Ebook
Dare to Believe! is the breathtaking story of someone who has followed Jesus' lead through civil wars and unrest, arrests and deportation, as he sought to effectively use media in support of the life, work, and witness of the church in the Middle East and North Africa. The book journeys from the publication of a Christian newsstand magazine for the Arab world to the birth of the region's first Christian satellite and online television services--attracting millions of viewers from all faith backgrounds and ages, unlike Christian television as we may have seen it in the West. Readers will discover and be encouraged by dynamic and courageous Christian communities in the Arab world, Iran, and Turkey--some of whom date the founding of their churches back to the first century--and how God provides for his children and his ministry, even through difficult times.
“Dare to Believe! is an amazing telling of amazing
stories about amazing people. I’ve met believers who live in the
Middle East under incredible obstacles and opposition. Amazing
because they don’t pray for protection—they pray for boldness.
You'll be challenged and inspired by the stories of these brave
followers of Jesus.”
—Wayne Pederson, global ambassador, Far East Broadcasting
“In Dare to Believe! you become Terence Ascott’s companion
on an epic adventure of faith and obedience. You join him on
harrowing pursuits driven by the revelations of what media and
technology make possible. You bear witness to God's master plan and
how the hope of the gospel is on its way to the ends of the earth.
The story of SAT-7 left me awestruck, praising God, and full of
anticipation as the day of the Lord approaches.”
—Tami Heim, president and CEO, Christian Leadership Alliance
“When it comes to giving the gospel, we must always go where the
kingdom of Christ is under assault. Nowhere is the opposition
fiercer than in the Middle East . . . yet Christ's church is
springing up all over! It’s why I thank God for the remarkable work
of SAT-7 and its tireless efforts to make Christ known in this
ancient region of the world. In his new book, Dare to
Believe!, Terry Ascott has captured the danger, intrigue, yet
passion and ingenuity behind the unique development of SAT-7. If
you are looking for inspiration, as well as a genuine witness of
the life-transforming power of the good news, this is a must
read!”
—Joni Eareckson Tada, founder and CEO, Joni and Friends
“The Christian faith began in the Middle East, but it is
there today where followers of the Risen Christ face constant
persecution. In Dare to Believe!, Terence Ascott tells the
thrilling story of SAT-7’s ministry, showing that the faith of
Jesus Christ can never be crushed.”
—Lord Carey of Clifton, 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury
“As I read Dare to Believe!, I found myself moved by the
faith and vision required to begin the first ever satellite network
in the Middle East aimed at communicating the good news. Terry and
Jackie’s story was thrilling! Kingdom progress always requires
steps of faith, especially in places where such faith can come at a
very high cost. We need more believers willing to do whatever it
takes to share the story of Jesus in compelling ways. May God use
this story to inspire many more people toward bold action!”
—Kevin Palau, president, Luis Palau Association
“Who would have thought that one man—daring to believe—could have
such an impact for Christ on millions of lives in the Middle East
and North Africa? Terence Ascott is that man. In an account that
seems to parallel the book of Acts, Dr. Ascott draws upon his own
fifty years of faith and actions that only the Lord could design.
This fascinating and engaging account of that belief is an
astounding revelation of God at work. I was deeply moved as I read
the heart-rending stories of many who paid for their faith in the
One presented to them by SAT-7 . . . Jesus. Dare to Believe
is a must read!”
—Ron Harris, chairman, National Religious Broadcasters, and
president, MEDIAlliance International
“This is a riveting book filled with miracles! It’s amazing that
Terrance is even alive to write this book. He was thrown out of
Egypt, held at gunpoint by the PLO in Lebanon, threatened numerous
times, but he stood the course, and the miracle of Sat-7 is now
saturating the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia with the
message of Jesus. Dare to Believe is a roller coaster of ups
and downs, but God moved the mountains of opposition and today is
using Sat-7 to break up the hard soil and bring millions to faith
in Christ. Sat-7 is the gospel powerhouse that all of us who serve
in the Middle East thank God for. I highly recommend Dare to
Believe, and as you read this thrilling book, you will dare
to believe and trust God for more in your life!”
—Tom Doyle, author of Dreams and Visions and Women Who
Risk
“In Dare to Believe!, Terry Ascott worries that a
Western audience might not be able to cope with reading the
harrowing accounts of Christians of the Middle East who, in the
face of genocide, atrocity crimes, and persecution, face an
existential struggle to survive. But not only do we have a duty to
learn their stories and hear their cry, we have a duty to act.
Since I first encountered Dr. Ascott, in the 1980s, he has
unfailingly and generously devoted himself to the cause of the
region’s benighted and abandoned Christians. Through SAT-7’s
amazing work he has reached over the heads of those who would deny
the right to believe, to provide encouragement and solidarity. This
book is a timely encouragement to us all to do more.”
—Lord Alton of Liverpool
“This inspiring volume is really three stories under one cover.
It’s the autobiography of a Christian leader with fifty years’
experience of working in the Middle East and North Africa. It’s the
history of SAT-7, a gift of God for the satellite age and a glowing
example of entrepreneurial faith, which had the vision to embrace
new technologies as an effective servant of the gospel. But above
all, it is the compelling story of the suffering church standing
firm while the world collapses into anarchy and chaos. It is
action-packed with powerful testimonies of dramatic conversions to
Christ and a hunger for Christian fellowship and Bible teaching.
There are vivid stories of persecution, intimidation, blood-soaked
martyrdoms, and miraculous escapes. Please read it and recognize
there is a price to be paid for daring to believe!”
—David Coffey, past president of the Baptist World Alliance and
former general secretary of the Baptist Union of Great
Britain
“This is a story of Christian faith, courage, and perseverance
which needs to be heard. It is at times heartbreaking and at times
heartwarming. It is a story filled with pain, love, and undying
hope. Western Christians must surely be challenged by its
authenticity: if you have ever wondered what the gospel of Christ
means in a harsh world, this story is for you.”
—Stephen Green, Baron Green of Hurstpierpoint, member of the UK
House of Lords
Terence Ascott has lived and worked in the Middle East since the
1970s, pioneering the creative use of Christian print and visual
media. In 2011, Ascott received an honorary doctorate
from Belhaven University “for extraordinary work and
achievements in promoting Christianity throughout the Middle East
and North Africa.” He currently serves on the boards of several
media ministries and is an international speaker and writer on the
Middle East.