As Christ’s disciples, we are simply called to obey Him — at any cost and with no assurance of results. Only God can bring forth eternal fruit from the seeds of our obedience. And He often does so in ways we do not expect and cannot fathom because His wisdom and ability are infinitely, not marginally, greater than ours. This truth is both humbling and freeing.
Multiplication through obedience
Ahmed was armed with this powerful truth when he risked giving a Muslim man a New Testament in Kashmir, a region that has endured armed conflict between Muslims and Hindus for 75 years.
God used Ahmed’s act of simple obedience to transform a Muslim named Mohammed into a bold evangelist and church planter in a dangerous mission frontier whose population is 97% Muslim. As Mohammed planted churches composed of Muslim converts in the area, he led a Muslim named Mahmud to Christ.
Conquering fear
A short time later, Mahmud began walking in simple obedience by giving Bibles to five Muslim friends in his village. He wrestled with fear as he did this because loss of family relationships, housing and jobs are often the minimal cost for following Christ in Kashmir, and many have paid with their lives. But his simple response of obedience to the Lord’s instruction helped him conquer the fear.
Seeds watered with blood
By July 2015, Islamists in Kashmir had seen enough of Mohammed’s witness for Christ. Four masked gunmen dragged him from his home and shot him on the street, where he died. As in every case of persecution, the attackers’ goal was to silence the Gospel. But they merely watered the seeds of Mohammed’s obedience with his blood, resulting in a great harvest. Mahmud and other Muslim converts continued to witness for Christ — at any cost and with no assurance of the outcome.
God has expanded His eternal kingdom in Kashmir through the simple obedience of one man distributing a New Testament. VOM’s founders, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, came to faith in Christ through a similar act of prayerful obedience. We can all rejoice in understanding that God can bring forth fruit for eternity through our simple and unremarkable acts.
Source: VOM(SA)
