Unknown Nations Podcast

Greg Kelley: 

Okay, well welcome to the Unknown Nations podcast, highlighting what God is doing in the most spiritually dark places in the world. Today we are going to a place that is absolutely beautiful, one of my favorite places actually in the world to go and visit, the country of Lebanon. You've heard about it, it's been the news recently and there's a lot of things going on.

But I think you're gonna learn some things today about Lebanon through our dear friend Joseph, is gonna encourage you and inspire you, so we'll get right into that. But of course, my name is Greg Kelley from Unknown Nations, where we have the honor to serve God by helping reach the most zero access barrier ridden, spiritually antagonistic spoken word, reliant people, groups on the planet, giving birth to the church in impossible places.

And when I think of places around the world that have endured some adversity. Lebanon is right there, friend. It's just a place where there's a lot of challenges, a lot of difficulty. They're surrounded by conflict really. But, J, it's so good to have you with us so you can help us understand and have a greater appreciation and understanding of Lebanon. So we're praying for you, good to have you with us. 

 

J: 

Thank you so much and I'm so blessed to be with you, brother. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yes. Yes. You and I, we've been partners for quite a few years now, and just love your spirit, my friend. You are just a precious brother. You're of course in the city of Beirut.

If you were telling a stranger who has never seen Beirut in their life, or come to the beautiful country of Lebanon, what would they experience? 

 

J: 

The experience is a very beautiful thing, especially because Beirut is open for all cultures and we speak many languages like English and French, Arabic.

And you can find a lot of nations live in Beirut and Beirut like in New York City. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

That's really not far off because I think, even recently Beirut's been considered the Paris of the Middle East. Right? I mean, do they still kind of refer to it as that, right? 

 

J: 

They always say about Lebanon is the Switzerland of the middle East.

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah. Yeah. And that's true. I can remember the first time I came, it was well over 10 years ago and I didn't have a great appreciation for Beirut. But I knew, obviously there was war there in the seventies and throughout the eighties. I didn't appreciate the beauty. When I got off the plane and I was going around Beirut, I'm like, "this place is spectacular."

It comes right down to the Mediterranean Ocean and you've got the beauty of the beaches. And then you look up and you see the mountains just kind of cascading up behind Beirut. It truly is beautiful.

 And it's not just the country being beautiful, but the people in it are beautiful. And you are right up there buddy. You just have such a precious spirit about you, J. How did you come to the Lord and what are you doing now? 

 

J: 

So, I am pastoring Church of God in Beirut, and we are planting different churches for different nations.

Like we have the Lebanese church and now we have Armenian church, Filipino church, so LAN church and the European Church. So different nations in Beirut. We plant churches. We have different services, different location. And they come to Lebanon to work. They come as workers, and they live as a pastors and leaders.

 

Greg Kelley: 

All right. I love it. I love it. When you first came to know the Lord, did you grow up in a Christian home or were your family? 

 

J: 

Yes. Yes. I am from Presbyterian background. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Okay. 

 

J: 

And I was born in 1970 and, in 1975, the civilian war started in Lebanon, right?

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah. 

 

J: 

So I was five years old. So it was very hard for me because people killed each other, Muslims, Christians, Palestinians, Syrians. So it was like confusion and snipers everywhere, bumps everywhere. So, during my childhood, I have no opportunities to go school, to have activities, to have toys, and to live like any child.

So all I remember, we are hiding, we are escaping, explosions everywhere. And I want to share a little bit about my story. And I know this will help the people who are listening to us. I believe God will change them, and change their hearts to come to Jesus more and more and know how He is great.

And He loves us a lot. Amen. So, in 1975, all what I remember one time that Muslims come to our areas and kill Christians, and one time at night we are wake up, our neighbors, screaming need help so nobody can help him. We can't even burn a candle. Because snipers everywhere. So everything is dark and bumps everywhere.

So, on the second day, we found this man, they killed him, and cut him in small pieces and put him in a plastic bag in front of our door. So the first time I saw this, it was traumatic and shocked me. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah. 

 

J: 

So this brings anger and hate for Muslims in my heart. So this is how I was born and how I grew full of anger, full of hate. 

And after three, four years, the war start more in Lebanon, more hard. The Syrian army attack Lebanon, and they attack them all for 100 days. They send thousands of rockets every 10 minutes. So all I remember is hiding under the stairs and bombs everywhere.

