To search or not to search?

There’s a view out there that we don’t need to make a special effort to find people far from God. You don’t need to add something to your already busy life. Just do what you normally do. Hang out with the people you know and the opportunities will come to you — or not.

Then there’s the view that Jesus was always on the move from place to place, like a shepherd looking for lost sheep. My friend Grant takes the second view. Here’s a story from his latest newsletter:

A friend and I were preparing to go out to parks, believing God will lead us to people whom He has prepared to hear the gospel.  

As we were praying and asking God to lead us, I remembered an Iranian couple we had met two weeks prior. I believed God wanted us to again go to that same park to meet the couple and share Jesus with them.  

As we arrived we looked around but could not see anyone, then over under a tree I saw an older couple whom I recognised; it was the elderly Iranian couple. We walked over and reconnected with them. As we shared more about Jesus, Muhammad said, “I have read many stories of Jesus in Iran and I love Jesus but I cannot follow him because I am Muslim”.  

He went on to say, “In Iran if you follow Jesus and the government find out they will put you in prison or even kill you.  This is what happens to people there”.  

My friend and I began sharing how he didn’t need to give up his culture to follow Jesus and then shared a simple message through drawing a picture that illustrated who Jesus is and how we can be made right with God by going through Jesus. I then shared how Jesus had lead us to the park that day as He had wanted us to share this message with Muhammad and his wife.  

When I said this Muhammad said, “Really!  Really?  Jesus sent you here today?” I said yes and told him that Jesus wants Muhammad to know him. At the point Muhammad had tears rolling down his cheeks and a great joy came across his face.  

We ended our time by praying with Muhammad and his wife, giving Muhammad a big hug and arranged to meet him again and share more Jesus stories with him and his wife.