A Taste of Jesus

There are many things I analyze with agony when I think about Muslims being separated from the love and truth of God. I reflect with a great level of honesty and self evaluation about the battle I faced coming to know the Lord as a Muslim. I think about all the obstacles that kept me from giving myself to Him and I think about the crucial factors that allowed me to be pushed into His arms.

I have come to understand that we make reaching Muslims complicated when in reality, it is simply a matter of the heart. Of course, the matters of the heart are undoubtedly challenging and painful. I will be the first to say that Muslim ministry is frustrating and absolutely hard, and it requires an immense level of patience that most of us can not take on. In a rapidly paced and fast changing society, our time is too valuable.  Time costs something. Therefore, to invest our time and patience to build trusting relationship with a Muslim person means risking our valuable time especially when we are faced with the harsh reality that we may never see fruit. Therefore, building relationships with Muslims is seen as a risky, slow and time consuming investment rather than a Kingdom investment for the glory of God and for the salvation of souls.

Muslim ministry is ALL about relationships and like any strong and enduring relationship, it requires time and patience. Maybe we are no longer familiar with "strong standing" and "time tested" relationships because we are living in a time of instant gratification, including instant relationships. We can give social media, especially Facebook the credit for this. With a click of a button, you and I are now friends, without effort, emotional investment or even time. No wonder building relationships with our Muslim brothers and sisters can often feel like an eternal process. 

I have come to understand that there is a battle waging between the Muslim mind and heart. The Muslim mind holds the Muslim heart captive. From adolescence, the Muslim mind is religiously, socially and culturally influenced and trained to reject who Jesus is and what He did. Recently, God placed an Iranian couple in my life who have rejected Islam, but are genuinely and passionately seeking who God is.  An intense yet hopeful dialogue emerged between us, and when the discussion came to an end, I felt an incredible urgency from God to give them one advice. I said, "You are seeking God with your mind. This is an intellectual battle for you, but you must understand that God is not fighting for your mind, He is fighting for your heart. Seek Him and fight for Him with your inner heart. Don't make this an intellectual battle." You see, the mind demands logic and reason. The heart demands trust and faith. We walk by faith not by sight. Again, the Muslim mind holds the Muslim heart captive. As ambassadors of Christ, we must ALSO understand this in the hopes of reconciling Muslims with God.  We can not debate anyone into the Kingdom of God, yet Muslims are ready for a debate, and I will promise you that they will out beat you. Let them win that battle......for we are fighting for what God keeps His eye on, the heart of Man.

I have come to understand that after almost three years of fighting Christ, what finally brought me to His loving grace was not Christianity being defined, but Christianity being demonstrated. I have said this over and over and over again when I speak about my story and about reaching Muslims. Yet, it is the cornerstone lesson that came out of my battle with God and I carry this absolute vital lesson into my lifelong mission to take the light of Christ to Muslims. You see, defining Christianity is debatable, but demonstrating Christianity is undeniable. 

I have come to understand that when we demonstrate Christianity, what we are doing in essence is giving a Muslim person a taste of Christ. They taste Jesus through our lives and once they get a taste, they will eternally crave it.  They will hunger over it, opening themselves up for the Holy Spirit to feed them. I compare it to being given a nibble then a bite of the sweetest and juiciest fruit you have ever tasted, so how can one possibly go back to being content and satisfied with the fruit offered by the world? The key word here is "compare." We are all to an extent victims of all that we know. If you are born and raised in war and violence, then war and violence is all you know. I have always said, that the worst type of violence is when you know nothing but violence. Therefore, if a Muslim person is only ever exposed to relationships, ways of behavior and a type of love that is alienating, and not Godly, then how can they ever know what they are missing? Similarly, how can people know that they are missing peace when they only know war? WHEN Christians demonstrate and share the love of Christ with a Muslim person, we are giving them a taste of Christ, but more importantly, we are giving them something to compare!! Once they have a taste of this sweet eternal fruit, how can they ever go back to the dry fruit given by Islam? (Maybe that is why Muslim love their dried fruits!!! haha had to throw that in there) Once a Muslim person witnesses the love of Christ through us and our lives, they will crave and seek it too. They will finally be freed from all that they have ever known. They will taste the Lord and know that He is good!!! They will return to their families and Muslim communities and for the first time they will see that there is a better way, and that way is Jesus. This is why I believe that reaching Muslim international students is vital for Muslim evangelism. By coming into our lives, we demonstrate and give them a taste of the Lord which a.) they will take back with them to their home countries. b.) once they have tasted the Lord and visit/return home, they will compare and come to know the difference. 

