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Who Is Your Enemy? A Christian Testimony of Jesus’ Love and Forgiveness with Bishop Dr. Yasser Eric
Season 5
Episode 1
Published 6 months ago
Description
Episode Summary
In this deeply moving episode of Journey of Hope, host Elio Constantine launches a new mini-series with a powerful conversation titled “Who Is Your Enemy?” Joined by Dr. Yasser Eric, a bishop within the Global Anglican Church and a former radical Sunni Muslim, the episode explores the biblical meaning of enemies and Christ’s radical call to love them.
Dr. Yasser Eric shares his extraordinary testimony of growing up in Sudan within a fanatical Muslim environment marked by generational hatred toward Christians and others deemed “different.” As a teenager, he was immersed in extremist ideology that glorified violence and dehumanized perceived enemies. This indoctrination culminated in a brutal attack on a Christian classmate named Zakaria, whom Dr. Yasser Eric nearly killed—believing at the time he was serving God.
Everything changed when Dr. Yasser Eric encountered Jesus through the compassion and prayers of Christians he once hated. While visiting a hospital, he witnessed two believers praying with love and authority over a dying child—an experience that revealed to him a God of mercy, intimacy, and grace. That moment marked the beginning of his transformation, leading him to faith in Christ at the age of 19, estrangement from his family, imprisonment, and eventually a calling to ministry.
The episode reaches a profound climax when Dr. Yasser Eric recounts a later encounter with Zakaria—the very man he had attacked—who reveals that he had been praying for him all those years. This moment powerfully illustrates Jesus’ command to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” showing that transformation is only possible through Christ’s love, not human strength.This episode challenges listeners to confront cycles of hatred, reject violence, and embrace the reconciling power of prayer and forgiveness. It sets the tone for the mini-series by reminding us that the true enemy is not flesh and blood—and that loving our enemies is one of the clearest reflections of Jesus in us.
Show Notes:
📧 Email us: podcast@heartforlebanon.org
🙏 Submit prayer requests: prayer@heartforlebanon.org
🔗 Join our prayer list: https://heartforlebanon.org/prayer
📬 Join our email list: https://heartforlebanon.org/emailsignup
Follow Heart For Lebanon
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In this deeply moving episode of Journey of Hope, host Elio Constantine launches a new mini-series with a powerful conversation titled “Who Is Your Enemy?” Joined by Dr. Yasser Eric, a bishop within the Global Anglican Church and a former radical Sunni Muslim, the episode explores the biblical meaning of enemies and Christ’s radical call to love them.
Dr. Yasser Eric shares his extraordinary testimony of growing up in Sudan within a fanatical Muslim environment marked by generational hatred toward Christians and others deemed “different.” As a teenager, he was immersed in extremist ideology that glorified violence and dehumanized perceived enemies. This indoctrination culminated in a brutal attack on a Christian classmate named Zakaria, whom Dr. Yasser Eric nearly killed—believing at the time he was serving God.
Everything changed when Dr. Yasser Eric encountered Jesus through the compassion and prayers of Christians he once hated. While visiting a hospital, he witnessed two believers praying with love and authority over a dying child—an experience that revealed to him a God of mercy, intimacy, and grace. That moment marked the beginning of his transformation, leading him to faith in Christ at the age of 19, estrangement from his family, imprisonment, and eventually a calling to ministry.
The episode reaches a profound climax when Dr. Yasser Eric recounts a later encounter with Zakaria—the very man he had attacked—who reveals that he had been praying for him all those years. This moment powerfully illustrates Jesus’ command to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” showing that transformation is only possible through Christ’s love, not human strength.This episode challenges listeners to confront cycles of hatred, reject violence, and embrace the reconciling power of prayer and forgiveness. It sets the tone for the mini-series by reminding us that the true enemy is not flesh and blood—and that loving our enemies is one of the clearest reflections of Jesus in us.
Show Notes:
- Biblically, enemies are not merely people who annoy or oppose us
- Scripture teaches that our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6)
- Hatred is often inherited, taught, and normalized across generations
- Religion without Christ can fuel violence and dehumanization
- Faith can become dangerous when it is disconnected from love and truth
- Violence always produces more violence—never peace
- Two Christians praying for a dying child changed Dr. Yasser Eric’s life forever
- Compassion revealed a God who is personal, loving, and near
- Prayer became the instrument God used to transform an enemy into a disciple
- Jesus’ command to love enemies is impossible without Him
- Forgiveness and love are not human achievements but divine work
- Zakaria’s prayers broke a generational cycle of hatred
- From persecutor to pastor
- From hatred to reconciliation
- From enemy to brother in Christ
📧 Email us: podcast@heartforlebanon.org
🙏 Submit prayer requests: prayer@heartforlebanon.org
🔗 Join our prayer list: https://heartforlebanon.org/prayer
📬 Join our email list: https://heartforlebanon.org/emailsignup
Follow Heart For Lebanon
🌍 Website:
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