‘I have suffered much because of my faith in Christ. My family and friends have deserted me. But your messages have encouraged me. They have comforted me. When I receive your messages, I feel that I am not alone because of you.’ (Male believer, Middle East)
A promise from God
You are not alone is a promise for those who have put their trust in Jesus as well as for those who are making steps of faith towards him.
Many times in the Bible, God reminds his people that they are not alone. I particularly like this verse, given to Joshua as he prepared to enter the Promised Land…
‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’ (Joshua 1:9 ESV)
The Holy Spirit
In John 14:23, Jesus says, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’ Then in Acts 2 we read about the dramatic coming of the Holy Spirit.
As believers, we have been filled with the Spirit of God, so we know that he is with us wherever we go. There are, of course, times when we do not sense God’s presence. This is something he allows, as a means of building our faith and underlining the importance of reading God’s Word and having fellowship with others.
Our responsibility
It is this knowledge that gives us confidence to say to seekers and believers in the Arab world, ‘You are not alone.’ It also makes us aware of the responsibility we have in caring for those who are discovering the truth. We know that they, too, will have the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit in them once they profess faith in Christ, but they will not have the same local support network that we are accustomed to having. There may not be any other believers living nearby or they may not feel ready to meet another believer face to face. New believers need to be nurtured and discipled, and they appreciate having someone to listen and pray with them.
The difference you make
Your support plays a big part in the lives of the people we connect with because you enable us to employ Arabic speakers who can relate to seekers from a Muslim background. Your gifts also fund the development of strategic content, which helps us to reach people who are open to the gospel. Thank you for your donations as well as your prayers. Both are vital.
Over the coming months of 2019, we look forward to sharing some wonderful stories that demonstrate God’s presence in the lives of former Muslims of the Arab world.
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