I have come to understand that it was exactly that which brought me to the Lord. Once I tasted Jesus and once I came to witness Godly joy, peace and love in the lives of Christians, I would return home to my Muslim family / community and finally have something to compare. I became envious of what Christians had. They were different. They lived different. They acted different. They loved different!!!! There was something they had and I wanted it too. I now craved it. What was it?? What was the common thread? It was Jesus.

I have come to understand that we are the living, walking, breathing proof of Christ. We are the givers of His eternal fruit. Our mission is not to convert Muslims. Our mission is to give Muslims a taste of Christ and stand back and let the Holy Spirit replenish them. If we give Muslims a taste of Jesus, they will crave Him, seek Him and hunger over Him. 

Let us not define Christianity, rather let us demonstrate it.

Let us not merely know our faith, rather let us live out our faith.

Let us not force Christianity down the throats of Muslim's, rather let us give them a taste of Christianity.

Let us not focus our fight to win the Muslim mind, rather let us focus our fight to free the Muslim heart.

I pray that as a Church and Body of Christ that we see, feel and recognize the urgency to reach Muslims for the hope of the Great Commission.

I pray that we have the patience of heart and mind in building relationships with Muslims.

I pray that as a Church and Body of Christ that we do not become selfish with our faith by choosing to keep the taste of the sweetest fruit to ourselves without the willingness to share it with the Muslim world.  Let us not be the modern day Jonah's.

At journey's end, I shall say.......

 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 

(2 Timothy 4:6-8)

After I read this passage from 2 Timothy, I closed my eyes and I did my best to place the state of my heart, mind and spirit in the place of Paul's who was now drawing near to his end.  In this moment, we meet a lonely, suffering servant of God who nonetheless looks to his eternal place with God with great anticipation.The moment that we commit our lives as soldiers to the cause of Christ, we have offered up ourselves to a life lived in constant battle. He has enlisted us for His sake, building up an army of faithful and obedient soldiers willing to be ridiculed by a word hostile to God's eternal truth.

I ponder the complexity of what we are to expect and face. I pray that God blesses my life of obedience, but I constantly remind myself that I must not for a moment think that I "expect" such blessings as a reward for my obedience. (Hebrews 11) We must not get comfortable with blessings because when hardships and trials interrupt our comfortably Christian lives, we stand in shock as if something strange were happening to us. What's worse is that when our life is tested or jabbed, we ask God why...? WHY??!! We might as well say to God, "Lord, I thought because I love and serve you, you are suppose to bless all my ways. Why have you brought on this fierce storm upon my life?" This is a soldier who has prepared for battle in the mind alone, and does not actually expect to go out into the battle field to "live" out his faith. He has stored up knowledge in his mind without obedience in his heart. It is easier and safer to merely know than to do. This again is the knowledge of faith without the courage to have the obedience of faith to go along with it. When King David's son is announced dead, He immediately worships God. When Job is told that his children are all killed, he falls to the floor and worships. I pray that WHEN I face great loss, that I will not ask the disobedient question of "why," but rather I will fall to the floor and worship.

In essence, the hardships and teachings of the Bible become mere "slogans" that go along with our Christian titles without true merit. "We live by faith and not by sight" We know this, but do we truly live it? Do we truly live out and work out our faith? We stand in shock, confusion and often in anger towards God when we need to actually live out what we preach.  Me included.  My reflection is that when all things are well and going according to plan without any suffering, THAT is when we should worry! The enemy is deceitful and very smart. We are deceived by the illusions of blessings. We assume that because life is tied around with a pretty bow, that we are in God's good book; pleasing Him. Have you ever thought that sometimes what we see as blessings is a ploy from the world and enemy to distract us from our actual call, duty and sacrifice to God? Have you ever thought that your supposed blessed life is actually a scheme by God's counterfeit Kingdom to keep you in a spiritual state of disillusionment? We love to blame the enemy when things do not go according to plan or when we are faced with obstacles or grief. We give Satan too much credit. Ever think that Satan IS actually causing you pain in a life that actually looks blessed? I know if the blessing is from my Lord when it draws me near to Him, keeping my eyes on Him and my mission. Do not be fooled to "think" you are filled with joy, but in actuality, you are preoccupied with the blessings from the world. Therefore, we must remember and discern what is "Godly joy" from what is "worldly joy." I often pray, "Lord, do not let me deceived in my faith!"

If you have not felt the pain of life,  then you have not felt the wound of Christ. If you want to avoid suffering at all costs, then you want the blessings without the responsibilities. The heart piercing question then arises, "Can you truly say that you would die for a savior that died for you?"

