WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.640 This podcast is the Ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:06.080 For more information in our church, please visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:07.120 All right. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:16.879 The first thing I wanted to ask you, you alluded to this last session about how you came to the Lord and you mentioned that it was through a vision. 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:26.960 And I know that does happen quite a bit to Muslims, but for us Americans, that was that left us curious. 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:34.079 So maybe you could just tell us a little bit more about how you came to the Lord and talk to us about that, the vision that your brother had. 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:35.119 Yes. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:40.240 It's um interesting. 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:48.880 Until I start telling Saeed's story, realizing he'd come pretty much come to know the Lord through a vision, and then I realized my story was the same. 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:58.880 I and I've realized uh over the years when I've evangelized even in Iran uh when I would approach people and um we'd you know we'd approach them in the in the parks. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:25.359 And uh the reason I'm saying this is because it's so uh different when you hear that here, but it's so normal in the Middle East, visions and dreams as ways, you know, and God talks in I believe in Joel that in the last days people will come to know uh through visions and dreams, and it has happens so much in the Middle East, but it's interesting when I I grew up here, I did come to know the Lord through a vision, but really visions and dreams didn't do much throughout my life here. 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:31.120 But when I went back to Iran, I had a question of uh what about the people who've never heard about the gospel? 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:38.480 And one of the ways it was answered was this was we would appropri I would approach people and Side and I and we'd ask them, Do you know about Jesus? 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.799 And they would uh bring out a secret cross that they were wearing. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:46.560 They would say, I know him, my child was dying. 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:50.000 And for the first time I cried out to God and said, God help me. 00:01:50.239 --> 00:02:00.239 Because in Islam you say a ritualistic prayer, and for the first time they said, I spoke directly to God and said, God help me, and Jesus Christ appeared and said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:13.599 So there were so many testimonies like that, and my question was answered that um he God reaches whoever calls out to him, and he's not limited to Bibles and missionaries and whatever, but uh that's how the Lord met me. 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:15.919 Um we didn't even know who Jesus was. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:16.960 I was a small child. 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:27.840 I grew up in a Muslim family, and uh where when we were really small, we came to the US and at that time there was a war with Iran and Iraq, and my brother and I were twins. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:32.000 We said, Who is this God that allows this awful things to happen? 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:45.199 Because we were in first and second grade, and we would go to school and our friends would die in front of us, bombs and missiles, and so we were in a war in in our city that was the war. 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:49.680 And we were wondering who this God was, and we didn't know who Jesus was. 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:53.520 And we came to the US, my brother had a vision, and he came running to me. 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:56.319 He said, I saw Jesus, he's the God we're looking for. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:05.680 And so, you know, I don't understand how at age nine, you know, we through that his vision I believed, and we both gave our hearts to Christ. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:09.759 But I don't understand how I kept it, but it was that vision, it was just that instant. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:18.080 It wasn't um we were in such a closed family, Muslim family, that it just it took that vision for for us to come to know Christ. 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:33.280 And we held on to it despite, as I mentioned, years of Bibles being taken from us and not allowing us to go to church and trying to debrawash us, but the Lord just kept that faith and in us and and it flo it flourished. 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:36.800 That and we'll talk about this later on. 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:48.080 We I want to spend some time later asking our questions about how to minister to Muslims and and from what I've been told, praying that the Lord would come to them and in dreams is we beside and I would pray that often for them. 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:51.360 We would pray that the Lord would reach them through visions and dreams. 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:58.080 And many times people would uh we would meet and we would minister to, that's how they would come to know the Lord. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:04.639 You know, they would be uh they would see had seen a dream, and then when we shared Christ, they would say, Oh, I had this dream. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:12.639 It was just we would just ri uh uh we were just you know getting the harvest, but it was already ready through the dream and the vision. 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:17.439 So it it it was the dream and your obedience, you know? 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:18.000 Yes. 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:22.079 Sometimes you know it goes hand in hand, but the Lord would prepare through visions and dreams. 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:28.639 Um a girl, I mean there's so many testimony, but many times through a dream, they were open to the gospel. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:39.519 They saw something or through a vision, and either at through that dream or vision they would accept Christ or they would be open, and Sid and I would talk to them and they would say, Oh, that's what that dream was, you know. 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:54.160 That, you know, and and so uh it the Lord used both, you know, them accepting Christ through the vision and dream and also using them to be open to the gospel through it, and for us to just give them the message and they were readily ready to accept it. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:05:03.759 One of the other things you alluded to this evening was being older when you got married, or it felt older for some folks. 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:08.160 Twenty-seven feels very young, but um not in the Middle East culture. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:08.639 Right. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:09.600 It's like eighteen. 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:11.600 You're a spinster at that point. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.959 Um what in that waiting? 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:25.600 I know that there are um quite a few women here, um, some of our students are here as well, and God puts that longing in them for a relationship. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:34.160 What what allowed you, what would you tell them in terms of waiting, since you waited longer than you wanted to? 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:43.519 Yeah, I tell people, um Said was my first boyfriend, and and it's not because my family was a, you know, my family was actually very encouraging. 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:47.759 At 18, they realized, you know, are you interested in boys? 00:05:48.000 --> 00:06:15.680 Like, and they i they were like, you need to date and go out, and uh they were not believers, but I just I I just felt even though I wasn't really trained, I didn't go to church to be told about purity and anything, but I was I had a strong prayer life, and um I just felt the Lord telling me to keep myself pure for my future husband, and um that even um it's not just about sexual purity. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:24.639 A lot of times our emotions, when we allow our emotions to be um, you know it takes a lot to get over a breakup. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:33.920 I have friends who are now in their 30s and uh they it doesn't mean they've had you know any sexual relationship, but even the breakup, the emotional breakup, is devastating. 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:36.879 And the Lord wanted me to keep my heart pure for that. 