So after 100 days, my father takes us home to eat or take a shower because we have no food, we have no water. So it was so hard for us. This time my father felt in his heart, we must leave now. And he takes me and my mother, we go down the stairs and a big rocket comes and explodes our house.

I was flying from the pressure of the explosion and my father tried to hug me and I was full of dust, my mouth full of dust and screaming. Father, we lost our home. We are now homeless. So I live homeless on the streets. We have no food, no house, nothing, no clothes. It was very hard for me. And this is bringing more anger, more hate for Muslims, for Syrians, for all people because I have no opportunities, so I start to fight. I was 14 years old. I go with Christians militia to fight against Muslim. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Hmm. 

 

J: 

So I hold machine guns and I was 14 years old. So I am full of anger. I love to see blood. I love to kill and to do all of this.

And after that, , because I have no opportunity to work and I have no source for money, I go to the Army and after I finish the training, they put me in the special forces. That means it was worse and more dangerous. So every day we go on missions. Many of my friends die with me and I come safe and start asking, "God, why are you keeping me safe? So finish my life. I want to die." 

And he spoke to me very clearly: "J, I called you by your name. I want you to serve me."

So this makes me crazy and starts to argue with God and chop him on him: "I don't want you, I don't want to serve you. I don't love you. My heart is full of anger. I refuse to serve you."

So this is every time I come back and I am safe. I start blaming God, the same voice: "I call you by your name. I want you to serve me." 

And his voice was very clear and I fought with him: "I don't want you, Jesus. I don't want to", but his mercy covers me, his protection covers me.

So one day, I was at work and I was sleeping at night and a big explosion happened. And this time, I woke up like crazy and my friend was sitting the night shift on the tank and somebody came and put a bomb in the tank and my friend flew from the power, but couldn't find him.

So we start trying to check what's happening. All the people, all the soldiers come, more than 150 people. So the officer asked me to move the other tank because it was full of bombs. So I laid down, I put the cables and we moved it. And the same sound was shouting for me. J, we have displaced another explosion three times.

So I was shocked. I start looking, who's talking with me, who knows there's another explosion. And I start, think if there's a soldier here, no, he will escape, not asking me to leave. So I stood up and ran to check in my room. Maybe somebody caused an explosion or somebody from my friend is still sleeping.

So immediately when I stood up and ran, the explosion exploded. And all cutted more than 150 people. And I am still living alone. This makes me crazy. More depression. More trauma. Shouting, screaming, crying. I want somebody to talk to me. I am alone in the dark and I see all my friends dead.

Nobody, no ambulance, no cars and bombs everywhere. So after that, the police come and surround the place to check what's happened, the military police. So they stopped me and they thought that I did that because I was still alone. So, so you know about that. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Survivor, right? Yeah. Right. 

 

J: 

And I realized then when I was moving the tank, I was laying my head on the explosion. The explosion was under the tank. I didn't sit because there's no light. It was dark. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Right. 

 

J: 

And they stopped me. They arrested me, and they asked me, "Why did you kill your friend? How much money did you receive? I have nothing to say. I was shocked. And I have nobody to testify with me or stand with me.

All my friends there, all my friends. Then they punish me by picking the parts of the bodies to bring them together. The head, the legs, so it was so hard for me, and this hurt me a lot. And so, I passed on a very, very hard time, and they put me in my room and locked the door.

And I was listening to the way they wanted to kill me in the same place because in their mind that I did it. And you know, all the people are angry and upset. It's a big crime, a lot of people. And the first time I prayed. Because in my mind, I'm going to meet Jesus now.

This is the last moment and I pray, "Lord, forgive me for all that I did and I want to serve you if you save me. I give you my heart. A few moments and I will meet you." 

And I moved the pillow and I found a Bible. It's a gift from my mother. She wrote a verse and a small short prayer wishing me to be a man of God.

 

Greg Kelley: 

Mm. 

 

J: 

So I open the book and it comes on Psalm 47. I read it and I feel the power. Amen. Then they call me and they stand in front of the officer. And he asked me, "Why did you kill your friend?" 

I say, "I'm Christian. I never do like this." 

So this is the first time I say, I'm Christian. And he told me what the meaning of Christian.

I said, "That means I believe in God who saved me to stand in front of you." 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah. Yeah. 

