Beloved friends in Christ, We have been privileged to be called to proclaim the gospel of salvation to those held captive in the prison of Islam. This doesn’t mean just Muslims but also their Coptic neighbors who get Islam shoved down their throats in one form or another. You shouldn’t be surprised if you talk to a nominal Christian in Egypt, hear his vernacular and get astounded as to how much of a Muslim he sounds. They have their churches and Christian symbols that get often treated like pagan fetishes instead of turning over their hearts completely to saving Lord Jesus Christ. Even here in America we have to distinguish what is cultural from what is Biblical and make sure that culture is filtered through the mind of Christ. Someone growing up in a supposedly Christian family in Egypt is inundated with the Islamic mindset, and we have to preach that a Muslim deals with his God on the basis of works, tit for tat, rights earned from Allah instead of grace freely given and joyfully received. And just as a Muslim perceives his God, so is that reflected in how he sees his fellow humans and even his own wife. Imagine a Christian in Egypt resolving marriage issues through the mentality of Islam, which is one of power and control and tit for tat, and forgiveness is a foreign term that might imply weakness! Yes, both Muslims and Christians in Egypt are saturated by such horrific mindsets. As Christian believers and as children of God when we give we don’t operate on the basis of tit for tat, measure for measure, but we give all, give ourselves before we are giving money or material things because we have the model of the Father Himself who has not only given us everything but has actually given us Himself as Christ stretched out His arms on the cross and laid down His life for us, thus pouring out God’s full redeeming love in the universe so that we captive sinners can obtain from freedom and liberation and radiate God wherever we go. And Christmas is an amazing time to remember the God who came down to our level and met us face to face in the person of Christ so that we may enjoy union with God as citizens of the Kingdom of heaven. May it be a Christmas of abundance, of joy and full peace and grace to you all. Very merry Christmas to you all. In Christ the Lord of Christmas,

Timothy Abraham