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:46.720 And I thought, you know, maybe I will at 27, you know, I'd never I closed my heart and I I told the Lord I would only open it to the person he allowed me to open it to. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:48.560 And so my parents were really worried. 00:06:48.639 --> 00:07:02.959 They're like, she has not liked a guy, and she hasn't dated, and we've told her she can, and we've encouraged her, and um, I just want it for that right person and for the Lord to bring me all the way to Iran. 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:19.680 And you know, I I would tell the Lord, I don't want, you know, in our culture it's really important to marry someone very high, highly educated or rich, or you know, someone with a status, and I would tell the Lord, I don't want anyone with money or education or status or anything. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:21.439 I want someone passionate for you. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:24.319 And I just wanted that as a as since I was small. 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:27.279 And I mean, I didn't know what I was asking for. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:33.120 I didn't I didn't realize I would get married and then we'd be arrested. 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:40.639 And I mean uh so I you know I thought, you know, someone who, you know, I don't have to beg to go to church. 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:47.600 I didn't realize it would be this extreme, you know, this extreme uh passion for Christ, which has been amazing. 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:49.600 It's really its answer to my prayers. 00:07:49.759 --> 00:08:00.240 And um, I just know uh it requires, I have friends who are in their 30s and they're not married, and um requires faith to wait. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:04.879 You know, it requires faith to believe that God has a plan for your life. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:14.959 It's you can be like Sarah and Abraham, where God had promised something, and because it didn't it wasn't happening in their timeline, they did something in the flesh. 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:35.600 And of course, we know the Muslim world comes from Ishmael, and we're still dealing with that that mistake, you know, and um and that rivalry, and so they did something in the flesh, and they didn't wait for God's beautiful promise in Isaac. 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:47.440 And so, you know, I know it's hard as a single girl, and I was tempted because uh it's just you know, I had to give that over to God, but it's hard realizing who am I gonna marry? 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:48.480 Am I ever gonna marry? 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:50.879 And how is my life gonna look like if I don't marry? 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:54.480 And you know, you dream about getting married and having kids, but I had to give that to God. 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:58.879 Actually, when I went to Iran, I knew for sure I would marry someone here in the US. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:06.559 Like, and so when I went to Iran, I said, okay, I'm gonna be a um like a uh what is it, maiden. 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:18.320 I'm not gonna be ever be married because I never thought I'd marry someone in Iran because I grew up here, I thought I couldn't connect to that culture, and I just thought I would just be a missionary all my life, I would never marry. 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:25.840 I kind of gave that over to the Lord, but the Lord brought uh everything I'd prayed for all my life through Saeed and His love and passion for Christ. 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:41.200 And so I would say waiting, even though you get tested, there's moments of test where you could get God's second best or do something in the flesh, but God wants you to believe and have faith and until He gives you the right person and you know it when He does. 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:42.960 And it's not gonna be a perfect person. 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:48.879 We all have issues, and uh both me and Said of had our own issues, but it's gonna be the perfect person for you. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:51.679 And uh I just it's a message of purity. 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:57.120 I'm so glad I didn't go through the so much dramas that I've seen my friends go through every breakup. 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:02.480 And it's even though they're not they were never married, it was like a divorce, like every time, devastating. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:20.480 It would just throw them off off a you know spiral, and so it's it uh you know, I always share, I say, you know, um Said was my first love, he was my first everything, and I'm really glad you know it it it really blessed our marriage to to have waited and worth the wait. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:21.679 Yes. 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:24.080 Yeah, yeah worth waiting on. 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:24.480 Yeah. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:36.639 Well uh thinking back over the last year, uh you've talked about this, but what would you say uh just as a wife and mother, what's been the hardest part of the past year? 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:47.360 Well, this this morning I talked about um enjoying infirmities and and distress, and part of my biggest distress has been seeing my kids in distress. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:50.080 Because when I'm in distress, I can take it to the Lord. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:56.720 But when my kids are in distress, it's another level of distress, and knowing I can't do anything about it. 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:02.879 Um it broke my heart when my daughter said on her birthday, Mommy, how many more birthdays? 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:06.399 Because her sixth birthday, I said, Honey, this is gonna be the last. 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:07.600 We're gonna bring him home. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:14.080 And then for her seventh birthday, I couldn't say that anymore because I already said that on her sixth birthday, and I couldn't answer her. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:18.799 I had hoped sooner, but it just it uh break broke my heart. 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:28.399 They're at an age where they miss they and they they that missing feeling is not like they're not babies anymore, comes that desperate, like I miss him. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:33.600 I miss him being here, I miss him praying with us and holding us. 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:37.039 And I took him to the first day of school and I could just see in their eyes. 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:38.720 I made a big happy day. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:45.039 I could see in their eyes they were looking at daddies like holding their kids and pictures and and it just broke my heart. 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:45.840 They were just looking. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:50.159 I and I kept distracting them and holding them, and but they were looking at dads. 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:57.600 They were looking at dads holding their kids, and I just, you know, the biggest, hardest part has for me as a mom has been the kids. 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:01.679 It's been but I've I've learned, you know, um to take that to God. 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:05.759 I've just been like, okay, this is breaking me as I spoke this morning. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:22.240 This is tearing me apart, and I'm gonna allow it, I'm gonna allow it to break me and take me to uh just get closer to God and just um just hide under his wings, you know, just it it's it's been one of the most breaking times has been when my kids have suffered. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:24.000 And my daughter has gone through a lot. 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:28.159 She's older and um she's withdrawn from food, like nothing. 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:34.960 She for a while nothing would just ex- I mean pizza, ice cream, like donut, anything, nothing. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:58.960 Food would she withdrew from food and she had a few times where she was just um throw throwing herself on the ground and yelling and screaming, I miss him, I'm I mean, just horrible, like um really uh I don't know how to explain it, um, when someone like high anxiety, high just um uh stress. 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:03.360 I like the seeing her on the ground just yelling and screaming, I want daddy, I want daddy. 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:04.320 It's just been painful. