Indian date night with a difference. Indian date night with a difference.
A brief look into our crazy world…
Tonight it was date night so I was cooking a special meal for myself and Sharmini that she has arranged. The children are looking after the babies and buying / selling goods as part of their new business venture.
We are running late, and the phone rings with “No Caller ID”. It can only mean one thing: telemarketers. I normally answer and tell them about Jesus, but today I was going to ignore due to time restraints.
But Sharmini decided she would answer this time...
"Hello"
“Hello sir, Do you know that your business can not be found on Google?”
“Did you say salvation?”
“Sorry?”
“Salvation - are you going to Heaven or Hell?”
“I’m going to Heaven - but do you know where you are going?”
“Yes Heaven”
“No that’s a lie because you eat pork!”
“No I’m going to Heaven because I know Jesus - do you know Jesus?”
“Yes I know about Jesus”
“Do you know what Jesus did do for you?”
“ Jesus is a prophet”
“NO NO NO Jesus died for you!
JESUS IS NOT A PROPHET JESUS IS GOD”
I could hear Sharmini shouting in an excited yet forceful way…
As the conversation went on and I am cooking in the front room, I started to sing at the top of my lungs:
“there is no other name by which man can be saved, there is no other name under heaven”
I walk into the office as Sharmini hands me the phone. She taps me in and it is ON!
This guy is obviously a Muslim and is trying to get her to listen to some Islam teaching about Jesus and the Bible on Youtube.
He starts telling me that the Bible doesn't say that Jesus is God…
Jesus is not God?!! Ha! I start sharing with him emphatically the verses where Jesus claims to be God, where people worship Jesus and explain some light greek…
“I only read Arabic - I trust Mohammed”
“But Mohammed is dead, dead and gone and he is not coming back - Jesus is ALIVE! JESUS IS ALIVE and you NEED to meet Him!”
“But Mohammed was a prophet - Jesus was a prophet….”
“Mohammed is dead. And more than that he sinned. Jesus never sinned”
“No prophet has sinned”
“Mate you need to read your book in Arabic agin - Mohammed sinned.
Even according to your book Jesus never sinned”
“No that is not right”
“Yes it sure is Jesus was sin free - Mohammed sinned”
“Where does it say that?”
“Hang on - (looking it up) - here it is: Surah 40:55 and Surah 48:1-2”
“No it can’t say that”
“Make sure you write it down Surah 40:55 and Surah 48:1-2 It says Mohammed sinned - he did sin! He was a sinner.
But Jesus is alive, He never sinned, He was and is God and you need to trust Him. Mohammed is dead and sinned according to your own book”
“We would cut off your head if you were in my country”
“That’s because you can’t handle the truth. You have been conditioned and trained in a false religion. You may be devout but that doesn’t make it right…
And don't you think it is interesting - Mohammed had to kill those who opposed him - your religion still does - but Jesus, He died for others. Willingly.
Jesus gave up His own life for those who hated Him. He willingly went to the cross to be tortured despite having power over all. He didn’t seek revenge or torture or kill.
Jesus decided to give up His life for others - while Mohammed took life from those who opposed Him.
Millions are willing to give up their lives for Jesus, not because they have been conditioned or taught religion - but because they have met Him. He has changed their lives. HE IS ALIVE!!
Take me - I have met Him. You try to tell me He is a dead prophet. But I have met Him! He has changed me! You can tell someone ‘a heater isn’t hot’ - but if they have touched the heater and burnt their hand on it, there is nothing you can say to change their mind. I have touched the heater. My hand got burnt. JESUS CHANGED ME.
You need to know Jesus as without Him you will end up in Hell”
“I believe Jesus is coming back…”
“He is but will He treat you as a friend or enemy on that day?”
“A friend”
“Not according to Him. You need to hear what Jesus said - He said if you are trusting any other Gods or trusting any form of religion even for a bit of your soul or salvation, then you are doomed. You will be sent to hell.
Sent to hell because of your sins. Like Mohammed. He sinned and without trusting Jesus He will be sent to hell.
You need to get a Bible, you need to trust Jesus”
Sharmini, who has been praying with the kids, now motions to me that she wants to be tagged back in.
“I love you mate and I don’t want to see you go to hell trusting a dead prophet, you need an alive Saviour His name is Jesus. Bye - we will be praying for you”
Sharmini takes the phone as I go back to cooking, the food now seems to be in various stages of overcooked / burnt / soggy.
Her voice is soft and gentle.
“Hi, this is me again - Adams wife.
We care about you, we want you to know Jesus.
He has changed my life - I encourage you to ask Jesus to make Himself real to you. Just ask Him. Really seek truth.
I know you have been taught all kinds of things - it is hard - but I encourage you to ask Jesus.
[the conversion went on for a while
We will be praying for you. Make sure you ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you”
24 minutes and now we’re well and truly late for dinner but you know what?
How exciting! And how real the prayers are praying for this guy who just ‘visited’.
We will be praying that the Holy Spirit convicts and continually reminds this guy of what He just heard for TWENTY FOUR MINUTES!
Praise God that we could be used to sow seeds!
It reminds me of a month or two ago. I regularly (sometimes twice a day) get calls form people selling solar power, telephone plans, claiming my computer has a virus etc. I use the time to evangelise them and sell them Jesus.
On this particular call, the lady couldn’t understand what I was talking about when I was talking about Jesus. She put me through to her supervisor.
I started to tell Him about Jesus, sin, Heaven & Hell. I asked the usual questions about sin and he admitted he was guilty.
After a while I noticed there was very little response and I thought he had hung up. I stopped to ask if he was still there.
“Sir, sir?”
“Yes” I replied
“Why did you stop?”
“What do you mean?”
“Just now you were talking to me, why did you stop, I can feel something, What you are saying is affecting me. Please continue. Tell me whatever you want to tell me - don’t stop!”
This was a first - but he didn’t have to ask me twice!
We talked for at least another 10 minutes and then he asked if I was ok with him keeping my number to call me in his own time to talk… I haven’t heard form him as of writing this, but again we just never know the seeds that we are sowing and how God will use them.
Our dinner was a little late, but so what! Yes it takes a little time, some people swear at you, many hang up, but God always uses it. It’s just that we don’t always see the effect - but on the rare occasions that we do, it evokes joy!
And I have to say dinner was actually amazing! God blessed it for sure!
May we be bold for the One who was willing to die for us, the One who walks with us and talks with us and is waiting to call us Home. May He use what we say to awaken faith in this who hear us. May they become aware of Your love and forgiveness that leads to Eternal Life.