Until All Have Heard
Until All Have Heard
Transformed Living (Ep. 304)
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Turning to Christ in a Muslim country is an amazing story. In this episode you’ll hear the miraculous way Christ brought one former Muslim—Ulaanbek, our Kyrgyzstan Director—to Christ. He’ll tell about his childhood troubles and how he was able to share the power of forgiveness with this estranged father. Hear how his personal testimony shapes the way listeners respond to the Gospel broadcasts of FEBC. This will be a very insightful conversation as we discover new ways to pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of Muslim listeners in central Asia…Until All Have Heard.
Thanks for listening. This is Until All Have Heard from the Far East Broadcasting Company with Ed Cannon, the president of FEBC. I'm Wayne Shepherd, and we're sort of taking listeners to Kyrgyzstan. Well, certainly we're going to hear from Kyrgyzstan.
SPEAKER_01Right. And you know, Wayne, on these podcasts, normally we talk about what FEBC does, how we function, and how people respond. Today we're going to focus a little bit more on who FEBC really is. A little bit more in-depth story of our broadcasters and our directors around the world who clearly have been sent to us by God. We can't find these people. And Ulan Beck is one of those. He's our director in Kyrgyzstan. He has started a ministry there which is fairly new. Within 10 or so years, we have seven FM stations in Kyrgyzstan, a very healthy social media ministry, and responses from thousands of Kyrgyz people.
SPEAKER_00Yep. In life, he started out as a Muslim and he now serves Christ through this ministry. So our colleague Jonathan Mortis sat down to talk with him and get more of the story.
SPEAKER_02Now I want to know uh your your testimony, uh your your your background is you you came from a Muslim background.
SPEAKER_03I love testimony because uh in Revelation chapter two uh Bible says uh we are uh winner when we are testify about blood of Jesus and um about who uh our Lord and uh what he did in our life. Okay. Um when I was 18 years old, uh I'm uh a repentant uh starting follow to Christ. Before, of course, uh I'm growing in a Muslim uh family and um I'm practice uh my Islam uh rules, but uh I never feel his presence and his power in my life because I know myself, uh my bad character and my bad uh part of my life, and never changed my life. I practice and I'm praying and uh but and I find the uh power of God.
SPEAKER_02Now, question be before that, right? Um so when you're practicing that and you're you said you're you're sinning, yeah. I should say you're sinning, does that make you think that you're not gonna go to heaven? How how how does uh a Muslim or Islam think about that?
SPEAKER_03Oh Islam uh uh we um and uh Muslims they has no uh absolutely like sure of uh of salvation. They has a only like hope, this inshallah, only Allah knows where I am going after after died.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah during your that time, do you think you're gonna go to heaven or you you're not?
SPEAKER_03No, that time I I'm a young man, 18 years old. I don't think about um death. Yeah. I I think about life, but I feel my life is bad, and I can't power for change my life. Of course, my country is seven years under Soviet Union, and uh um atheistic uh philosophies influences too, and I'm shaking where I am, and where I am going, who I am, you know.
SPEAKER_02That's that's interesting when you mention that because yeah, atheism it teaches there's no god, and then it's a Muslim uh country, yeah. So how how how how do they say that? Or you know?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, it's crazy time. At family, my uh relatives uh believe to Allah, but uh societies know any gods, and and I think okay, where are I going? And I think I need to go to my roots uh to Islam, and this reason why I am practiced uh Islam, but never feel power or presence or uh God's presence in my life. And that time I find to the power of God, and uh some uh that time I was a student in in university and I living at my uncle's home on uh capital city, and uh my uncle's kids told me, hey Ulan, our neighbor, elder lady, she is uh Kyrgyz, she is a Muslim, but she was crazy because she betrayed, she changed our religion. Now she followed to uh Russian God, Jesus, because in our country, uh Christianity only Russian practicing Russian anymore. The Orthodox, don't you? The Orthodox, Orthodox, and we think uh Jesus is a Russian God. And oh really? And for me is interesting. Why is she a Muslim and follow to Christ? And I knocking her door and she opened the door, and uh this lady, uh, elder lady, uh, both arm, the both hands, uh, the cast because broken. Yeah, and uh, but he she has a big smile.
