The TriumphA very wonderful thing took place recently.
One of my young techs who started working with me over three years ago (when he was only 17 yrs. old) got saved. I didn’t lead him in prayer or take him through the “Romans Road”, etc. What happened was that after three years (especially the last 6 months) the word of God has been discussed extensively and after much wrestlings God shined the light of the glorious gospel into his soul and he was gloriously saved and he got peace.
1. Amazing thing #1 – This young man came from Bosnia and was a Muslim. This young man threw out his Rap CD’s, his bad language, his earrings; his going to suspect places with his friends, and generally God did a work in him. He has only missed 1 service in 5 since he got saved.
2. Amazing thing #2 – I never told him to quit any of the above – God showed him those things from the book – I just pointed him to the book and let God show him. Not my duty to make him to quit those things – I am not the Holy Spirit. Basically, I just let the Lord work and kept my big mouth shut.
The TransitionBecause he was saved his family has been very upset with him – just think of Bosia and the Serbs – they see him as becoming a Serb. The Serbs were the ones they fled from who were (in the sign of the cross – Rome) wiping out the Bosnian Muslims. Yes, the Muslims did their share of killing too but the Serbs and Muslims are big-time enemies. When the Muslims think of Christianity they associate with the Serbs (you know, the sign of the cross and Mary). So, you can see how hard this young man has been having it for the last 3 weeks since his salvation. There is a large Bosnian-Muslim community here in Jacksonville and the news is spreading and he is getting hammered. His family threw him out of the house last week and many of his “friends” have left him. But, glory to God he is being sustained by His grace and though this young man is brain-fried he is excited in the Lord. Kind of makes you want to get saved again, huh?
The TragedyHis folks set up a meeting with the president of the local Muslim mosque at the house he was thrown out of. The intent was to have the ”expert” bring him back into the fold. So at 6 PM last night they all met. Now, three things to note here:
1. To the cleric’s credit he blamed the parents for being poor Muslims and losing their son – great wisdom and consistency on the cleric’s part. He told the family that they left Bosnia because your couldn’t worship as you please and then come over and don’t even worship – inconsistent – and then give your boy a hard time in a country that gave you religious freedom! Great stuff – preach it! His basic summary was, “You have to accept him though we all feel he is wrong in his religion and I cannot make him change.” Now, they did not accept him – still hard feelings on their part – not on the young man’s. Though I do not agree with the Muslim cleric's religion I respect the man for being conistent and how he handled potentially rough situation and finally, for not seeking to hammer the young man.
2. Now, here is the one of the most amazing things I’ve heard in years – do you know what the cleric kept bringing up as a proof of Christianity being inconsistent thus showing it to be false in the eyes of Islam? Are you sitting down? Hold on to your hats. He said that all the
different bible versions proved Christianity was not true because the Muslims only have one! He kept bringing up this multiple version stuff. And many of you wonder why we make such an issue of the King James Bible!!! While many of you are saying it is ok to have multiple versions the devil is using it for all it’s worth and pointing Islam and others to this inconsistency.
Now, all glory to God and He gets all praise, but you have to give credit where credit is due – the ole’ devil gets a lot of credit here for creating division and confusion so the other religions can get a foot hold by pointing the finger. I know some of you won’t agree but this happens more than you think and it wasn’t the first time this young man heard this from his Muslim community. The cleric asked the young man which version he read. He answered – I believe the book I have in my hands is the word of God – the King James Bible! Yea, I know, I brainwashed him, huh?
3. Another amazing point – the cleric said he reads about Christianity to know and understand how to deal with it and I’ll give you one guess which “version” he reads – HE READS A KING JAMES BIBLE!!! What a hoot, man!!! Even a cleric knows that with all the versions going around he reads a KING JAMES BIBLE to get his information - the guy’s a Muslim!!! Though he doesn’t believe it like many saints believe it he knows it the one when compared to the rest of the versions – the guy’s a Muslim!!! A Muslim cleric knows this truth over some of you saints with all your modern versions. This cleric knows those versions are not Bibles – the cleric and me agree on this point.
Well, enough said – the wonderful thing is a young man got saved and is fighting a good fight – this is the miracle point of the thread. The tragic thing is the truth the cleric kept bringing up was bible versions as being proof Christianity was wrong.
Two things I get from this besides the fact that a young Muslim was gloriously saved:
1. The power of the King James Bible in a young man’s life.
2. The confusion and poor testimony of the newer versions.
Have a good day.
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