 

J: 

And he kept going crazy and kicking me out and shouting, speaking bad words. And after 30 minutes he called me back again and he looked at me and said, "J, I believe you are not guilty. You are free." It's come very fast and very easy.

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah. 

 

J: 

Yeah. I give my heart to Jesus. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah. 

 

J: 

So Jesus releases me. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Set you free. Oh my. Free goodness. What a story, that is amazing. You said you were born in 1970, not to give away my age, but I was born in 1969, so we're about the same age, buddy, but my upbringing was so different.

Here you are, you know, running from bombs and explosives and gunfire, sniper attack. You can't even have a candle because you're afraid that the sniper is gonna shoot. I just can't imagine the chaos and all of that was going on. Is it throughout all of Lebanon or is it heavily concentrated in Beirut?

 

J: 

All Lebanon. All Lebanon. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

All of Lebanon. All of Lebanon. And it was mainly a religious civil war? Yes. The girls were Muslim, Christian. 

 

J: 

Yes. I went to the church, but I was facing a very hard attitude. I am a violent person. And I have a tough attitude and I went to the church, so I find myself, I am stopping the cars by force with the Bible.

Pray for them. I have a gun. And the people come to Jesus very easily. I thought, "oh, the ministry is easy. But the people are scared of me." 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah. 

 

J: 

But I am full of love for Jesus, but my attitude is I stop the cars. I knock on doors, give Bibles, I distribute thousands of Bibles, but I suffer from my attitude.

And I couldn't sleep. I have trauma. I wake up screaming. I smell the blood every 24 hours, the smell of the blood stuck in my nose. So I live in fear and at the same time, I can't move with any guns or machine guns. I was crazy, but at the same time, I love Jesus. And one time I was knocking the door and testified about Jesus all that I know.

I have no theology background, I have a military background. So all that I know, Jesus, love you. Pray with me. These three words give your heart to Jesus and that's it. And many people come to Jesus and one day I knock on the door and there's a person opening the door. I told them, "Jesus loves you and I have a gift for you. It's a Bible from the church." 

And he asked me, "did Jesus really love me?" 

I said, "yes." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes."

And it, he told me, "if you can heal my daughter, I will follow Jesus." 

"For me, what heal your daughters? Yeah. What? I am not a pastor. What the being of healing? I have no idea. I didn't hear about healing. I heard about salvation."

So he put me in a very harsh, very hard situation in the corner. And I feel so weak the first time, I feel I am weak. I am nothing. I'm special forces. I am strong. I have no fear, what? Pray for healing. So I can't say yes. I can't say no, no, I don't know what to do.

Then I say, "okay, I will go and pray." 

So I went to the room and she was passing very hard. She had kidney disease. And she was about 12 or 13 years old. She is so beautiful. She captivated my heart. I start to pray. I don't, to be honest, I don't know. I pray, but I pray for anything.

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah.

 

J: 

But I left very hard. I escape, to be honest, I escape because I don't want to face any question because I have no idea what to say. 

So I went to my car and the first time I started, my tears ran. I have a heart for a person to help him the first time. So I went home and I opened the book. It comes on Acts. And it was talking about Pentecost Day. 

About they, they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I speak and tongues, and they are living in unity. And this has shocked me, "Lord. I want this in my life. I want this in my country. I want this church in Beirut, in Lebanon, in the Middle East."

Start to pray about this. And I have no background theology background, so I'm praying, I start asking, "Lord, I want to baptize in the Holy Spirit. Lord," but I have no idea what I'm praying for. That's what I'm praying. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yep. 

 

J: 

And I felt like a power came upon me. A lot of joy. So I couldn't close my eyes.

I don't want to close my eyes. I don't want to sleep because I don't want to lose this feeling. Since I was born to all the scenes, I didn't experience this power of joy, to be happy. So, I feel that I'm so strong to shout in the streets," come to Jesus, Jesus love you." 

I want to wake people. So I have all this energy. And it was about 3:00 AM in the morning. I couldn't sleep and in the morning, I had to go to work. And my wife, she told me, " why all the night you are speaking in strange language." 

"What?" 

She said "you were speaking..." 

I said "no. I didn't even open my mouth." 

"You, no, I heard you are speaking, but this language-" 

"Maybe you have a heavy dinner. You are dreaming, but I never opened my mouth. Yes, I didn't sleep, but I did not open my mouth." 

" I was listening to you, you were speaking a strange language till morning." 

