Jesus Freaks: 'Asif' of Pakistan, How Could I Not Have an Interest in this Prophet?

This is not 'Asif.' A Christian was beaten by police men.

Pakistan, 2001

“Asif” was carefree as he sped his motorcycle down the street of his Pakistani town. He enjoyed being noticed by the young women as he sped by. In the traditional Muslim culture of Pakistan, overt glances would have been very inappropriate, but still Asif could tell when he had been seen. He was young, and he felt powerful as he drove past, relishing the murmur of the motorcycle’s engine in his ears and the feel of the tires gripping the road. He smiled to himself and twisted the accelerator to give the bike a quick burst of speed.

            Suddenly where the beautiful sky had been he saw only dirt, and where his motorcycle had raced along beneath him, it now felt like it was flying over his head. For the next few seconds all was clouds of dust and spinning. The next thing he knew he was lying on his back with his motorcycle next to him on the ground, its engine coughing and then dying. He heard the echo of the squealing tires as the car that hit him sped away. He had never ever seen it.

            Then he noticed the splitting pain shooting up his leg. When he looked at it, he could tell from the way his foot lay off to the wrong side that it was broken. He tried to stay calm, but panic was gripping his heart and he wanted to scream.

            Before he lost his composure, though, he felt a reassuring hand upon him. A woman had come out of the crowd of passers-by and knelt beside him, laying her hand on his leg. He was calmed for the moment and surprised as she began to pray.

            Through the pain, Asif heard the name of Jesus in her prayer. Despite his immediate thankfulness that someone had stopped to help, a wave of anger came over him at the mention of that name. How can this woman pray to Jesus, a mere prophet? Doesn’t she know that I am a Muslim, a follower of Mohammed, the greatest prophet? Why isn’t she praying to Allah?

            Yet Asif was suddenly distracted from his anger by an energy he felt running through his body as she prayed. It was different from anything he had ever felt before. His anger began to fade as his leg straightened itself and the bone came back into place. Eventually he sat up and carefully examined his leg. It was completely whole.

            As he stood, he noticed that there was no more pain either. He picked up his bike and walked it home.

            Sometime later, the same woman brought him a Bible. He never saw her again after that.

            Hungry to know more about this prophet who had healed his leg, he began to read the Bible, especially the New Testament and the miracles of Jesus. Asif’s question weighted heavier: If Jesus was truly only one of many prophets, how could he perform such amazing works? As Asif lay on his bed, he wondered, Who is Jesus? I know many prophets have come to earth, but none has had the power of Jesus.

            Asif was so perplexed by how a minor prophet such as Jesus could heal him two thousand years after His death that he took his questions to the mulvi (religious leader) at his mosque.

            “Why are you talking about Jesus?” the mulvi sneered. “Do you have an interest in him?”

            “How could I not have an interest?” Asif responded incredulously. “He healed me.”

            The mulvi and others at the mosque took Asif and locked him in a room. They forced poison down his throat thinking that if he died before fully accepting Christ, he would still make it to Paradise. They left him there overnight for the poison to do its work. Asif felt sick and thought he was dying. He vomited repeatedly and threw up blood.

            However, around midnight Asif found himself still barely alive and lying in the dust, caked with his own blood and vomit. The room was dark and he didn’t have the strength to get up. He didn’t know what else to do, so he prayed. He called out to Jesus and told Him he wanted to see Him before he died.

            Before he knew what had happened, a bright light had filled the dusty room. Asif suddenly felt a little better and forced himself up to see what was causing the light. Before him stood Jesus. It was at that moment that Asif surrendered the rest of his life to the Lord, saying, “God, this life is for you; as long as I am on earth, I will work for you.”

            Sometime before dawn, Asif managed to escape and made his way home.

            When he tried to tell his parents of his experience the next morning, they were not impressed. “You are a Muslim,” his parents told him. “If you accept Jesus, you must leave this house.”

            So Asif had no choice. He took his Bible and left. He went to a larger city where he met a pastor at a Christian bookstore. The pastor disciple Asif and later baptized him. From the first moments of his newfound faith, Asif felt a strong desire to share who Jesus was and what He had done for him with those around him, regardless of their religious backgrounds. Because of this, his troubles with the police and city leaders began almost immediately.

            “A landlord [city leader] came to me and said, ‘Where are you going? And why are you preaching this “gospel”? These are Muslim people. Why are they accepting Jesus?’”

            Seeing that Asif was undeterred, this landlord and some other Muslims took him and beat him with heavy sugarcane stalks. They stomped on his leg and broke it again. As they pounded his body, they shouted, “You dog! You low-class scum! Why did you come here and make our people Christians?” They ordered Asif to leave the city immediately.

            Despite their further threats, he refused.

            As they were beating him, he prayed for them, “Please, God, change their minds and their hearts.” Then he cried out to God to help him and give him strength.

            Many weeks later, after Asif had recovered from his injuries, the landlords and the police closed down a meeting where Asif was sharing about Jesus again. Asif was taken to the police station, where he was severely beaten.

            When Asif was asked how he could endure this and not be discouraged, he quoted Philippians 1:29 (NAS), “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

            Asif continues to evangelize whenever and wherever he has the opportunity.

[Taken from Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries (2002) by dc Talk. Title mine]

The cost of serving Jesus Christ is your life.