SPEAKER_02And um why why is it broken?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and uh I I told her, I'm uh uh your neighbor, and she said, Oh, I know, I know. Please welcome. And um I asked her, Are you Kyrgyz? And she said, Yes, and uh, but you Christian, not Muslim, and she said, Yeah, I'm Christian. And why? And she asked me, Why are you asking? And I told her, I am believers too, but I believe Allah, and uh but I never feel his power and um presence. I find uh power of uh God. And she said, Oh, if you find uh power of God, you came to the right place because only Jesus' name has uh all power in the heaven and the earth, and uh only all power and authority in his name, his powerful God. And I think, oh, okay, who's Jesus? And she shared So you don't have any idea about Jesus. Uh I heard about him, but like uh Russian God, only Russian God and something like this, but never about his the Christ and his Lord and Savior and something never. And uh she uh shared a gospel, and uh I asked her, okay, if Jesus powerful God, what uh what happened in your arm? Yeah, arms, and she said, Oh, uh, I take the uh public bus and um public bus driver, he was my classmate uh maker, yeah, classmate. Yeah, and I share about my faith, and he is Muslim, and he opened the door and kicked me, and I fell uh down and broken to my arms. And this reason why I uh cast. And I asked, okay, you told me your God, Jesus is powerful God, why your powerful Lord not protect you? Yeah, and she big smile, and I asked, Where are the power? And she said, Power is forgiveness. I forgive him. This is the power of God, and I think she is very crazy because for me, power is eyes to eyes, teeth for teeth. Yeah, how is that guy broken your arm and you forgive him? And this is the power? No, I don't want to believe uh God like this powerful God, and I left. But uh almost one month she invited me for tea because this 1994, and um after uh Soviet Union collapse and uh and our country is an economically crisis. I'm a hungry student, you're living at my uncle's home, and uh at her home is a free tea, something. And she invites and um preaching and uh sharing, sharing gospel, sharing, sharing gospel. There's a sermon of mount and something. And one day, she reading me uh Deuteronomy chapter 28 about blessings and curses, and her first chapter uh first half is chapter about blessings. If you listen to God and uh God bless you, everything, this is good for me. But another half about curses, if you not believe to God, you'll be a curse. And I'm scared. And she said, This is uh second uh health is chapter, this is your real life today and your future. And I think, oh, what can I do? And she said, You need to repent uh and follow to Christ. He came for salvation, your life. And that time I understand or understood my situation.
SPEAKER_02I'm very that's what you were looking for.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'm very young, but I know myself. I'm sinful man, you know. And I fell down my knees, and I know remember this day, 1994, October 9th. And I repent, and that time uh until today, uh, thanks God I follow to him.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um, quick question. Um, you mentioned about forgiveness, and she she you know, she shared a great uh uh story about forgiveness of her experience. Now, uh is there forgiveness concept in uh Islam or in Muslim? No, no, no.
