Day: 24

The One Sheep

The meaning of the verse above is sometimes lost on western Christians. But for Muslims who come to Christ, it is completely clear.

When Josiah was a Muslim, a chance encounter with some local Christians changed his life. He tried to shake off their message of hope and redemption. But, much like the one sheep that goes missing from the flock, God was not going to give up on Josiah.

Having been raised in a strict Muslim household, Josiah was taught little about Christianity. He only knew that Christians were untrustworthy and shouldn’t be let in the house.

When Josiah was in ninth grade he felt curiously drawn to three Christian classmates. They invited Josiah to a Christmas service, and he snuck out of his parent’s home to watch the service.

It was an unforgettable experience. Josiah could sense the presence of God. He was given a choice. Leaving Islam would cost him his family, his education, his health, and perhaps even his life – converts are typically beaten or killed by their family over the shame of leaving Islam. But at that moment, he was not ready to pay the price.

Another Way

A year later, Josiah fell in with radical Muslims (he described them as “very bad and like terrorists”) but regretted it.

Christianity continued to tug at his heartstrings, but the cost of leaving his religion loomed largely in his mind. Like the rich young ruler, Josiah again walked away from Christianity, conflicted. He was unwilling to pay the price.

Later, Josiah encountered a Catholic Priest. Even though Josiah was armed and well-known around the parts as a dangerous radical, the priest wanted to meet with him. Josiah was shocked. The priest told him, “You don’t want to live like this, but you see no other way; but I give you another way.”

The priest’s words deeply touched Josiah’s heavy heart. He instantly opened up to the priest, sharing everything inside him and holding nothing back. God was tearing down the walls in his heart, laying aside every reservation. He attended church for the next two years, simply observing the priest and other Christians.

On an Easter morning, Josiah saw the Jesus Film for the first time. He remembers watching Jesus die on the cross for the forgiveness of sinners. Josiah felt utterly broken by the goodness of Jesus. This offer of complete forgiveness was unlike anything he had ever encountered.

In his heart, he realized, “Jesus is real. There is only one way and it is through Jesus.”

Immediately, Josiah felt like he had found a home after wandering in the desert, lost and confused, for years. He had been searching for truth – now he knew the Truth. He dedicated his life and heart to Jesus that night.

New Life

The course of Josiah’s life rapidly changed. He began a discipleship course and met a Christian girl who had faced persecution. He discovered that her family home had been surrounded and attacked by 500 Muslims. She and her family narrowly escaped with their lives. He eventually would marry that girl.

Josiah and his wife’s unique situation has allowed them to minister to many in their community. They began a home Bible study for former or current Muslims who want to learn more about the gospel. Three times a week, about 10 students gathered in their living room for hours at a time to study the Bible.

In speaking of the former Muslims that he ministers to, Josiah will tell you they need a lot of prayer.

“The pressure and threats to them are very high. The sacrifices they make to follow Jesus are very great. Many times they will turn back to Islam because they are afraid. But to become a Christian means you have to leave everything behind. If you do not leave these things behind, you will be killed.”

He speaks from experience. After surrendering his life to Christ, Josiah was cut off from his parents and siblings. When he became earnest in his love for the Lord, they rejected him and even threaten him with death. This was the cost.

The Cost

Josiah weighed the cost, and he ultimately chose to follow Christ. He realized that the opportunity to fellowship with the God of the universe, to sit at the throne of heaven and bask in the presence of Jesus’s love, far outweighed the pain of temporary rejection.

In places and circumstances where there isn’t a cost, or where there is even a materialistic benefit (as in the Western church), the Church will become sleepy.

This rule works in reverse as well, as you have seen in so many of these stories. In places and circumstances where Christians endure much suffering, the Church becomes purified. The dross of lukewarm believers melts away. Only those who love Jesus with their whole heart will count Him worthy of the cost. Their time spent with Jesus transforms them, casting off all hesitation.

Remember the case of Cuba?

Fidel Castro drove out most of the pastors. The ones who were left weren’t great speakers, leaders, or theologians. They were not the dynamic movers and shakers that the world so admires. The ones who remained faithful were close to the Lord. He was their daily bread and water. Their time in his presence, basking his life, infused them with a light that burns in the darkness of this world. Those in the dark were drawn to the light.

Oh, what a lesson to us in the free Church! Here, we have been captured by busyness and the tyranny of the urgent. Here, our goals have become so little; we like making our churches “popular” and full of people, rather than full of the Holy Spirit’s presence.

We need the persecuted Church because they show us what the Lord can make us into; this is their secret ministry to us.

Stop what you are doing right now and cry out to Jesus. Tell Him that you and your possessions belong to Him; ask Him to help you love Him as He deserves; ask Him to fill you with His Spirit. He is the answer to all of your questions.

As Josiah said, “The Lord sent His son, Jesus, so, there’s a new way. He is the way.”