palestine, the Christians would have been received as peace makers instead of arms suppliers.
June 22, 2018
Pray for All The Church
This book helped me to understand what gets so confusing through the media. By reading the real stories you understand better what is happening to families. Not just a political look but a real look at real lives.
This book helped me to understand what gets so confusing through the media. By reading the real stories you understand better what is happening to families. Not just a political look but a real look at real lives.
November 25, 2018
An eye opening take on how to truly achieve peace in the Middle East.... particularly in Israel....a convicting call to action to serve our fellow Christ followers...many of whom are Arabic and Palestinian, and are persecuted by their country men.
June 10, 2019
"Here is deep insight into the struggles and triumphs of the Middle Eastern church amidst incredible conflict, opening my eyes to see the situation from the perspective of Jews, Messianic Jews, Palestinian Christians and Muslims."
December 28, 2021
Nothing short of amazing
I began this book as an ardent supporter of Israel, well aware of the unfair standards to which Israel is held above all other nations. I left this journey with a new love for Arab Christians and a need to pray for both Jews and Palestinians
I began this book as an ardent supporter of Israel, well aware of the unfair standards to which Israel is held above all other nations. I left this journey with a new love for Arab Christians and a need to pray for both Jews and Palestinians
August 30, 2022
An amazing book. It’s almost incomprehensible to read what Christians have to face in Israel and Palestine. At times it’s shocking or a little ‘dry’ but it’s an incredible testimony to God’s work.
Recommend
Recommend
April 22, 2025
This is one of those books that makes you want to cry over the cruelty of war. Maybe your like me and wonder how to pray for the Middle East. This was a great reminder that Jesus loves the little Children (and grown ups) all the Children of the WORLD!
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