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:11.120 She's gone through a lot, and I've you know prayed over her and prayed for her, and um, seeing those has been the most difficult. 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:12.559 And my son, too. 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:19.200 I think I shared a video uh like a while back of him crying and saying, I love you, Jesus, bring daddy home. 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:24.000 And one day he was uh we'd returned from a birthday and he brought some balloons home. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:29.360 They both brought some balloons home, and they were uh he was asking me how to write certain words. 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:34.639 He can't he can't write sentences, but he can write letters, and and I said, What do you want me to, what do you want to write? 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:35.679 And he started crying. 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:37.039 He said, I want to write. 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:43.360 He wanted to write on this card to attach to the balloon so it would go to heaven to Jesus. 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:46.399 He wanted to write, I love you, Jesus, bring daddy home. 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:54.720 And he was crying and telling me that, and I took a video of it just to show people the reality of of our family, really uh the day-to-day. 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:58.000 So that's been the hardest part. 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:05.360 What when you look back, what what have been some of the specific ways or even surprising ways that you've seen God provide? 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:12.320 Um He's one, my kids are doing amazingly well. 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:15.360 I thought they would um he's been their dad. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.799 Said was such a big part of their spiritual growth. 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:30.639 As a mom, I did the practical cleaning, cooking, and exhausted by afternoon, and Said would take over and and he would pray with them and do their bedtime routine and worship with them. 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:34.879 And he really um invested spiritually in them a lot. 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:53.279 And sometimes I would get mad at him because I was strict, like they need to be in bed at eight, and he would start praying and worshiping with them at seven, and I'd come at eight, and they're running, walking around the house, like prayer walking around the house, and and it's like um, you know, sometimes I'd get distracted and come back at 9 and they're still praying. 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:55.519 And I'm like, how can how can you pray for three? 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:57.919 How can someone pray three hours with kids? 00:14:58.080 --> 00:14:59.039 Like, this is impossible. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:05.919 And they're like, you know, and and it's just um and now I look at it, I would get mad. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:09.360 I'm like, they need to be at bed at eight, and you're still praying and worshiping with them. 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:12.399 And he invested so much in them spiritually. 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:22.080 Now I see like there's been times I've taken videos of them where I've been I'm working around the house and they're together, like now they're seven and five, but they're holding hands and praying. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:38.720 They're worship singing worship songs, and now I see all those times he was investing in them spiritually, and uh um, you know, seeing that has been a blessing, seeing that um how much it has really their faith has grown. 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:43.039 It hasn't he's God has stepped in, provided as being their father. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:44.559 Uh they've grown in their faith. 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:52.240 They've grown my daughter just sang a worship song in front of at the prayer vigil, um, what what Said would sing with them at night. 00:15:52.559 --> 00:16:09.600 And um he's provided in I shared this morning as my husband, it was devastating for me not to be able to call him and talk to him, and and he's I've been able to process things with God as my husband, and he's provided our every need, every need. 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:19.759 I've you know, I used to stress about about the small financial things, and then now, you know, I'm it's um nothing can stress me out. 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:26.559 He's he's I've really relied on him completely as everything, as as a father, as a husband, as a provider. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:28.320 He's not he's not failed me. 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:34.240 And he's always provided in every way, emotionally, uh, spiritually, physically, everything. 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:36.879 And he, you know, he's faithful. 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:44.879 One of the things that came to my mind was just wondering what is it that you miss most about Saeed? 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:57.440 I think it was funny at the prayer vigil when when Neil and I were my husband Neil's the pastor here, when we were praying together, he said, you know, Lord, there are a lot of women who wish to God that their husbands were in prison. 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:07.279 It's like there are moments when we all have that fantasy about the freedom. 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:21.279 But um but I what is it that with him being gone from you that you feel most that you miss most about him? 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:31.839 You know, I'm a morning person, he was a night person, which worked perfectly, but we only had a few out a time in the day where we could talk because I he didn't want to talk in the morning. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:36.079 He was just and I did I couldn't I was done after like seven or eight. 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:42.319 And but um really I guess I compromised, but we would put the kids to bed. 00:17:42.559 --> 00:18:03.920 So mornings didn't really change much because I would be the one getting the kids up and all that, but then when the kids were in bed and um the not of course the routines, realizing wow, he did so much, like brushing their teeth and getting them ready and realizing wow, that was a you know, especially since I'm not a night person and for him to have done so much, I realized. 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:08.240 And but um we would put the kids to bed and then we'd just hang out. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:12.720 And he was big on spending one-on-one time, and I'd be just like, honey, I'm just gonna go to bed. 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:19.599 And he would no, let's talk, let's go out, you know, let's watch a movie, let's every night he wanted to make sure we had our time together. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:28.960 When the kids were in bed, we'd you know, either watch a movie or you know, um talk or whatever, or go work out, we'd go swimming or whatever. 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:40.240 He'd wanted to do something, and um because that's when he was like had energy, and I was like, I wanted I wanted to sleep, but I missed that because I I put the you know, I put the kids to bed and it's empty. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:19:11.440 And I remember our conversations, we talk or things we would do, and it just it's it was it's been that's been the hardest part is night times where it's quiet and it's like oh he's not here and I can't pick up the phone, I can't talk to him, and um you know he's really my best friend, and I really um I know when you get married you you understand this, and you know, but um that person really you share everything with, not you don't necessarily share as much with your parents or your best friend. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:19.039 There's a lot of things you share with your spouse, and um and so it's just it was hard realizing it was like he's not there. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:21.279 The night times are are the most difficult. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:23.039 And then the celebrations. 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:26.960 Um Father's Day, it w it was always a big deal. 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:33.920 Christmas, he did, you know what I appreciated about him, and I've shared like a video of him making a cross with the kids. 