I recently talked to my friend Roger from Jacksonville, FL on the phone who just returned from a trip to North Africa where we spent about five days together. He told me that shortly after his arrival to the States he was doing a job at a fellow believer’s house and had told this man about his recent trip to the land of the Moslems. According to him, his friend shuddered at the thought. An exact quote is, “Every time I talk to one of them Arabs it makes my skin crawl.”
Of course Roger faithfully reprimanded this man’s admittedly godless attitude toward the lost. Something Roger told the man was, “You know, not all Muslims or Arabs are terrorists. Most of them are just really nice people.”
Roger spoke from experience and was right. But what if they all were terrorists? Should that lessen our love for them?
The Bible tells us that while we were enemies of God that he died for us. That means that Jesus knowingly came to, lived among, and died for his mortal enemies. He loved us while we were unlovely. He taught us in turn that real virtue is not found in loving those who love you but in loving those who hate you. Can we really be Christians without being like Christ. This man that Roger spoke to shows no sign of having a life transformed by Christ. He is, in fact, just like the Moslems himself: religious… loving those who love him…having no real concept of God’s love.
So Roger has motivated me to help you all get to know Muslims better. My wife and I talked about it today and have decided to start work on a book that will give you the life stories from beginning to present of 4 or 5 new believers from North Africa that we know intimately. We love them because we know them. I have a feeling you may not know how to love them because you have no idea of what their lives have been like, what their hopes and dreams are, and a plethora of other things that make us who we are.
if you think you’d like to read this story, drop me a line (leave a comment) and let me know it. It would be an encouragement to us as we start this monumental project.
I think the book is a great idea. It reminds me of “The Unexpected Journey” by Thom Rainer. What he did and what might help you is to take a couple of hours, sit down with them and a voice recorder and just ask them to tell their story. Maybe you have read the book, but if not, the format is great.
I read the book and liked it. Thanks for the advise.
I think the book is a great idea. You guys are doing a great work and always an encouragement to us.
I think the book is a wonderful idea! I would definitely read it! Your example(and your family) is always a blessing to myself and my family!
I would greatly appreciate a copy of your work Sir (granted it’s still in its it embryo stage). Any material that aids in my learning to minister to folks better is always welcome and of great benefit. Thank you for undertaking such a task. Your ministry and heart for the lost is a tremendous blessing and encouragement to me.
Sign me up! 3 years ago, our pastor came to me and asked me to produce a “Missionary Update” for every Wed. and Sun. night. It boils down to me re-writing a missionary’s prayer letter into a shorter format and then reading it to our church from the pulpit. The focus is not necessarily the building projects or the funds that were raised, but the stories of the people who came to know Christ as their Savior. I have about 300 or so of theses stories, and love every one. Put some hurry into your stories of the new believers. I would love to read them to my family and my church family. What a blessing it is just to have Salvation Stories to write about! May God give you countless Arabic volumes in the years ahead, and we will be rejoicing with you, and waiting to hear them told.