“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
John 3:16-17
“This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”
1 Timothy 2:3-5
Hi Folks,
Here’s a powerful, loving short story any of us may be able to share with Muslims should the Lord present us with the opportunity. I hope it blesses you, and them.
Taken from the nine-minute mark in the above video (Edits mine).
Well-known Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, and some other prominent religious leaders, had been invited to the Middle East to talk to some of that region’s religious leaders. One of them was a sheikh who was one of the four founders of Hamas. The sheikh, a large, powerful-looking man, had been in prison for 18 years. He’d also lost some of his children to suicide bombings. The room where this meeting took place was full of smoke and people. The discussions had been intense up to this point:
When it was Ravi’s turn to ask the sheikh a question, the following dialog took place:
Ravi: “Can I just say one thing to you sir? 5000 years ago on a mountain not far from here, a man called Abraham took his son up the mountain to offer him as an expression of his faith. You remember that story?”
Sheikh: “Yes.”
Ravi: “Let’s not argue about which son right now.”
Ravi: “But he (Abraham) took his son up that mountain and as the knife is about to come down, God stops that arm, and He says, “Stop!””
Sheikh: “That’s right.”
Ravi: “What did God say?”
The sheikh just stared at Ravi.
Ravi: “God said, “Stop, I, Myself, will provide.””
Sheikh: “That’s right.”
Ravi: “Sheikh, here in Ramallah, very close to us is a hill. 2000 years ago, God kept that promise. This time, He took His own son up that hill, and this time the hammers did not stop.
Sheikh, until you and I receive this son God has provided, we’ll be offering our own sons and daughters on the battlefields of this world for position, and land, and power, and prestige.”
The sheikh looked at Ravi, and there was such a stunned silence in the room. Ravi never thought of that talk beforehand. What he’d said just came out on the spur of the moment. Ravi thought he’d really blown it.
On the way back to their jeeps, the sheikh, hurriedly, put the other guests in their vehicles and then ran over to Ravi’s jeep. He patted Ravi on both cheeks and then kissed him on both cheeks. He told Ravi he was a good man and that he hoped they’d meet again some day as his eyes welled up with tears.
God loves us all, Muslims included, and this story is indicative of His desire to reach them with Jesus’ salvation of grace. Reminds me that God looks at the heart of man, not the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7).
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:23
“And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.”
1 John 2:2
God bless,
Mark