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:42.000 Um he really like put a lot of energy into like a Christian celebrations, like making sure the kids got it. 00:19:42.160 --> 00:20:19.599 Like Easter, we went and got wood, and he like we like nailed, made a cross, and they put their you know the hands in the he really at eight, and I'm like, what uh I mean there's the the video of one-year-old and a three-year-old, you're putting this much time into doing this big craft to explain to them about Easter and how people would lay their hands on the lamb and the lamb would take their their sin, and and I'm like, they're it's like going over their head, but he would just invest in them spiritually, and like Christmas he would do like do a big show of like the magi and all of that, and I was like I didn't understand. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:24.240 I was like, what uh what do a w the three-year-old or five-year-old, what did I understand? 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:37.039 But he just um I it's hard facing um those uh events without him, you know, those are those are hard to I guess his his presence is missed. 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:47.599 Well, and it it one of the reasons I wanted to ask that, I think it's easy to kind of um idealize what you're going through even and to think, oh look, she has such faith. 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:50.960 This this seems to be um easier than it would be for me. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:53.039 And I think no, it's it's not. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:56.160 I mean it's th it's walking through those difficult times. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:11.599 But um one of the things I wanted to to spend a little time talking about, and I and I've you and I've talked about this a little bit, that in April of this year, Fort Bend County, which is this area here, was declared the most diverse county in the country. 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:17.039 Not Manhattan, not Houston, this county we're in. 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:26.480 And one of my concerns is that we brace for that diversity instead of strategizing how to reach them. 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:40.079 And so one of the things that I think we've got a former Muslim sitting right here with us to talk a little bit about how to effectively reach the Muslims that we we come across. 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:51.759 And and we come across a variety of very Western women and men who are Muslims and very you know, very strict, conservative, covered who won't look men in the face. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:22:06.160 Um one of the things I wanted to ask you before we get to how to reach them, if you could kind of say the what are some basic Muslim Beliefs like about salvation, about heaven, just a few that come to your mind. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:14.799 Well, um, salvation, Muhammad said, the prophet of Islam, and I have a former Muslim here too, and you can help me. 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:18.960 I was a young child uh when I accepted Christ, so I wasn't that much into Islam. 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:21.440 Said was, so I learned a lot from him. 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:33.519 Um he was a very strong Muslim, and he was being recruited actually by extremists because he was so strong and um a branch of Hezbollah. 00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:40.160 And so um Muhammad didn't know if he was gonna go to heaven or hell. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:41.759 He says that. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:58.880 And uh in Islam there's assurance of heav uh heaven only through either works, with works you don't know if it's gonna outweigh the good, it's gonna outweigh the bad, and uh but it's through um dying in a holy war, jihad, or killing an infidel. 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:01.599 That's assurance of heaven. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:13.839 And they they believe Jesus was one of the prophets, like you know, there was like Adam and Eve and Abraham and Jesus, and then the final prophet who said the final words was Muhammad. 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:18.480 So when you go back to Christianity, you've chosen a lesser religion. 00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:36.160 The complete religion is Muhammad, and they they don't they say it's it's um blasphemy saying God had a child, um calling Jesus the Son of God, and they they think you've made a you've made a prophet into a God, you've made you idol. 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:54.319 So uh they're really in their essence trying to defend God, and um you know the the you know um the covering, um, you know, if you look at the Muslim culture, it goes back to the time where they had to have the covering for the heat. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:24:05.279 And so Muhammad tells them what to wear, but it's really they it's related to that if if a if a male that's not your husband or your brother sees part of your hair, you go to hell. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:08.559 So that's why some of them are religiously covered. 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:13.039 Some Muslims have become more moderate and they they pick and choose, as we Christians do. 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:15.039 Say, ah, this is too violent for me. 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:19.920 This is they may they've made this beautiful religion of what they want to believe. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:28.720 Um but really Islam in its essence has the good and it has really um uh radical and and uh violent parts as well. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:35.759 So but a lot of Muslims have chosen to take the good, the more uh moderate side of it. 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:39.200 But um it's it's basically like any religion. 00:24:39.359 --> 00:24:41.359 They're trying to get heaven through works. 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:47.440 It's like Mormonism, it's like, you know, um people ask me how to reach Christ, how to reach Muslims for Christ. 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:50.640 I really think we have the answer to all the religions. 00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:56.079 And um, you know, I I used to read so many books about reaching Muslims for Christ, but I realize it's the same. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:25:02.880 I've been able to reach Mormons, I've been able to reach people who've created their own religion, atheists. 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:12.480 Uh it's ultimately the same answer, is that you're trying to get God through works, but he wants a relationship. 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:23.359 And um and really addressing, not arguing over the different religions, but talking about relationship, which no none of these religions offer. 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:30.319 They don't promise eternal life, they don't promise relationship with God and salvation. 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:44.559 So what would you say that the Muslim culture in general values like is it hospitality, is it things that that mean a lot to that culture? 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:08.799 She's saying they say one coffee, she's an ex-Muslim too. 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:09.920 I just met her tonight. 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:14.880 And uh, I think she's the second Turkish Muslim convert, I know. 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:21.039 The people in Turkey have been very, very hard close to the gospel, but I know that's changing. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:28.000 Um but you know, uh I would say um hospitality is one of them. 00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:34.160 Um but um you know the Middle Eastern culture is a warm culture. 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:38.240 You you they they don't know you that well, but they invite you to their house. 00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:53.519 I don't know if you've encountered it here, but um they immediately want to invite you to their house, they want to treat you to dinner, they want to, you know, uh sit down with you and um um they care about you know uh relationship. 00:26:53.680 --> 00:27:09.359 They want to really break through this bubble, uh, which as I'm in the American culture we've created some a bubble that you know they get very they get personal fast and sometimes it's too much for our culture, but um, they're a very warm culture. 00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:36.480 Well and I think that's that's an interesting uh thing just because I think our culture is so individualistic and we value that and we value a fast-paced life, and we um the doorbell rings and we view it as an eruption as a I have to tell you they love interruptions, they love and the women, you know, even the ones with the covering, you go to their house, they take it off because you're a woman, and they open up and you talk to them, they open up. 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:40.480 They have a very hard life as women in the Muslim religion. 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:41.920 It's very difficult. 00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:45.599 Uh there's a lot of pretty crazy teachings. 00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:51.440 Uh, women are property, the man can treat them however way, and it's there's a lot of horrific teachings. 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:57.440 And so when you you walk into you um and Middle Easterns love interruptions. 00:27:57.599 --> 00:28:09.359 I mean, when I got married to Saeed, people, his relatives would just show up from different cities and stay for like days and weeks, and I'd be like, this needs to be in my schedule. 00:28:09.759 --> 00:28:13.119 When people come over, they need to like, we need to plan this out. 00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:16.880 They can't just knock on the door in their in our house for like, you know. 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:35.759 Um, but they they they don't get offended even when you do that to them, like you know, just walk and knock at their door and sit and have dinner with them, and they don't really have the same same thing, but they love it when they feel like you're comfortable enough to just knock at their door and sit down, they start opening up, especially the woman. 00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:41.759 You know, I want to encourage you because as women, they um they become open. 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:44.240 You know, when there's a man, they don't want to look at the man. 00:28:44.319 --> 00:29:00.000 It's like for some of them it's sin to even look eye to eye to a man, they have the covering, but with when you're you go to their house and they're a woman and their husbands are at work, they take off their covering, they're comfortable with you, they they you see another layer, you see their human part. 00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:09.680 And so I would I would you know and try to um it's easy in a way that it's easy to get into their houses. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:11.920 They love to invite you in. 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:15.359 So even just approaching them and hi, what's your name? 00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:26.079 Oh, I would love to, maybe our kids can play, or they would immediately invite you for coffee or tea or you know, something like that, and they would just take off their covering and be open to you. 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:32.240 And that's the great way and and um of building relationship with them. 00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:44.000 I I was thinking about a quote I read one time that said that the blood of Muslim women is on our skirts because it's us women that can reach Muslim women. 00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:50.720 Oh yeah, because a man can't do it, they're they're completely close to the to uh the men. 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:55.759 They can't look at them, they can't talk to him, they can't uh take off their covering in front of them. 00:29:55.920 --> 00:30:05.440 Um so and you know, I read somewhere, I don't know if it's I've read somewhere that the women are the ones that are carrying Islam to through their generations. 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:18.079 So the men are not the women are the ones that are are are really in st and Saeed is it was the same with Saeed, his mom was the one that was instilling, like put ingraining Islam into the children. 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:23.279 And so when you have the wife, when you have you know the wife, you have the children. 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:32.799 It I I just it's interesting that the very thing that we're nervous about doing, which is engaging them, is the very thing that they would be the most open to. 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:38.480 Because we think about our culture, we think if someone approached me, I would freak out, but they love it. 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:51.279 You know, a lot of these refugees or people that come here, they feel isolated because Americans don't invite them to their house, they don't go to their house, and a lot of them they get depressed and sad because people are just not walking to their house. 00:30:51.440 --> 00:30:53.279 And whereas you think they're used to. 00:30:53.519 --> 00:30:54.400 Like they're used to. 00:30:54.559 --> 00:31:03.680 They're used to people just barging in and visiting them, and they they feel like they feel isolated, they feel alone, um, but they love it. 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:05.519 But we are wanting to be respectful. 00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:09.839 We're we don't want to just knock at someone's door and just go in or just walk up to them. 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:15.359 They're they're longing for that, walking up to them and saying, let's have tea together. 00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:16.079 That's it. 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:17.279 Let's just have tea together. 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:18.400 They're longing for that. 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:26.240 You talk to any refugee, anyone who's come from the Middle East here, they long for that person who wants to just hang out with them. 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:29.519 So we just need to hang out with them. 00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:33.759 I I'm thinking about Don't be don't be discouraged by their cover, you know. 00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:42.319 Um, I was when I was in New York, a cab driver um was taking me to the hotel, and he was a very strong Muslim. 00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:56.559 And our my first reaction, I mean, he was teaching at the mosque, he was um praying five times a day, he was bragging about how he thought he was he I he knew I was from Iran and he thought I'm a Muslim, and then eventually he found out I was a Christian. 00:31:56.799 --> 00:32:10.160 But he was, you know, but he was bragging about what what a strong he could say these the verses like beautifully, but you know, I I had two choices, and I was praying as we were speaking, I was praying for him, Lord, what is it? 00:32:10.240 --> 00:32:12.640 You know, he's such a strong Muslim, and he seems so close. 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:16.240 And we see these women with coverings, we're like, oh, they're close. 00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:24.240 But what the Lord gave me to say to him that just broke him was I said, It's beautiful. 00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:25.359 What you're doing is beautiful. 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:32.240 Whereas before before I would want to argue, like, why are you even praying five times a day and this Islam has this problem and that problem? 00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:33.599 I said, It's beautiful. 00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:40.559 It reminded me of that um religious leader who invited Peter to his house, and they all accepted. 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:42.640 He was religiously following God. 00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:45.920 I I, you know, I told the driver, I said, It's beautiful what you're doing. 00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:46.880 It shows you love God. 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:48.799 And he's like, Yes, I love God, I love God. 00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:54.720 I said, That's beautiful that you love God so much that you pray five times a day, you do these rituals, you teach at the mosque. 00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:56.480 I said, That's beautiful. 00:32:56.640 --> 00:32:57.599 I see your love for God. 00:32:57.680 --> 00:33:00.640 And he was excited that I could, I wasn't turned off by it. 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:10.720 And I said, But God is looking for he loves you so much, and he's so proud of you for wanting pursuing him like this and doing all the religious work, but he's looking for a relationship. 00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:13.920 And he just his heart dropped, and I could see it reached him. 00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:22.960 He said, He loves you so much, he is so proud of you for pursuing him through your religious acts, but he he wants more than that. 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:32.960 He wants to be in a relationship with you, and he had kids, and I explained, you know, you have children, you don't want them doing good works for you around the house, but never sitting down talking to you. 00:33:33.359 --> 00:33:38.160 He said, God wants to have a relationship with you, and that's possible through Jesus Christ. 00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:39.200 And he was silent. 00:33:39.359 --> 00:33:45.920 We didn't argue about religion, who's what's the better religion, what does Islam say, what does Christianity say? 00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:49.440 We talked about relationship, and it was a different level of talking. 00:33:49.680 --> 00:33:51.839 We weren't arguing about religion anymore. 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:58.720 You know, if I would have brought up Christian religion, it was like, oh, but Muhammad says this, but Chris, you know, how could Jesus be the Son of God? 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:03.119 I I talked about a relationship, and it reached his heart. 00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:05.759 And so we shouldn't be turned off. 00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:10.960 The reason these women are going through the heat with these coverings is because they love God. 00:34:11.119 --> 00:34:21.599 That's the God they know, and they love him so much, they're willing to wear that covering, be looked at, be you know, maybe judged. 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:27.679 Um they're willing to endure that um because they love him. 00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:43.760 And when you tell them that, when you get to talk to him and say, I see your love for God, instead of being turned off by the religion, seeing their love for God behind it and telling them that, it opens them up for a conversation with you and say, I see your love for God. 00:34:43.920 --> 00:34:45.599 But do you know he's pursuing you? 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:47.519 Do you know he gave his life for you? 00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:51.679 That he you would be in a relationship with him, and it just breaks their heart. 00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:55.679 Um in Iran we'd share with people God loves you and they would cry. 00:34:55.840 --> 00:34:57.599 They'd never heard that before. 00:34:58.719 --> 00:35:02.800 Is it true that there's not the word for love and what what is it? 00:35:07.519 --> 00:35:13.199 Yeah, Allah Allah, the God of Islam, has 99 names, none of it is love. 00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:25.599 The idea of God loving, he's a very you know judgmental and harsh God, and the idea of God loving them is radical, is is revolutionary for them. 00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:29.440 And many times we just say, God loves you, and they would cry. 00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:43.199 I I was just thinking about in New Testament times, which was the Middle East, um, that was one of the ways that Christians were so noticed was the way they loved each other, and it and the same thing is true. 00:35:43.679 --> 00:36:20.079 It's interesting, that's the God of cr Christianity is uh and that's how uh when I met, I would meet Iranian um, I think I shared this morning, I when I was in Geneva sharing in front of the UN, a lot of Iranian human rights uh advocates would come up to me and say, you know, I I don't know if I'm religious anymore, I don't know if I'm Muslim anymore, but um I think I'm agnostic, but we heard from prisoners that were released with your husband that were in the same cell as your husband, they said there was so much peace, and and they said, we can just tell that Christianity is a religion of love, which is not taught in in Islam. 00:36:20.239 --> 00:36:21.679 So they're drawn by that love. 00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:27.679 They're drawn when they see a supernatural love in the body of Christ, and they see this love of Christ. 00:36:27.840 --> 00:36:41.280 And so, um, and I mean simple words like God loves you, He's pursuing you, He wants a relationship with you, and just not even arguing over religion, just talking about that amazing love that God has for humanity. 00:36:41.519 --> 00:36:45.039 It breaks them because they're being so religious because they love God. 00:36:45.199 --> 00:36:47.119 They don't know Paul didn't know any better. 00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:48.800 Said didn't know any better. 00:36:48.960 --> 00:37:05.920 You know, when I met Saeed, uh, he had a c radical conversion, he was being recruited by um Basij, which in Iran is a it's a is a um branch of Hezbollah to be some kind of a you know, someone attacking Israel and stuff. 00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:07.679 And he didn't know any better. 00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:09.760 He thought he was serving God. 00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:14.880 And when I met him, he was not afraid to speak to the radicals. 00:37:15.440 --> 00:37:20.880 And he was not discouraged to speak to the radicals about Christ, because he said, I know how they think. 00:37:21.039 --> 00:37:23.199 They're thinking they're serving God. 00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:31.679 And the uh I think I shared this morning, the first time I was arrested, I had a gun pointed to my head and said, If you uh say you're Muslim, you're free. 00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:34.480 If you say you're Christian, we will kill you. 00:37:34.639 --> 00:37:47.039 And the Lord just gave Saeed and I faith to stand up for our faith, and the interrogator was shocked to hear Saeed had become at a at an older age, he said, You're brainwashed, you were in the US, you became a Christian. 00:37:47.280 --> 00:37:51.119 But um, but Saeed loved on that interrogator. 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:55.119 The interrogator was angry, he was gonna, he said, You're done. 00:37:55.360 --> 00:38:01.199 But he he took Saeed aside and talked to him, and he came back, and Saeed wasn't intimidated by that. 00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:04.079 The interrogator came back crying, asking for a Bible. 00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:10.400 So he would always say, you know, I was always scared of the radical, and he would say, No, they don't know any better. 00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:12.159 They're trying to serve that God. 00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:15.199 And so don't be intimidated by the coverings. 00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:20.880 They're trying to serve the God they know, but they love God, and you can approach it that way. 00:38:21.199 --> 00:38:24.400 That we see your love for God, that's why you're doing this. 00:38:24.719 --> 00:38:31.519 It's it's a lot of what you said this morning when you said you stood before the UN and you had that moment of feeling foolish. 00:38:31.599 --> 00:38:49.039 And I I was just what popped to my mind was uh many of you have probably seen it, that clip of um, you know, the um the magician's pen and teller, and someone came up after one of their shows to Penn and and gave them a Bible and was real nervous and sweating, and and Penn said I was I was actually glad he did. 00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:54.320 I mean, how much do you have to hate somebody to believe that Jesus is the only way and not tell them? 00:38:54.559 --> 00:38:59.840 And so risking being foolish, risking looking foolish is is um important. 00:39:00.880 --> 00:39:04.480 I don't know if you'll have an answer to this, but I'm curious what your thoughts are. 00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:12.639 One of the things I've noticed with a lot of our uh my daughters in high school and a many, many, many of her friends are Muslim. 00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:18.480 And what I've noticed is that they have a lot of the exterior um actions. 00:39:18.800 --> 00:39:25.280 Um, you know, when they come to our house, we're always sure about, you know, when we order pizza, we don't order pepperoni and those kind of things. 00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:30.400 Um but that usually um seems to be the extent of it in some ways. 00:39:30.559 --> 00:39:32.800 It's kind of a have to for them right now. 00:39:33.039 --> 00:39:43.679 W is there something that you would say to encourage our students who and and I think many of of us women probably have the same experience with people. 00:39:44.719 --> 00:39:48.320 You're sitting in world geography, what do you you know, what's the approach? 00:39:48.800 --> 00:40:14.800 You see, um Saeed's mom was prayed for so much because she had the full covering and she would Saeed's friends, uh they didn't a lot of them didn't even know he, you know, she was her her, I mean Saeed was this radical Christian, and here is this woman that was with him and they they didn't know it was his mom, but a lot of people by just seeing that covering, a lot of the Christians that were with Saeed would pray for her. 00:40:14.960 --> 00:40:16.239 And so I would say prayer. 00:40:16.400 --> 00:40:20.960 You see someone with covering, pray for their families, pray for dreams and visions, just pray. 00:40:21.119 --> 00:40:24.559 The power of prayer, we talked about that tonight, is amazing. 00:40:24.719 --> 00:40:33.360 And then um not being intimidated by them, you know, uh before we can share Christ. 00:40:33.519 --> 00:40:48.320 I guess you said you have to hate some someone so much not to share, before you can get to a point where you're just it's flowing out of you, it's not awkward to share him, it's just coming out easy, is first when you you have to be intimate with him. 00:40:48.800 --> 00:41:09.199 So before going out, you need to sit at his feet, you need to be intimate with Christ, passionate, and then when you are that way, like what Muslims don't uh turn me, like I don't get I don't see that wall anymore because I know I know how empty they are. 00:41:09.519 --> 00:41:14.880 I know they're going through trials of marriage, they're going through trial trials of life without God. 00:41:15.119 --> 00:41:16.800 I know they're devastated. 