FRIENDS OF
ISHMAEL
The book Friends
of Ishmael has challenged me to share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
to our Muslim brothers. This book is about the lives of people who gave their
lives to the Lord going anywhere to bring the Gospel to the Muslims and how God
has used their lives to reach to their hearts. Indeed, only the Lord can do
amazing things through a life that truly loves Him – willing to go anywhere to
preach the Good News.
Henry
Martin – Father of Protestant mission among the Muslims – gave up everything,
left, and was used by the Lord to translate the New Testament portion of the
Bible into Urdu, Persian and Arabic.
Ion Keith
Falconer – Missionary to the Arabs – he left his great wealth to follow Christ.
Samuel
Zwemer – he is an apostle to the Islam. Despite the great difficulty brought by
extreme heat – even up to 44 degree Celsius – living by the Persian Gulf; or
even after the death of their 2 children just within a whole week peroid,
Samuel and his wife learned to be content in whatever situation.
Franklin
Graham – the modern day Good Samaritan – has such a great burden in his heart
to bring the Gospel where it most needed, never ashamed to share the good news
of Jesus Christ to them.
Heather
Mercer and Dyna Curry were willing to go to the hardest and neediest places for
the Gospel. They have become the friends of Muslim women.
David
Mcdonall, Larry Elliot, Jean Elliot and Karen Watson – 21st century
martyrs – they went to the darkest
places to bring the Light of Jesus
Christ. they went to Iraq – for and because of the call, they left everything
for no other reason. These five lives united for one purpose – that is to be
friends and show love to the sons and daughters of Ishmael.
Rev.
Florentino De Jesus – he indeed loved and befriended the Muslims. When almost
no one would dare befriend them, Rev. de Jesus kept pleading for opportunity to
serve among them and in 1994, this Pastor left his church only to spend his
life among the sons of Ishmael.
These are
the heroes who obeyed the Great Commission of God to preach the Gospel to
Ishmaels. They were ordinary men and women but God used them.
I believe
God will also use me to bring the Good News to my Muslim friends. Even when I
was just little, I have always desired to be a missionary. I dreamed not to become a nurse, nor a
teacher or whatever. I wanted to be a missionary. And through some mission
exposure to a Muslim community, God gave me a love for the Muslims. This desire
to serve among them has never left my heart and once again through this book I
was reminded of the need to be a friend
of Ishmael.
The sad
reality today is that the church stays asleep in the light while countless and
countless people have very little or no friends bringing the Truth to them so
they may have life.
God has always desired to bring them to light. If I will
not tell these Muslim brothers and sisters that God loves them, who will? How
else will I live? Will I stay or go? Will I serve man, or will I serve God?
God called
me not to just be comfortable or successful in human terms, but so there would
be people who truly love and obeyed Him like he has always planned and desired.
I should be willing and ready to leave everything just to bring the Muslims to
the One True God. God does not want me to desire anything for myself. Missions is
not a joke or a game to not take seriously. There are pains, persecutions and
difficulties but God’s word perpetually encourages us to continue serving God.
What God has done for me on the cross, He also did for others.
God calls
his people to share the Gospel to bring the peoples to Him. Satan has blinded
the eyes and ears of the Christians with fear to hinder them from advancing
with the Gospel. While Satan actively destroys lives, God’s people sit in
apathy. Let’s not forget that Satan Is the enemy, not men. The Bible says,
“Love your neighbor as you loved yourself.” God made all men equal.
The Muslims
seek the truth, forgiveness, hope and purpose because they could not find these
things in Islam. The need today is that the people of God, especially the young
people to allow the Gospel to interrupt their lives – their plans, their
dreams, their ambition – and be courageous in bringing the Gospel to the
Muslims.
These are
just among the many things that I learned joining the NT Advance Operations
Training (AOT). I should not forget that only the Lord could draw them and I am
only among those that the Lord will use to bring the Gospel to them. Like what
Samuel Zwemer said, “All should go and go to all.”
God’s hands are not short that he could not save nor are his ears dull that
could not hear.
I am very
thankful to the Lord for showing me His great purpose – the plan of the ages to
reach all nations – this has given me a greater desire and burden to take the
Good News to our Muslim brothers. I thank Him for speaking to me daily,
teaching me, disciplining me, molding me, providing for all my needs (physical
and spiritual strength), and for the many people that God has used to pray,
encourage and support me to come to this training. May the Lord continue to
bless you all.
To God be
all the glory!
Prayer
request:
That God would pierce the hearts
of His people to and live among our Muslim brothers and sisters to share the
Good News to them.
- Lalay, 19