I take my thoughts and emotions back to Paul, sitting chained in prison, waiting unashamed for his end. When the hardships, hard work, joys, pains, blessings, loss and all that jazz come to an end, will I continue to look to my eternal place with God with eager anticipation knowing that I did everything I could as His faithful servant? Will I dream about looking upon the face of my Father in heaven without doubt and shame as He says, "Well done my loyal and faithful servant." In my last moment of breath and life, will I feel absolute conviction that I gave all my strength to a fight that I already knew had been won? Victory is already ours, yet I give praise to every tear, pain, and affliction in exchange for giving glory to God. Will I close my eyes one last time with passion filled contentment and fulfillment, knowing I did the will of my Father? I pray so. I desperately pray so. 

We are often consumed by the thoughts of what we need to do in our roles as ambassadors to the Great Commission, and we rightly should. However, it is good for the spirit for us to measure our steps by asking, "In all that I am doing and in all that I have already done for the Lord in strength and joy.... is it leading me towards an end that will give Him full glory and give me eternal peace in knowing that I did all that I could?" Will I be able to say with fullness of heart, mind and spirit that I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."? I desperately pray so.

Spoon-feeding Christianity

I was recently invited to Joplin, MO, the home to a devastating hurricane two years ago, to speak at a Christian school. The night before I was to speak, I asked God what HE wanted me to say to this young generation of believers. I had to keep in mind that my audience would be ages ranging from 6 - 18 years old. I focused on what God wanted me to say to these future Christian soldiers and not what I wanted them to hear.

I was perplexed about what my content would be. I have been on an exciting, ignited and passionate journey speaking about the urgency of the gospel. My spiritual focus and fire has been to explain why we must as a body of Christ reach the Muslim world. I have passionately and desperately communicated to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that reaching the Muslim world is not an optional accessory to our Christian lives, but rather a matter of obligation. It sits firmly in the fold of our Christian obligation if we are to have a logical and honest conversation about the completion of the Great Commission.

Yet, as I sat in bed asking God what He wanted me to say to the kids, I thought about how intense and scary it would be to talk about the urgency of the gospel and the importance as Christians to truly understand God's mission and redemptive plan. I would freak the kids out!! And I was sure that the school staff and leaders would be less than happy to hear me passionately advocating the responsibility we have as Christ ambassadors to be prepared to take on God's mission, no matter the cost.

As I sat in bed in silence, I felt God's overwhelming peace and direction that it was exactly what He wanted me to speak about.

This experience stirred something in my heart and mind that did not sit well with me. Why was I hesitant to share with the young kids about God's command and urgency to reach the nations? Is there a time frame when a Christian is suppose to gradually adjust to the mission and truth? Are we meant to have our Christian lives and obligations spoon-fed to us? What does that look like? It breaks my heart to see so many followers of Christ live out their faith as if to be a Christian is simply that we are saved, to be Christlike as possible, go to Church, read your Bible, give your tithing, and go on a mission trip here and there. Our service has become more about social activism than evangelism! Missions have become more about the compassion to the poor than glory to God! Yes, Christ focused on the needy and poor, and so must we, but we must not lose the larger and eternal focus that it is all about His glory! As Piper said, "Mission exist because worship doesn't"

Where is the true understanding of discipleship?! "Go out and make disciples," said our Lord! Yet, discipleship is often an optional component to the obligation/ goals of churches, ministries and in our personal Christian lives. Discipleship must remain the core to all that we do! Where is the true knowledge of God's redemptive plan?!   So many Christians live without the full and deeply scriptural understanding of God's mission that is laid out clearly from Genesis to Revelations. Yet, the plan and purpose (our responsibilities) is overlooked because we focus merely on the blessings and gift (salvation and grace) We have become the nation of Israel, We want the blessings without the responsibilities! 

We live in a society of information overload, and this reality has spilled over to our faith. It has now become the knowledge of faith rather than the obedience of faith! What good is faith without the willingness to obey it? I shall put it in plain world talk: Actions speak louder than words! So, my fellow Christians, continue to read your Bibles, memorize scripture verses and walk around with your "Christian" lingo and vocabulary. I am not sure how you will reach the unreached people, nations, tongues and tribes that way, but what it does give you is spiritual disillusionment and denial. I pray you do not fall into spiritual disillusionment my friends. However, I also know that with this "obedience of faith" comes risk, suffering, commitment and the willingness to go into dark places. We are children of light and our lights shine brighter where there is greater darkness. Let us not forget that He instructed us to be lights to those who sit in darkness. I pray that you will not settle being comfortably Christian. I think about 2 Peter 2:21 "For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them."  I think about how this verse can also be carried over to our responsibilities towards the Great Commission and for those who know the mission, yet choose not to live it out. "For it would have been better for them never to have known the OBEDIENCE OF FAITH FOR HIS PURPOSE than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them." (Again, I am careful to mention that I do not mean that we are all called to full-time ministry, but we are called to allow our daily lives and professions to be an opportunity for witness and discipleship)

Please do not spoon-feed your Christianity. Please do not be ok with spoon-feeding God's mission and truth to your children and to the next generation. The young generation is entrusted to carry God's light, truth, mission and message to all ends of the earth for the sake of the completion of the Great Commission. Let us not spoon-feed them their obligations.

