For years, three Muslim-background followers of Jesus lived and ministered together in the same Muslim community. The three friends would gather large groups and share Bible stories, but they never had any fruit.
Then, about three years ago, God told them to separate. They obeyed, and each man gathered a smaller group in which they were the only follower of Jesus. It wasn’t long before they all began to see fruit.
The three friends realized that they used to spend a lot of time discussing what each knew about the Bible and what they had learned at some Christian conference or retreat. But when they separated, the new groups’ discussions became centered around what God was doing. The Lord began to use His Word and His Spirit to speak to and guide the Muslim seekers.
These groups have now become over 175 baptized followers in more than 29 house churches. The groups recently came together twice to baptize over 60 new followers, as their Muslim community watched from boats and the shore. These events have led to many conversations and some tensions within the community. Still, the disciples see this as an excellent opportunity to share their testimonies about what it means to follow Jesus with their friends and neighbors.