00:41:16.960 --> 00:41:21.840 I know it I see behind the wall, and I tell them and they cry. 00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:25.679 You know how how can they function? 00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:27.119 I met a family today. 00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:38.480 I don't know if she's here, they lost the daughter, and she was such a powerful testimony to me today, and I have the owl I'm gonna put on my car, but um I don't see her. 00:41:38.960 --> 00:41:39.920 Desiree, are you here? 00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:40.400 Where are you? 00:41:40.559 --> 00:41:41.039 There she is. 00:41:41.199 --> 00:41:42.559 Oh, there she is. 00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:47.920 Uh how does someone cope without God? 00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:49.920 All of us have our own trials. 00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:54.239 These Muslim women, these families, they don't have a perfect life. 00:41:54.400 --> 00:42:00.719 They have financial stress, they have marriage stress, they have every kind of stress, but they don't have Christ to deal with. 00:42:00.800 --> 00:42:08.079 As I mean, this amazing woman, she lost her daughter and she's shining and glowing, and she's able to she's able to be here. 00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:10.400 She's able, it's not, it's five months. 00:42:10.719 --> 00:42:14.159 And she's able to function and share Christ with people. 00:42:14.719 --> 00:42:18.079 And um be we have that. 00:42:18.400 --> 00:42:25.280 I have a husband who's in prison and I can function, I can have joy and peace, but they don't have that. 00:42:25.440 --> 00:42:30.639 So when you experience Christ in such a deep, deep, intimate way, you know they're missing out. 00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:32.480 So it's easy to approach them. 00:42:32.639 --> 00:42:37.760 But when you're unsure about it, you're like, maybe they have it all together. 00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:38.960 Maybe I don't know. 00:42:39.119 --> 00:42:41.039 When you're unsure, you can't share. 00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:52.079 But when you fall into the arms of Jesus, when you ex taste him, when you experience him, when you just inhale him and you see how amazing he is, then it just flows out of you. 00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:57.760 Sharing the gospel is not this intense sweating, like, oh, how am I gonna? 00:42:57.920 --> 00:43:17.840 But you know, I would say to to you, the high s you know, you uh you going to high school or seeing someone at the grocery store, I would say see them, pray with the pray for them, go to Jesus, taste Jesus, experience Jesus in a deeper way, and then it will flow out of you. 00:43:17.920 --> 00:43:19.599 It shouldn't be something uncomfortable. 00:43:19.760 --> 00:43:21.519 Then it just flows out of you. 00:43:21.760 --> 00:43:22.639 It just comes. 00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:25.920 When you connect to the vine, the fruit comes. 00:43:26.159 --> 00:43:27.679 And so, and they see it. 00:43:27.840 --> 00:43:29.280 They say, Why are you so different? 00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:30.800 Why is your family so different? 00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:33.519 I you know, I come to your house and your parents are different. 00:43:33.679 --> 00:43:34.400 There's a love. 00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:40.000 I've so many people have ex I that I know have accepted Christ because they they've seen a healthy marriage. 00:43:40.239 --> 00:43:42.480 And it Muslims don't have that. 00:43:43.920 --> 00:43:48.400 And so they see the difference and they you know they they're they're drawn by it. 00:43:48.559 --> 00:43:50.159 But yeah, um, pray. 00:43:50.320 --> 00:43:59.679 If you don't know how to approach them, pray, and the Lord will give you as you pray and you draw close to God, then He will give you the words, and maybe before you even speak. 00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:00.960 They've had a dream. 00:44:01.199 --> 00:44:10.639 You pray that the Lord would reveal Himself through dreams and visions, and then you go speak, and they've already have met Jesus through a vision and dream and are ready to accept Him. 00:44:11.360 --> 00:44:20.159 Is there something that we as Western Christians do that most hurts our witness, specifically to Muslims? 00:44:34.079 --> 00:44:35.840 To break the bubble. 00:44:36.480 --> 00:44:38.559 Yeah, I think it's just our bubble. 00:44:38.719 --> 00:44:47.199 They're afraid to um because we have a bubble, um they're not able to connect. 00:44:47.360 --> 00:44:49.840 Um being unho inhospitable. 00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:59.280 I mean that's not yeah, not being there's uh Middle Eastern people are warm cultures, so when they see cold, and we're trying to be respectful, but for them it's cold. 00:44:59.440 --> 00:45:02.880 Um but really there's nothing much you can do to offend them. 00:45:03.039 --> 00:45:12.480 Um they would they love you being yourself and really connecting with them as a human level and being open, and that's where they see Christ. 00:45:12.719 --> 00:45:17.360 I, you know, I had issues with my teenager, and this is what God has done. 00:45:17.599 --> 00:45:37.039 And instead of showing your life as perfect, I have had marriage issues, and this is how the Lord has healed my marriage, and this is what you know, and so being real with them because they're looking for real, and they become real, they're warm culture, they will open up things to you you never thought they would share. 00:45:37.280 --> 00:45:40.159 But they're you have to be real with them. 00:45:40.719 --> 00:45:48.960 Um they just yeah, I can't it it's Said and I when we minister, it was shocking for me how much people shared. 00:45:49.119 --> 00:45:56.960 They just they're open, they're just real, and um, you know, they're a warm culture, they just share with you everything. 00:45:57.280 --> 00:46:05.199 Well, it just makes me think what you spoke about this morning that we have to lay down our own agenda for our lives, and not just for our lives, but for our day. 00:46:05.280 --> 00:46:12.880 I mean, sometimes when I go to the grocery store, I'm like, I got this much time, and I got this many things to get, and then I gotta get home, and I miss these moments of in our life. 00:46:13.199 --> 00:46:17.519 Said and I were traveling inside of Iran, and I mean it's it was one of our best trips. 00:46:17.599 --> 00:46:22.320 It was like ten day ten days, ten cities, and we had like a hundred bucks. 00:46:22.639 --> 00:46:36.079 And every every day someone would invite us to their house, and we'd have lunch and dinner, and I mean the Lord provided, and uh, I don't want to go into the detail, but it was amazing. 00:46:36.159 --> 00:46:41.360 But we were heading to another city, we had to be there a certain time to be able to make the this deadline. 00:46:42.239 --> 00:46:46.559 And this Turkish guy, it was funny, he was from a Turkish village. 00:46:46.639 --> 00:46:52.880 Um, we were going to the north part of Iran when there's Turkish and then Kurdish, and then we were coming back around. 00:46:53.119 --> 00:46:58.639 And he was from a Turkish village and he spoke Turkish. 00:46:58.719 --> 00:47:01.199 He spoke minimal farsi, our language. 00:47:01.360 --> 00:47:12.719 But uh we later found out we passed by him and we see this 18-year-old, 17, 18-year-old village guy, and we had to go to the city and for we were like, we have to pick him up. 00:47:13.199 --> 00:47:19.039 And it's funny, in the I mean, I'm not supposed to say this, but in the freeway we backed up. 00:47:19.280 --> 00:47:22.480 And Madison, don't listen to that. 00:47:24.480 --> 00:47:25.440 He ran away. 00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:39.840 He thought that he saw a truck coming, he said, he we threw his bag and he ran, and he said, and and we got him, and he said, I thought you were gonna get into a big accident, it was gonna all be on me, and I was you're gonna blame me for all of this. 00:47:40.000 --> 00:48:04.480 And we got we got in the car, and he was this from this small village, and we could barely communicate far seat with him, but we picked him up, we had to um you know maneuver around our agenda because we were supposed to just go straight to that city, but we picked him up and we had all these CDs, we knew which regions we were gonna go, so we had Jesus films in Turkish language and Kurdish language and all these languages. 00:48:04.800 --> 00:48:08.320 And long story short, we asked him, Did do you know who Jesus is? 00:48:08.400 --> 00:48:11.280 And he said, No, he's not in my village. 00:48:14.400 --> 00:48:16.159 And we're like, okay. 00:48:16.960 --> 00:48:24.159 But uh long story short, we gave him a um uh Jesus film. 00:48:24.320 --> 00:48:33.440 He couldn't read or write, um, but we gave him a Jesus film in Turkish language, and his village had one person with like a TV or DVD player. 00:48:33.679 --> 00:48:42.239 He was crying, up jumping up and down with joy when we gave him that CD, and he invited the whole village and they watched the Jesus film in their own language. 00:48:42.480 --> 00:48:51.840 So that one person opportunity had the whole village watching this video about Jesus, this Jesus film in Turkish language. 