We are a VOICE OF A GENERATION that will carry the message of eternal salvation. We are obligated to know from the very beginning of our walk with God what the mission is and to pray for God to lead each one of us to our unique callings for His Kingdom cause! Our Lord is calling out to His army and patiently raising up His loyal servants who not only know the mission, but are willing to have the courage and strength to obey His call.

I pray that this young generation of believers, including myself will feed our children the truth, mission and purpose of God's redemptive plan from the beginning of their lives as ambassadors of Christ sent to be the living, breathing, walking proof of His love.

There is a tragedy in knowing that we stand on the foundation of one faith and serve one King, yet our knowledge, perspectives, and obedience to our faith can not find common ground and behavior.  We are limited by our human selves, yet we are forgiven and saved by His splendid grace.

Who wants to be needy?

I began to feel myself letting go of my grip..... How many times do I catch myself going less and less to my Bible and more to my own thoughts. How many times do I rely on my own strength and not seek His. How many times do I close my heart to His whisper and listen to the noise of the world. Yet, every time I cry out to Him, He answers because of His relentless faithfulness. Our need's may change, but our God remains the same. Draw near to me and I will draw near to you says my King. The less I go to my Bible and the less I rely on the Word of God, the more I rely on myself… my thoughts, my plans, my strength and my understandings.

Every Sunday at church while engaging in fellowship and singing in worship, I think how I wish I could bottle that feeling of indescribable Godly joy and carry it with me every moment.  I want the everlasting taste of the Kingdom of God, now and here! On Sundays, my joyful spirit is overflowing with gladness and praise for Him. I want to live it, BE it, walk it, thirst it, hunger it and fight for it. Then the week begins and I conform to the world. That momentary feeling of Godly exhilaration dwindles and I replace it with the many anxieties of my mere life.  Does Sunday church time become the once a week “gas station stop” where we go, fill up with song and sermon, fuel up and go home…..? And each passing day, we burn off the fuel until we need to fill up again on Sunday because we are running on empty. As children of God, we have a hungry and seeking Spirit within us that like all living things, MUST be fed and filled on a daily basis, crying out “Fill me up Lord!” The everlasting taste of the Kingdom of God is in fact here and now, living within us. It is the daily feeding and rejuvenating of the spirit that allows me to taste the joy of the Lord and His Kingdom everyday.

January 2013, I sat in my room in Kansas City and begged God to bring my heart back to Him. I was focused and disciplined in ministry work, but I needed focus and discipline to go to His Word. Of course, I knew that God never left me. Rather, I was "choosing" to look away.  I asked anyway, satisfying my urgency and neediness. He wants His children to be needy of Him. I am desperately needy of Him. When we are children, we rely on our mother to feed us, clothe us, teach us and protect us. When she has faithfully provided and we grow in the flesh, we then feel that we don’t need her anymore.  We are grownups now- self sufficient and self reliant! Like my pastor said today, "In America, we are taught to be self-sufficient." The world advocates that self-sufficiency is a measure of success! In our own independence, we become our own God! We become captives to ourselves, not realizing that by relying and being needy of God, we in essence gain freedom. Welcome to the new self help society...... welcome to misplaced truth. We give ownership to ourselves and not to our creator. We create our own misguided truths, rather than to see His one eternal truth. We are taught to create our own paths in life through self seeking plans, agenda's and motives. That is also true in our relationship with our heavenly father. I was a spiritual baby crying out to Him to feed me, shelter me, bless me, direct me and to protect me. He faithfully did so because I was needy of Him. Once I was filled up, feeling like a grownup, I began to rely more on myself, being less needy of Him. It is no longer about THE mission or HIS mission, but about MY mission. It is no longer about Him, but about me.

God took me to Isaiah 53 and reminded me of the tears I shed not for myself, but for His son two years ago with John 17. Once again, he ripped me to pieces and broke me in order to bring me back to him. Just like when we are injured or get sick, returning to childlike mindsets and seeking our mothers, we do the same when we are spiritually wounded and cry out for our heavenly father. His faithfulness is beyond measure and above understanding. He knows what is in Man. I am in an eternal state of awe of Him.  All He wants in return is for me to be needy of Him daily. The invitation to need Him is always open because He wants to remind us of His grace.  "Yet I am poor and needy, may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay”