Experiencing the Gods kingdom at work in the Muslim world: A story from one of our members working in Asia:

(names and places have been edited) I was asked by a 29 year old father of a 2 year old to share with him about Jesus and the teachings of the Gospels since he had no friends who knew about these things he speaks very clear English, so I was reluctant (I know it will be hard for you to believe that I would be since he asked), but I have a personal rule not to speak in English to locals. However, this was one of those moments I didnt want to miss and as I prayed I sensed I should respond to him, but not how he asked me to. We sat down and had chai at my house, and he began to tell me again why he wanted to learn about Jesus who he said he loves so much as all Muslims do. We talked more and then it moved into a Q&A about why I wasnt a Muslim. I told him I wouldnt argue point for point these things because he needed to hear about Jesus in a deep and clear way in his own language not in English. I then told him after he asked me to share with him, I prayed because I always seek to hear the voice of God in every situation and I have found that the Spirit of God speaks to me if I will only listen. I told him that, As I prayed I sensed the Spirit of God tell me not to just sit and talk about the gospel of Jesus, but to go experience it. We were not to just read about the kingdom of God, we were supposed to go out and see it. Then I said, Lets read Matt 10:1-16 (which is Jesus sending out the 72 ahead of him please read now.) So we read it and I said, Ok, lets go to the train station and pray for the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons and proclaim that the kingdom of God is near. He asked me again why we didnt just sit there and talk about it in fact this was the first time he had ever touched a New Testament although it was only an English one. I promised to find a version for him in his language, but today wasnt for reading, but for prayerfully obeying the spirit of God. I told him I needed to obey what I know God told me to do, even if he didnt feel comfortable. On the contrary, he said ok, if God spoke to you, lets go. So I emptied my pockets, I told him to since that was Jesus direction, but he kept some money. I kept out 10$ for the taxi and we headed out. We talked the whole way to the train station and I was able to share not only about the distinctives of Jesus, but also the atonement which I believe is at the core of a kingdom centric theology. We made it to the station and prayed with our hands lifted palms up, Islamic style and then started walking through the station. I picked the train station because just like in my home country, this is a place where the desperate, downtrodden, and lots of beggars hang out. We found a middle aged man named Sandeep whose hands and feet were shriveled up like a dried up piece of wood. I asked him where he had pain, and how we could pray for him, and my friend said this in Urdu. We talked a bit more, and then I prayed in the power and name of Jesus. My friend then urged Sandeep to consider that God was one (note that this is just as important to us as monotheists as it is to the Islamic monotheists). We moved

on and met another man, a Muslim from where all the flooding recently happened, but he wanted nothing to do with God. So my friend chastised him for not praying in the mosque and abandoning God or at least that is what he told me he said. Anyways, this is why I need to learn the language, but we still benefited so much from doing this activity of the kingdom together. He had never prayed that someone would be healed of a palsy, and he had never heard someone pray in Jesus name. So even though at this point he is still trying to encourage people to come o Islam, I heard a few words in this direction that I only partially understand, we still did the same things Jesus sent out the 72 to do before his death, burial, and resurrection, which allowed for the atoning sacrifice for sins. I think these kingdom activities (following Jesus as he saves, heals, and delivers) are a precursor to understanding atonement, not just amazing miracles Jesus did and we shouldnt attempt by his power. To separate the atonement as something solely the gospel or only proclaiming it is missing the kingdom in my mind, so I am trying to practice both. I know it will be confusing for you why I didnt correct him when my friend began trying to convert the man to Islam, but honestly I didnt want to argue in English, and I prayed for healing in Jesus name so when my language is better we can cover this. Until then, monotheism is a big step, who knows what is going on in his heart. So I figured since I could not speak directly to this man, his healing would be a better witness to the grace of God than the call to Islam. On our way home we talked about what happened, we stopped at a mosque and prayed, we went to his brass shop and saw his factory. I found out he wants to take on another wife as a polygamist which is lawful in Islam if you have no more than 3 or 4 I forget. All in all this was quite a journey, and I felt in the end that I was able to show him the activities of the Kingdom and share the gospel in action. I dont know how often I want to get together with this guy until my language is further along, and I may have lost him as an local language speaking friend (its harder to switch to the local language after you have started in English), but that remains to be seen.

What is your response to this? What were the key elements of this workers thought process?