What are you doing with your life now? For Christ and His Kingdom? or for self?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

         

UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity (and Why It Matters)

“This book UnChristian is very disturbing to me. I fully realized that this book is about Christianity in America today but it seems like what happen (or whatever happened) to American Christians there is a reflection of what will happen to any Christians in the world today if we are not alert and wake up from our spiritual slumberness. As if I’m reading the reality of Christianity in Malaysia today. The data and contents, even opinions and wisdoms, of the authors have been formed by research, not vague feelings or hunches. I want to recommend this book to Christians first, though it is also written for outsiders too. The research findings in this book are a solid reminder that Jesus not only commands us to joyfully loving God but also to loving other people. Though we may be good at preaching grace, we have not been characterized as a gracious people. This is fact. God helps us.”

(Richard Angelus)

UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity …and Why It Matters

by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons (Baker Books: Grand Rapids, 2007)

Christianity has an image problem. Christians are supposed to represent Christ to the world. But according to the latest report card, something has gone terribly wrong. Using descriptions like “hypocritical,” “insensitive,” and “judgmental,” young Americans share an impression of Christians that's nothing short of . . . unChristian.

Groundbreaking research into the perceptions of people aged 16-29 reveals that Christians have taken several giant steps backward in one of their most important assignments. The surprising details of the study, commissioned by the Fermi Project and conducted by The Barna Group, are presented with uncompromising honesty in unChristian. Find out why these negative perceptions exist, learn how to reverse them in a Christ-like manner, and discover practical examples of how Christians can positively contribute to culture.

Get Your Hard Cover Copy of UnChristian for FREE

For this month of March 2015: Free Monthly Book, I would like to offer three copies of this book to anyone who are interested and concern about whatever happen to Christianity today and what you can do about it. All you have to do are; comment below “I want to read this book because…” (no less than 10 words), E-mail me your name, phone no. and postal address for me sends the book. This offer is available until 30^th March 2015.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Called You to be a Missionary (A Reflection on Mark 6:6-13)

“[Then] Jesus went to the villages around there, teaching the people. He called the twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two. He gave them authority over the evil spirits and ordered them, ‘Don’t take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick – no bread, no beggar’s bag, no money in your pockets. Wear sandals, but don’t carry extra shirt’” (Mark 6:6-9, GNB).

Previously Jesus was rejected in his hometown Nazareth. Hurt, but not giving up. So, he and the disciples went to the villages nearby to tell people who want to receive the good news about the Kingdom of God and to “turn away from their sins” (Mark 6:12). What Jesus is doing here was exactly what he challenged them to be and to do “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). When he chooses the twelve he said, “I have chosen you to be with me. I will also send you out to preach, and you will have authority to drive out demons” (3:14-15).

Do you remember Jesus’ first invitation to you to be his disciple? Just like yesterday, today we are called to him, to equip by him, and then sent out as his representatives. Mission, mind you, is the calling of all God’s people, not just for the selected few. Wherever you are – at the church, workplace, shopping mall, up in the jungle, hospital, campus or home – you’re God’s representatives. To be a Christian is to be a missionary. I always tell my students that God is calling them to be missionaries at home and in their own campuses. One Christian teacher told me, “God sent me to be a missionary at school [he chuckled] and thanks to the government, they paid me to be here.”

Jesus, in his humanity, can’t do it alone. There are about half a dozen of villages around Nazareth, so he “sent them two by two.” Why? Because “two is better than one”? Yes, and more. Send out in pairs is important for mutual support and encouragement. Two also good for decision-making and reliable witnesses (as Deuteronomy 17:6). Sometime I feel sad when some of the churches send preachers or missionaries off their own. Many evangelists are solo operators too. Friend, don’t do it all alone. Christians must not be a one-man show. Soloist is not the pattern of discipleship. Collaborate with others, working together, partnership in the service of him. We have Jesus’ authority over the evil spirits – he is with us.  

Are you ready for mission? Let me helps you to understand how to apply Jesus’ instructions – today. Mark 6:8-9 simply means: We are to travel light, bring minimum provisions as we go, don’t over-do on preparations and don’t be fussy about where to stay or wear. Eugene Peterson paraphrase these verses this way, “Don’t think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple. And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave” (The Message). Preparation is important, but not as important as the preparation of your heart and mind. “You are the equipment.” Remember, even if you’re seem to be alone, Jesus is with you. He is your eternal partner. So don’t be afraid.

Then Jesus said, “Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that place. If you come to a town where people do not welcome you or will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them!” (Mark 6:10-11). This is a heavy stuff. Basically, Jesus is saying that if there are people who will welcome you, stay there. If not, go away. Don’t make a scene. In doing mission and evangelism, we need to have the urgency. Urgency means we have to go (that is, we go not wait). Urgency also means “that there is no time to waste on those who are plainly not interested… who are totally unreceptive.” (quote from Crossway Bible Guides: Mark by David Hewitt). Unless God is specifically calling you to reach out to a certain area and people, you must stay. But generally for the unresponsive, please move on to other places and disassociate with them. “Shake the dust off your feet.” We have more places to go, we have to move on. This is a command, this is urgent!

Are you ready for mission?

There will be conflicts, rejections and persecution.

But don’t lose heart – Jesus be with you. Share the joy of Christ.

Go on, you have Jesus’ authority to teach, preach and heal. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.