So I don't accept what she says because for me, something strange. I have no idea about the tongue, about the Holy Spirit, about baptism.

But I put on my military uniform and went to the car. I have a short prayer time before I go to work, and I start praying in my language. Suddenly I found myself, I was praying in tongues and the first time I heard myself speaking in tongues. So start shouting and then start shouting "somebody help me. What is this?" 

I felt drunk. I am so happy. And I went to work. The soldier asked me, “why are you drunk?” 

I'm not drunk. The first time we see you are smiling, your face full of joy. I have no answer. And I can't open my mouth. I don't want to speak 'cause I don't speak in tongues now. When the work finished I had to go home. And after that I told my wife, "yes, you are right now. I need somebody to help us." 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yes. Yes. Wow. You had your own day of Pentecost, didn't you? 

 

J: 

Yeah. So. At night, I went to bed. And the first time I slept with no smell of blood. I slept like a baby. No dreams. I'm not waking, not shouting. And God changed my attitude, changed my heart. From Saul to Paul. God put heart. My heart, love for Muslims, for Syrians, for all nations. So now I am serving Muslims, the power of forgiveness. I forgive the Syrians, would explode my house.

I love them. I'm serving the refugees. I'm standing with them. They call me Baba. They call me Daddy. I forgive them and I love them. And many people, 80% who attend the church, are Muslim background. They come to Jesus Christ. And this is the power of forgiveness. It's the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the power of Jesus Christ because we have the spirit of resurrection inside us. So before I was fighting to protect Christians. Now I am fighting the good fight to increase Christians. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yes. Yes. Wow. That is beautiful. What a story, Joseph. That is so powerful and I think the idea that you saw friends, , being killed, literally picking up body parts, people you knew and loved, or you're watching your home being blown up and perpetrators being the Muslims and to walk that forgiveness. What an amazing story. Talk a little bit about the Syrians in general because I know that Lebanon has received so many. Syrian refugees from the north and the chaos that's been going on in that country, but I've heard that Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the entire world, and so much of that is this infusion of Syrians that have come into Lebanon.

Of course, Syria is one of the most unreached countries in the world where people have never heard the gospel yet. They're coming into Lebanon or have come in. I know many have gone back, but just talk a little bit about that dynamic of so many Syrian refugees being inside of Lebanon and the opportunities to minister to them.

 

J: 

Yes. Millions of families come to Lebanon. They live in Bekaa and North and South and in Beirut. And the good news that these people are coming to our churches. And we are opening the doors for them. We're helping them, we're standing with them. And this shocks them because they come with a mentality or bad thoughts about Christians, that Christ is not good.

They have the bad God. And they find us. We are accepting them. We love them, so we are standing with them. So this has changed their mind and now they come to the church and baptize and receive Jesus with no question. They just come to the church and say, we want to accept Jesus. And many people receive healing from cancer, from blood sugar or heart disease.

 God changes hearts, open hearts. They make surgery open hearts, God change new hearts. The doctors say that they are going to die, and God changed their hearts with the new hearts. So 80% who attend the church are Muslims and Syrians. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah. 

 

J: 

And they are leaders. They have home groups. They study the Bible and they went to Europe, somebody through the United Nations to Europe, to Sweden.

They start their own groups and work in camps, leading people to Jesus. So thousands, thousands of people come. Not just Syrians. We have Iraqian, Egyptians, and Jordanians, so we are from different countries. And as you know, Lebanon is the only country where we have the freedom to share the gospel because it's a Christian country, catholic country.

 

Greg Kelley: 

Right. 

 

J: 

So the church has authority, has power. To share the gospel. So our churches, our houses, our buildings are open for them. We go to them. We go to the South. We go to the North. We give food and just hug them. And these people, they have one to question how we can accept Jesus.

 

Greg Kelley: 

Wow. Wow. That point that you mentioned is so massive because of all the countries that are in the Middle East part of the world. Lebanon being so strategic in the standpoint where you can freely share the gospel. I think the stats I saw was about a third Christian, but only maybe 1% evangelical believers the rest of 'em are Catholic. 

 

J: 

Yes. Catholic. Orthodox, Maronite Orthodox. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Yeah. 

 

J: 

Right. Most of our leaders, I am the only evangelic person in the church. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Okay. 