00:48:52.000 --> 00:49:06.639 And so exactly opportunities like that, and uh, you know, sometimes it was just handing Jesus films, and the Lord has, I mean, I know it's an older movie, but uh God has done wonders through Jesus film and and and uh things like that. 00:49:06.719 --> 00:49:17.519 But that's that's sometimes you stop and you pick some I've in Boise there's a lot of uh Muslim refugees, and a lot of times I have had, you know, our our schedule is so full. 00:49:17.760 --> 00:49:20.639 I have to be I have to drop the kids off, then I have to do this. 00:49:20.800 --> 00:49:22.559 But I've stopped. 00:49:23.119 --> 00:49:25.519 I said, okay, I won't get all these errands done. 00:49:25.679 --> 00:49:30.400 And I picked up these women, Muslim women, and taken them to their house. 00:49:30.480 --> 00:49:34.800 They were walking, they've been dragging like groceries, and I've been able to share Christ with them. 00:49:34.960 --> 00:49:39.519 Um I've led many, many Muslim women to Christ in Boise. 00:49:40.719 --> 00:49:54.880 We had a Bible study, and um for them there were Afghanis, Iraqis, and Iranians, but you know, it was just those car rides, giving giving them a car ride or um you know, helping them with their grocery or something like that. 00:49:55.039 --> 00:50:01.119 And you said your husband said something today that my friend was just in tears, that the works of Jesus go before words. 00:50:01.280 --> 00:50:08.639 A lot of times we do a work, we do a kind act, and it opens up the the door for us to say to preach Christ. 00:50:09.280 --> 00:50:09.760 You know? 00:50:10.000 --> 00:50:18.239 So well I know that you probably each have your own set of questions, and I want to honor the time that we said we would be done. 00:50:18.400 --> 00:50:34.800 Um but so the last thing I wanted to ask you, and uh there's so many ways that we could intuit that we need to pray for you, but if uh tonight, what is something that kind of rises to the top that we want to make sure that we know we we want to pray for you? 00:50:35.920 --> 00:50:42.480 Um that um Said with re-release, I say I this week. 00:50:42.800 --> 00:50:44.800 Yeah, you know, I I want that. 00:50:44.960 --> 00:50:56.639 I really uh I'm tired and it's been a very long journey, but I say I say, Lord, you know I want him released soon, but I want it at your appointed time. 00:50:57.199 --> 00:51:41.679 Um Saeed had written w a small something to me early on that I I don't know if ever got on media, but he talked about a chick, and he was talking about how as a child he was fascinated by chickens, and and when they grew to the full potential, they come out these beautiful yellow, golden chickens that he would play with, but some of them he would they would break before um they before their time to hatch, and they would come this ugly, smelling, slimy, dead bird, and he he said in his letter, you know, he had in his little note, he said, I know you're trying so hard to get me out, but I don't want to come out a stinky chicken. 00:51:41.840 --> 00:51:45.599 I want to come out at God's appointed time, where it's a I'm a beautiful chick. 00:51:45.760 --> 00:51:53.280 And and so, and and so I know just that I know God has an appointed time. 00:51:53.599 --> 00:51:59.199 That and hearing that he's led so many people to Christ, it made sense to me that he was there for a purpose for people. 00:51:59.440 --> 00:52:04.239 So I say my prayer is always quickly because I'm I don't think there's much of me left anymore. 00:52:04.320 --> 00:52:07.840 I've just been um it's been hard. 00:52:07.920 --> 00:52:10.480 It's been a lonely road for me and the kids. 00:52:10.639 --> 00:52:28.000 The kids have been lost a mom and a dad, and um their whole life has changed, and so I say quickly, but I don't want to, if it means he's there one day longer and one more person comes to know Christ, then I'd rather have him stay that one day longer. 00:52:28.159 --> 00:52:31.280 Um, because you're changing someone's life for eternity. 00:52:31.760 --> 00:52:54.559 And if it means that I go before another I sp speak to another group, you know, I the Lord has been so good through this, uh, you know, speaking before the UN, speaking before 50 million Muslims, but speaking to group liberal uh human rights groups that would never ask a Christian to speak to them, and I've been able to speak to them about Christ. 00:52:54.719 --> 00:53:02.079 And so I I want it quickly, I guess, uh, but I want I also want it as a point of time. 00:53:02.159 --> 00:53:09.199 I don't want to force it when it's not time, but I pray that that appoint of time is soon, I guess. 00:53:09.599 --> 00:53:13.119 I want the beautiful chick, but I want it to hatch now. 00:53:13.440 --> 00:53:16.800 Yeah, I don't want the ugly, I don't want the ugly dead bird, but I want it to be. 00:53:17.119 --> 00:53:21.360 None of us are gonna look at a carton of eggs the same ever ever again. 00:53:21.679 --> 00:53:32.239 And that's where, you know, I alluded to it in the prayer at the beginning to regard the patience of the Lord to be salvation, and I think as the Lord is patient in his release of Saeed, it is salvation. 00:53:32.559 --> 00:53:34.719 So we we will pray in agreement with that. 00:53:35.039 --> 00:53:40.719 And my kids, um, Rebecca and um Jacob have each dealt with this differently. 00:53:41.039 --> 00:53:43.039 Rebecca's really changed. 00:53:43.199 --> 00:53:50.159 She's had sleeping problems and eating problems and um and a lot of emotional stuff. 00:53:50.239 --> 00:53:52.159 And Jacob has had his own. 00:53:52.239 --> 00:53:54.159 He's kind of shut down. 00:53:54.639 --> 00:53:59.119 He doesn't talk as much, and so it's just been they've dealt with it differently. 00:53:59.199 --> 00:54:09.119 So I just pray, I pray, prayer over them that this would just the Lord would just, you know, um take care of their emotions. 00:54:12.800 --> 00:54:15.599 Lord, many of us have heard your voice tonight. 00:54:17.360 --> 00:54:25.360 You have you have spoken to us, you have wooed us and called us to yourself in a new and fresh way. 00:54:27.039 --> 00:54:36.960 And God, it would be easy to walk out of here excited with the emotion of what has happened, with the honor of having this beautiful sister with us among us. 00:54:37.199 --> 00:54:41.039 But God, emotions will not carry us beyond tomorrow morning. 00:54:41.199 --> 00:54:54.400 So, Lord, would you show us specifically what we need to do tomorrow to be able to draw close to you, to be able to love you, to be able to believe and receive your love for us. 00:54:55.440 --> 00:55:08.480 God, would you make us women whose agenda is yours, whose hands are opened up, our fists are unclenched around our lives and our families and our three-foot circle that we live and move in? 00:55:08.719 --> 00:55:20.159 And you open our eyes to the world that you have brought to our neighborhoods, to our grocery stores, to our schools, to our places of work. 00:55:20.719 --> 00:55:23.440 You have brought the world to us, Lord. 00:55:25.840 --> 00:55:27.119 Would you give us wisdom? 00:55:27.280 --> 00:55:30.400 Would you give us courage to risk looking foolish? 00:55:32.800 --> 00:55:37.199 God, would you show us the joy that comes from that obedience? 00:55:37.440 --> 00:55:43.679 We feel like we're having to lay something down, but Lord, you're you're saying, I have so much more to give you. 00:55:43.920 --> 00:55:46.239 You're satisfied with too little. 00:55:46.800 --> 00:55:48.800 Be satisfied with more. 00:55:49.360 --> 00:55:53.440 Lord, I pray that our appetite for your word would grow. 00:55:53.599 --> 00:56:12.800 We I pray that we would fast, that we would pray that you would draw us continually, that that ache that we feel, that we try to fill with food or friendships or TV, that that ache and that longing that we fill, we would fill it with the word of God because that's what satisfies. 00:56:13.199 --> 00:56:17.760 Your living water is the only thing that allows us to never thirst again. 00:56:18.079 --> 00:56:29.440 So, Lord, we want to be filled with you and let the overflow of our lives be one that requires explanation to everyone around us, where we won't have to conjure up conversations. 00:56:29.599 --> 00:56:35.599 We'll be too busy trying to explain our joy and our love in the midst of our suffering. 00:56:36.400 --> 00:56:45.119 God, we want to hand you our suffering, and we we want to say that we receive it with pleasure, like Nagmay spoke this morning. 00:56:45.360 --> 00:56:47.840 God, we we each have a cup of suffering. 00:56:48.079 --> 00:56:55.599 Would you use it to your glory and would you show us that that will bring us the most joy in this world? 00:56:56.239 --> 00:57:03.039 We love you, and we are so honored that you have brought us together for such a time as this. 00:57:03.519 --> 00:57:09.440 Now, God, would you make us each Esters in our own world that we live in and move in? 00:57:09.679 --> 00:57:20.320 May our children in the next year come to us and say, Mommy, I don't know what happened, but this year you've been different, and I don't ever want you to go back. 00:57:21.199 --> 00:57:27.039 Lord, make us warrior women who move in this battle that you've given us. 00:57:28.320 --> 00:57:36.559 And thank you that you've given us everything that we need so that we will stand firm on ground that has already been won. 00:57:36.960 --> 00:57:52.159 We love you and we worship you, and we need you, and we thank you that you are all and in all, and because of you, everything is going to be made right in your time. 00:57:53.440 --> 00:57:55.840 And we pray these things in your name, Jesus. 00:57:56.159 --> 00:57:56.559 Amen.