Our traveling team set out to meet and hear the stories of the underground church in North Africa. Guided by our friend, who came out of a Muslim Background over three decades ago, we engaged in prayer and conversations with our brothers and sisters who are worshipping as a small minority.
Small is a bit ambiguous and depends on context so let me explain. As our friend planned our time together in his birth country, he wanted us to visit a city of about 30,000 people. He wanted us to stop and pray there because there were no known believers in this city. This is sadly not uncommon for this part of the world but still jarring. However, two weeks before our arrival he received word that he was mistaken. There was in fact, a single known believer in this city.
We had the opportunity to sit and hear His story and to pray with him. For three years now he has been following Jesus. But none of his neighbors and none of his family have given their lives to Jesus. He is by himself but, not alone.
How can I say that he is not alone? Here is what this man said, " I had questions. So, I went to the internet and did some searches. I found someone to start to chat with about Christianity and about Jesus. Over time when I knew that Jesus was the answer that I was looking for, I said to myself,
"I am going to be the only Christian
In the whole COUNTRY!"
When this man gave his life to Jesus he believed that there was not another believer in the entire country he lives in. When I heard this, I was blown away. At first, I wondered, God how can you leave this man alone for three years with no community of believers? And shortly after this I felt God saying to me, "Geoff, he has me, he is not alone. I am enough for him. I have given him the sweet experience of knowing me deeply and sweetly enough to sustain him."
"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save, he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will quiet you by his love, he will exult over you with loud signing" Zephaniah 3:17
Please come alongside the believers in places of great need so that more people will experience Gods salvation, rejoicing, love and exulting over them.
