Image: smile_kerry, Flickr
My purpose in life is to hunt you down and kill you
There are so many Christian formerly-Muslim people that suffer daily from threats from people they have never even seen before.
They risk their lives and take chances just to follow Jesus.
Can non-Muslim background Christians have the same passion and strength to do the same? To take risks like these people? To not stand behind them, but side by side with them…
I was inspired by a Christian formerly-Muslim media personality speaking at an event I went to.
In her Muslim country she has an enormous viewership at a time when people are searching.
But, she also receives a minimum of three hundred threatening messages per day.
One such message was from a man who sent a picture of himself with a machine gun, saying:
“My purpose in life is to hunt you down and kill you”
She wrote back:
“My purpose in life is to love you until my last breath because Jesus said love your enemies”
They continued their communication and several weeks later he gave his life to Christ.
In the Q and A, I said to her:
“I want you to know that we non-Muslim-background Christians are also willing to take risks too. We won’t just push you out front while we stand back in safety. We’re willing to stand out front and take risks with you”
How could you and I be called to do that?
More and more Christian formerly-Muslim brothers and sisters are putting themselves out there on the media for the whole world to see and hear.
Most of the Muslim friends that I talk with soon mention Muslim internet media personalities, who are clearly influential in their own thinking.
But now there are a small growing number of Christians that you and I can direct them to.
This is quite a recent thing.
One of the first really high-profile Christian to receive large viewings on YouTube is Nabeel Qureshi.
Qureshi is a former Ahmadiyya American Muslim now in Britain, whose videos have won people’s attention in just the past few years, in tandem with his famous autobiographical book, ‘Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus’.
Other believers from Muslim backgrounds whose videos have received high viewings just in the past few months include a man who was a Saudi student, and a young American woman.
In Britain, a Christian man named Mohmed appeared in a BBC Newsnight feature [N.B. video subsequently removed from YouTube].
These brothers and sisters remind me of the Apostle Paul who shared his story to huge numbers in public when he got the opportunity (Acts 22 and 26) despite backlash, because he knew his story was very powerful.
God’s love is much greater than any potential dangers
So I want to make their risk as worthwhile as possible by publicising their story to my dear Muslim friends.
And I want to be willing to take risks that God calls me to take too.
When Goliath is taunting us, we can’t just sit back and listen.
God’s love is much greater than any potential dangers.
SINCE YOU'RE HERE...
... we have recently reached a total of 40 local Mahabba prayer groups in the UK - awesome news!
With your help, though, we would like to continue to sow, plant and support Mahabba groups.
Our work involves a small team of regional reps and central hub personnel investing in local coordinators and groups, as well as spreading the word.
To continue this vital mission to Muslims, we need to increase our regular monthly income.
Our initial target is to raise up 100 individual regular donors, giving an average of £10 to £15 per month.
Could you be one of the 100?