LIGHT OF CHRIST THROUGH SAT-7

Cranmer's Curate this week received a visit from two ambassadors for Sat-7, a Christian satellite channel for the Arab world, which has more than 15 million viewers.

Fred and Judith Winks are based here in north Sheffield and the story they told about Sat-7 was astonishing. The youth group may have heard of it but cc had not until contacted by Mr and Mrs Winks.

Launched in 1996 with its charitable trust based in the UK, it provides a range of Arabic, Turkish and Farsi programes to countries ranging from Morocco to The Lebanon to The Sudan to Iran. It eschews American-style televangelism but people come to faith in Jesus Christ through Sat-7. It provides counselling services for viewers in the countries in which it operates.

Sat-7 is finding that its viewers are receptive to God's good news of the forgiveness of all sin through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They already believe in God and believe they will be judged. The message of sins forgiven is a healing balm they want, unlike us nonchalant Britishers who think we don't need it, brainwashed into unbelief as we are by our politically correct media and educational establishment.

Here is Sat-7's testimony about a convert in Iran:

One Iranian viewer named Reza began calling the Iranian counselling centre. He described himself as a drug dealer, thief and gangster. He said one night while he was flipping through channels he accidentally came across Sat-7 PARS and it made him think. The show he was watching was called Noor-e Omeid ("Light of Hope"). It's a short, two-part programme where a host, standing in and around a lighthouse, talks about how we are all living in darkness and need a saviour to see the light - and Jesus is the Light. Reza called the counselling number and gave his life to Christ. His young daughter also became a follower of Jesus.