SPEAKER_03Islam is like all testimony. Uh an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Yes, yes, yes. This reason why I am thinking she is crazy. It's absolutely opposite for my uh my uh understanding about uh enemies or something, that situation. And uh and I ask uh my pastor how I know Christianity is true way. Maybe it's not uh true way, how I know, and uh he said, Okay, if you want to know uh you chose the right way or no, go to your relatives and your friends and your family and share about your faith about Jesus. And you see, if they are persecute you, this is the true way, because only be only uh in Jesus' name, only who follow to true truth and uh follow to Christ, be persecuted. If you told them, uh I'm believed to there's another religion or psychology or something, nobody no care about your life. But if you told them about Jesus, you be persecuted. And you see, okay, and I came to my home and I shared my mom and my grandma about Jesus and uh and they are oh what are you doing? Are you crazy? You Muslim, why are you betrayed? And my mom, don't do that. And I I told her, no, mom, I find the real life and real God, and she cursed me. And in our tradition, has a um if uh parents um curse kids, give them the little uh the little piece of earth, this mean for your uh grape, uh for your cemetery. Yeah, and she said, I give you your earth for your grape. You are not my son anymore. Okay, but I'm so happy. Oh, it's truly way because my relatives curse me and my uncles keeps beating me. And I'm very happy, I know it's true way because I was persecuted persecuted. Wow, wow, that's it. And the persecution encouraged me, you know. Okay, and I'm praying for my mom 28 years, and uh uh seven years ago FBC uh radio came to uh her city. We opened the radio station and that that city where my mom is living, and she started listening to our radio programs. Five years she listening, listening, and two years ago she repent and baptized, and now she's my sister in Christ. Wow, 70 76 years, 76 years, but now uh she's 78 years old, and I'm so happy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, now with all this uh the you know the repentance and you understand now the forgiveness, how does that translate to what you are doing now as a director of uh FEBC Kyrgyzstan? You know, how when you preach that, or I I know it comes out.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, of course we are preaching about forgiveness, about uh Jesus. We have a I we have a six FM stations in Kyrgyzstan and uh we are working 24-7, and uh God give us the grace and miracle. Uh six stations, and uh we are preaching about this and sharing uh and uh a lot of people for them it's like confuse and because it's the new absolutely new understanding about life and about forgiveness, about um the how is um a theological opposite for our society, and they are calling us and send message and asking, hey, how is possible forgiveness? Because I'm growing um when I was uh four years old, my parents is divorced, and my father has left us, and I'm growing without my father, I never see him and never know about him. He never uh find me or send me message or a letter, but and I hate him. I'm growing and I hate him. But uh after I followed to Christ, when I learning about forgiveness, Jesus forgive me and I need to forgive him. And I found uh when I was 28 years old, after 10 years, when I followed to Christ, I find him and came to his home, and I hug him and I forgive him. And uh he was shocked. Oh, oh, oh, you know, and uh and after a couple months he passed away, and I feel freedom because I find him, I forgive him, I hack him. This is absolutely opposite for uh Muslim understanding, you know. He is betrayed me, he is uh never be on my life, yeah, but God loves him and I love him too.
SPEAKER_02No, and that is I'm hearing this is uh something like this story on in radio, and that is real Christianity, and that's and that's what you said, like you like to say more stories to testimonies to uh to the listeners.
SPEAKER_03Yes, yes, and a story like this, very, very powerful touch to the heart of our listeners, and they are sending a lot of letters or messages and sharing how God touched them. We have a solar power radio and we are distributing and uh yeah, Galcom. And uh one day one lady, our listeners, she said, Hey, my husband, he is alcoholic, and we almost divorced, but uh somebody give us the your radio, and my husband listening radio and using on the his neck like necklace, yeah, and and his life is changed. He stopped to drink, and he's he is absolutely changed because God changed his life, and he's very sick. Uh, and uh and he said, When I died, please uh grape me with this radio because on another my life I want to be listening to this radio. Can you imagine? And uh yeah, he is uh passed away, but his uh last months of life, absolutely happy and peaceful and um full of God's presence and grace. This is how radio influenced and changing life, and I see like 30 years ago God changed my life, and today as a Jesus uh before, today, and forever, only the same same Lord.
SPEAKER_01This is why FEBC is effective, because God has given us people like Ulan Beck with a passion for declaring God's word from a Muslim background in a largely Muslim country. FEBC speaks to the heart of listeners in the language they most understand, understanding the culture from which they come from. So continue to pray for people like Ulan Beck, and FEBC has having the privilege of finding more and more leaders like him.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we're so grateful for him and as you said, others like him who serve. Now, if you'd like more information about FEBC, we have a great suggestion because we are now eighty years old as a ministry, celebrating that this year, and we've produced a video that you can view on our website. It's right there, and you can't miss it. And I hope that you will watch it, get an understanding of the past of how God has used this ministry, and a glimpse into the future as we take God's word into new media form. So thanks for listening, and thanks for watching that video online at febc.org. Ed, thank you. Thanks for this uh report today. We'll look forward to our next conversation. And thank you for listening to Until All Have Heard from the Far East Broadcasting Company.