Today, I stumbled across this incredible testimony from a Muslim converted to Christianity and I found it to be interesting to me on many levels.
Afshin Javid is an ex-Hezbollah Iranian Muslim and he saw Jesus and Jesus talked to him. Being that I live near the country in Texas, I can go years with no interaction with Muslims and yet three times this week my path has intersected this topic, these people and I even found myself ministering to a Muslim just yesterday.
I was with my son at TxDOT and a Muslim woman came in with her daughter who was getting her driver's license. Honestly, the first thing I noticed was this "distain" that rose up in my heart as I saw her with her head covering and her "religion" and I really didn't "like" her. You know, the picture that the news is painting and social media is fanning that "they" are here to hurt us - right? This was troubling to me and I immediately began to dialog with God with what was in MY heart.
If you haven't heard, last week at Ft. Worth's biggest event of the year, (the Ft. Worth Stock Show Rodeo), a Muslim Imam was invited to open one of the sessions with a Islamic blessing. This stirred up a FIRESTORM of very public, direct, honest and sometimes harsh, hate-filled, fear-based and even rude speech against these people and their religion. This "Muslim prayer" had NEVER been done before at the Rodeo and honestly, at any such public event that I have heard of in Texas, because up until recently, this area (Texas) has been the "Bible Belt" a strictly "Christian" area. (I use "quotes" because some people living here in Texas say they are "Christian" but they have "loose" definitions" and even "looser" standards to what that means and sometimes it is just a reason to discriminate. We justify a lot in the name of religion - don't we. Even Jesus posed this question and addressed this topic in the Word and yet many of us still didn't "get it". These topics of "What is Christianity" or "Define Christianity" or "Who is a Christian" will indeed take a whole lifetime of discussions and years of debate to cover and is NOT the focus today. - lol.) I digress but yet there is an "awakening" going on "Deep in the Heart of Texas" as many have been "asleep" in their faith and they are finding a "new cowboy" is in town.
So back to the TxDOT, I immediately began to dialog with God about "what was in my heart for this woman" as this "distain" was certainly NOT from heaven, it was from hell. God LOVES us...ALL of His creation, yet while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). The whole morning at the TxDOT was filled with things "bumping up in me" as the neighborhood I was in was rather reminiscent of downtown LA or Harlem rather than Ft. Worth, Texas. There was EVERY rainbow of person, style, age, class and flavor and I found myself all morning asking God what He wanted to "show me" and then in walks this Muslim mother and daughter.
Well, we processed through our paperwork and she was also processing through and now we find ourselves in line in our vehicles, them being behind us. I exit my vehicle as my son starts the process of his test and I walk to a nearby convenient store, the whole time talking to God about "things" going on there in the spirit, things going on in our nation, things going on in our society - I was deep in prayer, while "on my way" (Matthew 20:17, Luke 17:11) just doing life. I left the store and come back to see my son hasn't even left the parking lot (as they inspect the car, check this-and-that) and I see the Muslim women is also out of her car...waiting as well.
Yep, then the Lord prompted me to talk to her. He told me to talk about "being a mother' - we had that in common. We exchanged greetings and then I entered into the discussion of our children and being there and she was shocked to meet an American (she was Jordanian) who had more children than she did (she had 5). We talked, smiled, laughed, shared and in parting I even "blessed" her and she to me. It was a "small" victory in the spirit, but I felt like I had slain Goliath all by myself. I had a great LOVE for her and felt the devil under my feet as I walked away. He can't intimidate me - I am free - No Longer Slaves (by Jonathan David & Melissa Helser)! Jesus loves the Muslim just like He loved and loves me, while in my sin, in my darkness, in my "lostness". He LOVES people - ALL His people!
Then today, I find this link and was undone while listening to this testimony of a Muslim, who found Christ - ALL BY HIMSELF! No witness. No one "preaching", just Holy Spirit going after him...and that is how I am praying now for this woman I met yesterday; Holy Spirit, find her, accost her, arrest her, SAVE her and her entire household.
When we (my son and I) were walking out of the building, rounding the corner, the daughter was now walking in having completed her test. She was VERY American in her dress, her style and all of 16 years old. I asked her how her test went, and she said she had passed. We briefly celebrated her accomplishment and I felt God smiling on her through us, the white "infidels" connecting on a human level - as people with a spirit, a soul and a body. There was a connection of "human-to-human" and her face showed it as did mine. I am praying for the residue of heaven that leaks from His children will remain on her, draw her, change her, save her.
So today I pray. I pray for these two woman that they too would find Christ, or better yet, that Christ would find them! Father God, overtake them with who you are as they "pray". Make yourself known to them, Jesus. Father, give me a heart for ALL that YOU love! Break my heart for what breaks yours (
by Hillsong). Change me to BE the hands and feet of Jesus - WHEREVER I go. I NEED YOU, Holy Spirit! Forgive me for allowing fear, my opinions, my flesh, my hurts to influence me away from YOUR WAYS!
Join me in praying today for Muslims to FIND CHRIST! If you have neighbors, co-workers, friends, acquaintances or even people you met in a line like I did, list them below and let's "target" them with the Love of Christ. Let's join together as a body, a church, a people who are known by our love...Christians! (John 13:35)