 

J: 

So all the leaders are Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Orthodox Greek, Orthodox Muslims, Druze. So from different religions. From different nations. From different Arab country. They are leaders in that church. I'm the only evangelical person in the church. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

We get so hung up in denominations, Catholic, Orthodox Presbyterian, Lutheran. Have gone Baptist, on and on and on, and, and it really comes down to "do you know Jesus?"

That's what it comes down to. And in the church we need great unity. We can have our differences. Theologically and doctrinally. That's okay. There's plenty of things that we wanna not compromise on, but when it's all said and done, it's about, do you know Jesus?

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That is the dividing line right there is, it's about Jesus. So, there's a lot of parts of Lebanon. That is challenging. You're mentioning the north, you're mentioning the south, and just to kind of summarize that, so in the northern part, which is the border area with Syria, J's spoken about that and challenges.

And then throughout Beirut, plenty of people have never heard the gospel and Muslims there. And then in the southern part, you have a group called Hezbollah, which many people have heard of. And there's tension there with the border with Israel. So North, south, east, west, J, you're fishing throughout all of Lebanon, aren't you? And there's people everywhere that need the gospel, and you've distributed so many of the solar powered audio bibles in all of these places you've told me, "man, people just love listening to the word of God." 

What has the treasure had on your ministry in Lebanon?

 

J: 

First, I am moving, on every side in Lebanon and in the Middle East, where God calls me, I will go and I serve all our religions because I'm serving God. I am carrying Jesus. And I give that, I give Jesus to work free in me. So feel free in me and do your ministry through me.

So, I distribute a lot of treasures and this has helped many people to listen. They use it on taxis, they use it on buses. They are always listening 24 hours a day. So many people ask me, we want more, we want more. We love it. Especially. Wow. Yes. Yes. And many people change their lives because some places that we distribute, we can't follow up with them.

 They start to send the Bible. And this helps them to learn the Bible more and to know more about Jesus. So this opens more doors for us, that people to be in contact with us and come to the church and we visit their villages and we start ministry and in their villages. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

That's a beautiful thing. Well, brother, you have done just amazing work. I want the peoples, when they're thinking about Lebanon, give 'em a couple of things that they could be praying about. 

 

J: 

Yes, but before I share, I have one thing because we send a lot of treasures to and it's a village full of Druze. And these people, they listen to the audio Bible, they asked me more. They are not Christian. They like Muslims, but not Muslims.

 

Greg Kelley: Okay. Okay. 

 

J: 

These people, Druze, and now they have home groups and churches. In these villages, we are sending them treasures. Wonderful there. There's no churches, there's no Christian in this area. Now they have strong leaders and a strong ministry in this area, in Syria. So glory to God.

 

Greg Kelley: 

Amen. 

 

J: 

Pray for Lebanon because Lebanon is a very strategic area in the Middle East. Yes, Lebanon is the key to the Middle East. With the only country that has the freedom to share the gospel and all people can come from different Arab nations to receive Jesus and hide in Lebanon from persecution, and our buildings, our churches, open to them to study theology, training, and live as leaders. We have many pastors from Muslims backgrounds. We have many leaders from Muslims, backgrounds from Egypt, from Jordan, from Iraq, from Syria. So Lebanon is very important and to support this country, to pray for this country, to surround this country because I believe the Holy Spirit came from the Middle East to the west, and now is coming back to the Middle East for a huge revival and very important to be in unity together. All churches in the West and Europe and Middle East raise Jesus and Him, especially these days, the last days, the people are so hungry to Jesus and all that they are searching for the true God. And the true God is Jesus.

 

Greg Kelley: 

Mm man. Good brother. It sounds like that testimony you gave on the Book of Acts is about ready to happen again in Lebanon. If it's led by leaders like you, it is in good hands. So, my friend, thank you. Thank you so much for joining us. 

 

J: 

Thank you. God bless you. Yes, bless you. 

 

Greg Kelley: 

Well friend , thank you for joining us today on the Unknown Nations Podcast.

Visit our website at UnknownNations.Com to learn more about how you can get involved. You heard an amazing story from Pastor J today, and they need help. They need our prayers, they need resources because the gospel is moving forward and power in Lebanon, in the Middle East, but it needs you. So please subscribe to this podcast, follow, share it with your friends and family.

Join us on this incredible journey of. Faith, hope and transformation. Join us in making Jesus known at the ends of the earth the impact that you can have as immeasurable, and together we can see God's kingdom expand into the darkest corners of the world. God bless you, and we'll catch you next time.