Category Archives: Christian

Gallaudet University Chaplaincy

Christian, Gallaudet University, Video, Vlogs



This is an introductory letter presented in ASL to all Christian churches, ministries, and parachurch organizations involved in Deaf Ministry regarding Bruce’s new position as Gallaudet University’s Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA) Chaplain.

No voice interpretation for this video. Subtitles are provided for hearing viewers. Please click on the CC button in the video player to activate the subtitles.

For more information about C&MA denomination, please visit www.cmalliance.org.

E-mail Bruce Persons if you want to reach him for more details.

3 Practical Steps Christians Can Love Muslims

Christian, Islam, Pastoral Advice, Video

Title: 3 Practical Steps Christians Can Love Muslims
Signer: Bruce L. Persons, M.Div.
Video Link: http://vimeo.com/173107980

Written Transcript:

Christians often ask, “How can I participate in the unprecedented movements of God among Muslims today?” The answer is simple: “Love Muslims.”

This is simple yet difficult to achieve because Islam has made itself among the most feared religions on earth. This stems from Islam’s long history of conquests, forced conversions, discrimination, and terrorist atrocities that stream across our news media every day. This view is not just held among Christians but also by Hindus, Chinese, Socialists, and Buddhists. Islam separates itself from every non-Muslim people on earth.

Remember: Muslims are not Islam. Muslims are people – men and women, boys and girls. Muslims in many parts of the world have isolated themselves in communities that reinforce the stereotypes that Christians are ignorant, worldly and slaves to hedonism, the love of pleasure. Christians must stop reinforcing and upholding these stereotypes.

It might be tempting for us to fear, flee, and even fight Muslims. But when we do so, we follow a script that Islam has used for centuries to depict Christians as “others” who must be contested or avoided.

What are three practical ways Christians can love Muslims?

1) Pray

When we commit ourselves to praying for Muslims, we take on the very heart of God. God loves Muslims so much that He sent His only Son into the world to love them, forgive them, and save them (John 3:16). God desires to draw them to Himself.

2) Show hospitality

When we intentionally invite Muslims into our houses and churches, we have an opportunity to be the aroma of Christ in their lives. When Muslims notice how Christians are a community of faithful God-lovers and those who love Muslims in Jesus’ name, they will be attracted to God and will desire to know more about Jesus Christ.

3) Allow God to transform your heart

While we pray for and show hospitality to our Muslim neighbors, we find that our hearts begins to change. We begin to see them as God sees them. They are not people of a dangerous and threatening ideology. Rather, they are men and women, boys and girls, who are lost – as we once were – and in need of a Savior and Lord.

Source: www.30daysprayer.org 

The Hardest Soul to Win – ASL Sermon

Bible, Christian, Evangelism, God, Sermons, Video


Title: “The Hardest Soul to Win”
Passage: Romans 2:17-3:8
Location: Open Bible Deaf Church, College Park, MD
Permalink: https://vimeo.com/169703612
This sermon is presented in American Sign Language with no voice interpretation.*

Special thanks to Open Bible Deaf Church and Mid-Atlantic District of the Christian & Missionary Alliance for making this sermon possible to be shared online!

*If you want this sermon to be voiced, your help and/or financial support will be greatly appreciated so this sermon can be made accessible to our hearing brothers and sisters in Christ!

Day 34: Outside the Gates

Christian, Evangelism, Exhortation, Lent 2016, Meditation

Day 34: Outside the Gates
Passage: Hebrews 13:12-15
Link to Lent 2016 Vimeo Channel

Transcription of the video above:

Just before the armies of Babylon arrived, Jerusalem was happy in their comfort zone; the walled city; and they didn’t feel the need to uphold or share the Law they had been given. They became insular, greedy, and distrusting of anyone that wasn’t them. And only when God smashed their very foundations were they forced to live among those they had despised, those whom they had hated, those whom they didn’t know.

As humans, we tend to construct a city for ourselves, a city made up of us and ours, with walls and gates built not as a sanctuary for those who seek life, but as a bunker for those we think deserve to live. But when the city, shelter, bunker is threatened, then that illusion of a calm haven is shattered. We fall into despair, or worse, lash out and fight to protect what’s ours. We are just plain scared by what might lie outside of our comfort zones beyond the gates of our lives. We forget that the people who we might not like or don’t agree with are also made in the image of God, sinners just like the rest of us.

In Hebrews 13:12-15, apostle Paul tells us that Jesus suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem in order to set apart a people through his sacrifice, which means that we should willingly suffer for His sake since we are not citizens of our own cities, but of the city of God.

Jesus suffered outside the gate by hanging on the cross and died. He was buried and raised to life by his Father in order that we might become heirs to his Kingdom, his everlasting city. Through Christ, we might be able to live forever with His Father as our Father, as co-heirs of Jesus’ inheritance. We must deconstruct the city we have built on our own and get to know the people around us outside our city walls. Befriend them and bless them because it is an opportunity for you to encounter Christ in the world. Be around them, get to know them, learn to love them.

Because only by suffering with people, those outside the gates of your city, will you see Jesus Christ and offer people hope, peace, and joy.

Day 22: “Send Someone Else!”

Christian, Exhortation, God, Lent 2016, Meditation

Day 22: “Send Someone Else!”
Passage: Exodus 4:13-17

Moses concluded his prayer before God in the wilderness by saying, “O My Lord, please send someone else” (Ex. 4:13). In other words, he said, leave me alone. Go away. Please send someone else.

Then the Scripture goes on, “then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses” – but not so angry that God leaves him. God said “No!” to Moses’ request to leave him alone, but, nevertheless keeps pursuing Moses, even through Moses’ doubts, fears, and rudeness! And says, “What of your brother Aaron the Levite? You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you shall do. Now take in your hand this rod with which you shall perform the signs.”

And Moses does it.

And staggeringly, he becomes this liberator, this general, this builder of a new nation from scratch. That is how a cowering figure becomes a towering figure of history.

I personally take enormous comfort in this prayer that this is the prayer of one of the most important person in Israel’s history whom God used to change the course of human history. Without this prayer, I would not be able to be honest with God on a daily basis and share my fears and doubts. This played a huge part in my sense of God’s call to the gospel ministry.

There are many believers – beyond the ones reading this today – who think exactly the same way as I did; who are cowardly and fearful, and need to hear that God has the power and passion to give you gifts, and has already done so, to help you take whatever that step is to fulfill the call of God for you. This is not unusual for great men and women of God. This is where we often start. And God will take whatever we offer in our prayers and use it as part of an ongoing conversation so that through us, His will is fulfilled on this earth, as Jesus would say, “as it is in Heaven.” Whatever God is calling you to do, God can provide.

Sometimes the call of God is a complete change in your life. You are “here” and you must go “there.” Sometimes that’s how it is, as it was with Moses: go back into the fray, from out in the middle of nowhere, go back in!

But for most people, the call of God is to be exactly where you are and to stick with it when there are obstacles in the way or relationships which are difficult or other problems that come – to be faithful-in-place. Not just because you have to, but because God calls us to be Christ’s followers right where we are, supplying whatever we need for the call of God to be fulfilled.

Take some time now to thank God that, in moments when we are fearful, cowardly, and doubtful in our prayers, God says, “No, I won’t give up on you. You are the one I want!”