Stories | Beyond

Obedience in Spite of Fear

Dec 14, 2022 | Stories

Imagine Mary hearing the angel’s stunning message! How would you respond? Mary, probably still a teenager, responded with initial fear, deep humility, amazing faith, and joyful obedience.

In Luke chapter 1, we see she was afraid when Gabriel told her of God’s plan (vv. 29-30), and she probably feared what her community would think. She knew she was not important (vv. 48, 52). Yet, she had visionary faith that God’s plan would impact generation after generation (vv. 50, 55)! She rejoiced in the privilege to serve and obey (vv. 38, 46-47), as Elizabeth also noted (v.45): “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Around the world, teenage women and men by the millions are obeying with similar amazing faith. In India, many commit to Jesus because, like Mary, they are stunned and overjoyed to learn that God invites poor people to work with Him!

They are feeding people, praying for healing in Jesus’ name, helping other poor people – and multiplying new disciples and churches.

This Christmas, we say with Mary (vv. 46-47): “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!”

Are You Mary or Zechariah?

Nov 30, 2022 | Stories

John and another north Indian movement leader traveled to meet with ten Muslim men who had said they wanted to know more about Isa al Masih (Jesus). John and his friend shared some verses from the Qur’an about Jesus and the Old and New Testaments. The group liked what they heard. They did not immediately become followers of Jesus that day, but neither did they argue. They are open. They said, “You have taught us a lot! Please come back.” John plans to return another time.

A key movement practice is to go and go again. We can’t keep returning for years or maybe even months if no one shows spiritual interest. Because the harvest is plentiful, we must not waste time with those who aren’t ready. But where we find authentic interest, we can consider the door to still be open.

The movement leaders have learned the difference between genuine questioning and argumentative spirits. It is the difference between Mary’s awe-struck “How can this be?” and Zechariah’s scoffing “How can this be?”

Some people, like the group above, say, “Wow. This is a lot to take in. I need some time to think about it. But please come back and tell us more later.” But when we meet those who only want to argue, we can say, “I love you too much to argue,” and move on to others who are open to listening to the Good News. We can trust God to give the skeptics (modern Zechariahs) another chance (and another and another), even if not with us. But we must be willing to move on, staying in step with the Spirit, to find and share with those who are ready to hear the good news.

Jesus Heals as is Written in the Qur’an

Nov 16, 2022 | Stories

As you may have recently read, Charlie and Sarah had been walking through a season of discouragement. One morning, Sarah asked the Lord to show her that He was still at work.

“Later that same day,” Sarah recalls, “another friend went with Charlie and me to look for persons of peace (as in Luke 10) in a mountain village where we hike. It was drizzling, so not many people were out. But as we rounded a corner, two ladies waved energetically at us and invited us into their home, just before a downpour hit.

“It turned out that we had met one of them previously. A few weeks ago, Charlie and I had been hiking and had come upon a lady curled up on the side of the road with her husband sitting beside her. Her back had given out as she climbed the hill with her heavy load. We stopped to pray for her in Jesus’ name, but had to resume our hike since we were an hour from our car and sunset was rapidly approaching.

“This was the same lady, Ibu Muli, in whose home we now sat. She told us that immediately after the prayer, her back had been healed, and she was able to carry her load home. Her back hadn’t bothered her since. ‘Are you Muslims?’ she asked. ‘No,’ we replied, ‘We are followers of Isa (Jesus), who can heal the sick as it is written in the Qur’an.’

“God had been at work a month or more before I had uttered my prayer. And here was a lady open to hearing about Isa, because God had healed her.”

“Please pray for Ibu Muli and her uncle, who gives the call to prayer at the local mosque. They agree with everything we say, but she insists we must be good Muslims, because of all the truths we speak. We will keep returning to her village and joining God in His work. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give them a thirst for God and an openness to hear about Jesus.

*pseudonyms

Once From Prison, Once from Hunger, Once From Sin

Nov 9, 2022 | Stories

Part Two:
Not long after his miraculous escape from slavery, Bahar moved his family to a new town. But catastrophic flooding across the country soon placed Bahar and his family in a new life-threatening challenge: they had no way to get food.

Bahar’s new town is one in which Samir and Nuh have been sharing the Good News and making disciples. Samir and Nuh, you may remember*, are disciple-makers who were befriended and trained by Frank and Helen.

When Bahar heard that Samir and Nuh’s church was helping the flood victims by providing food, his family visited the church, hoping to receive help. They joyfully received one month’s food supply on the day of distribution. Jesus, through his disciples, had rescued Bahar’s family again.

While at the church, Bahar, his wife, and their 12-year-old son heard more about this Jesus who had released Bahar and his uncle from prison and of His Good News of salvation. Together, the family decided to follow Jesus.

Bahar and his family are telling their family, friends, and neighbors about how Jesus rescued them three times: once from prison, once from hunger, and once from their sin. Bahar’s friends are now asking him, Samir, and Nuh to come share the Good News of Jesus.

Thrown into Slavery

Nov 2, 2022 | Stories

PART ONE

Bahar and his paternal uncle, Navi, traveled to a faraway province in their South Asian country in search of work.

Not long after arriving, they had a dispute with some local people. Because Bahar and Navi were poor migrant workers who spoke a different language, they were handed over to corrupt officials. They were immediately thrown into slavery and forced to work long hours.

They were beaten daily and told they would be killed and chopped up into pieces if they didn’t obey.

For 45 days, Bahar and Navi prayed to their Hindu gods, pleading to be released from their slavery. But nothing happened.

Then Bahar said, “I have heard of someone named Jesus, and that if people pray in his name, he answers them.” So they started praying to Jesus, asking him to make a way for their escape. Jesus immediately spoke to them and told them he would rescue them. He told them which day to leave, how to escape, and where to go. Encouraged, they began to pray more earnestly. Six days later, on the exact day Jesus had said, they were able to escape and begin the journey home! Bahar and Navi knew Jesus had saved them.

Don’t miss part two next week.