|||uh my mother is an English Christian my|||father is uh from Pakistan he's a Muslim|||when they got married uh my father|||forced my mother to become a Muslim but|||in response to this she prayed that one|||of her sons would become a Christian so|||I always start my testimony there|||because I really believe that God|||answered that prayer you see whilst|||
growing up my father always made sure he|||took us out of primary school especially|||Easter time and Christmas time because|||he didn't want us to hear the messages|||connected with these events you|||see in uh secondary school I made a|||cross in metal Workshop painted it|||silver kept it in my handkerchief if you|||would ask me why I did this I have no|||idea why I did it and then the other|||
recollection I have um of|||Christianity was that they gave us uh|||the school gave us a small little New|||Testament a Gideon New Testament I|||didn't read it but I just simply carved|||a cross on the front of it and I kept it|||in my bedroom now a couple of years|||later that became an issue because my|||parents wanted to immigrate to Canada|||and uh my father was going through my|||
things to see what I could take with me|||and he came across this little bible you|||see and he became very angry and I saw|||fear in his eyes and I wondered why so|||he asked me where I got this little New|||Testament and I said well they gave it|||to us at school and he told me to throw|||it away so I said no I want to take that|||with me to Canada and he was very angry|||and I saw a lot of fear in his eyes and|||
it's ironic because his fear and his|||anger became the trigger for my search|||into|||Christianity and when we came over here|||I began meeting|||Christians um I had got into trouble in|||England and for the first time in my|||life I looked upwards towards God and I|||asked him to get me out of trouble and I|||did get out of trouble and to thank the|||
god I uh began saying the Lord's Prayer|||as they taught us in school and when I|||came over here I began meeting|||Christians now this was when I was 15|||years old in the|||1970s and in those days the Christians|||used to wear badges with I found it I|||don't know if you remember that yeah|||campus Crusade okay all right I didn't|||know that yeah but um I think the idea|||
was that unsuspecting people would ask|||these Christians what they found and|||they would come scooting over and share|||the gospel so uh the Christian shared|||with me that I could have a personal|||relationship with God through|||Jesus now when I heard that I was|||shocked because as a Muslim I was always|||taught that Allah is is unique and|||distant he has no Associates he has no|||
partners and there's no|||assurance that that you go to heaven in|||the in the main no no only Allah knows|||exactly I've had many cabs tell me that|||yes exactly he's the one that decides|||who goes to heaven and who goes to hell|||so um when they shared the message of|||Jesus with me I rejected it because I|||could not believe that somebody could|||have a personal relationship with God|||
through Jesus I mean you couldn't even|||you know have a very distant|||relationship with Allah never mind a|||relationship never mind a personal|||relationship so I rejected it and uh my|||brother and I applied um to a uh like a|||government sponsored farming program we|||were accepted along with about 40|||others and uh this is where you met the|||young lady yes yes exactly a part of the|||
require of this program was that we were|||supposed to go to this farming uh|||weekend it was a weekend seminar to|||teach us the thing or two about farming|||so that we would be helpful to our|||Farmers it was a summer program so we|||were to live on the farms for the summer|||and at this um weekend farming uh|||seminar I met this very zealous lady she|||was I mean she was very zealous for the|||
Lord and she shared the gospel with me|||and I said I'm I'm sorry but I I I|||cannot believe that and uh she kept on|||sharing even during the lessons and I|||said at one point I said we're not going|||to learn much about our lessons but she|||didn't take a blind bit of nose simply|||carried on sharing with me the gospel so|||it got to a point where she said all|||right she said I'm going to prove to you|||
that my God is a real God now I don't|||say that and I would have to say I was|||intrigued by what she said so I said to|||her I said how are you going to do this|||and she said well I'm going to|||demonstrate for you and answer prayer|||based on my personal relationship with|||God so I said um what prayer and she|||said I'm going to pray that you go on a|||farm where they're all born again|||
Christians and she actually said this|||she said and where you get the gospel|||Ram down your throat two solid|||months I I immediately I love this part|||of the story yeah I immediately said to|||her I said Allah is not going to answer|||that prayer I was angry uh because I|||said to her I said I said we do not tell|||Allah what to do he tells us what to do|||it's the other way around right so she|||
said I believe that God will answer that|||prayer and we were arguing all the way|||until we left this the seminar so I went|||home and I packed a little suitcase my|||father dropped me off at this Farm I|||went to the door I knocked on the door|||and this tall thin Dutch Canadian|||gentleman named Jerry a lovely man um a|||the door he was just about to introduce|||himself when I noticed behind him uh|||
what I thought was a painting of Jesus|||because the man in the painting had a a|||Halo on his head so as he was just about|||to introduce himself I said hold it I|||said is that a painting of Jesus behind|||you and he said yes my heart began to be|||a lot faster and so I said are you a a|||Christian full of light or something and|||he said I'm a born again Christian|||so I said do you have uh a family and uh|||
he said I have a wife and three|||daughters oh this is great and I said is|||your wife born again and he said yes and|||I said daughter number one and he said|||she's a born again Christian I said|||daughter number two and he said she's a|||born again Christian and then he said|||and then I said don't tell me daughter|||number three is a born again Christian|||and he said we're all born again|||
christans in this|||house and I mean I cannot you know I was|||overwhelmed it's hard to explain how I|||felt because I was overwhelmed I was|||humbled and at the same time I couldn't|||work out how this young 16-year-old girl|||could pray to Allah and Allah answer a|||prayer I'd never I'd never heard of this|||before in Islam so the net effect of|||this was that it opened my heart to what|||
Jerry had to share with me the message|||that he had the message that he believed|||the message that he lived and um um I|||think over the course of the summer he|||won me over by two things first of all|||his love he had a love which I'd never|||seen in Islam before yeah it was gentle|||it was patient he was forgiving he was|||kind and over the course of the summer|||his love the love of the Lord just|||
shined through his heart through his|||eyes through his speech through his|||behavior it was wonderful um I can|||honestly say that he's a lovely man an|||absolutely lovely man is he still alive|||he's still alive I just saw him a week|||ago he lives in Dunville how wonderful|||uh a lovely man named Gerald brma I|||regard him as my spiritual father in the|||faith and then um I think he also won me|||
over by his consistency yeah he|||practiced what he preached he was what|||we call the genuine article in England|||he um was consistent you know he was|||almost a walking example of scripture|||you know a living example of the word he|||really was he really he was to put it in|||uh in what in terms of what James says|||he was a doer of the word and not just a|||hear only you know I told my wife about|||
your story I was so impressed by it and|||it reminds me how we have to be a|||witness yes but I want to talk about|||what really bothers me is that it seems|||like too many|||Christians uh don't show love toward|||Muslims and they they they miscar many|||Muslims as we know the jihadist element|||is a is a small|||sliver tell us how to witness to Muslims|||
and love them yeah I mean my mind goes|||to Matthew chapter 9 where Jesus saw the|||crowds and he had compassion for them|||because they were harassed and helpless|||like sheep without a Shepherd um I think|||I I would suggest that we first of all|||need to see the way that Jesus sees that|||they are harassed and helpless um they|||may fear God uh they may worship God|||they may be completely devoted to God|||
but the the huge difference is is they|||they do not know God personally they do|||not have Jesus and that it that makes|||all the difference in the world so I|||would say first of all for us to see the|||way that Jesus sees that he sees a|||people that he loves|||um in the Old Testament we see that God|||had compassion upon a brutal people|||called the Assyrians that's right and|||
yet Jonah was commissioned to go to them|||that's true um and now in days gone by|||missionaries have gone to uh Asian|||countries and African countries but now|||Muslims are here and we have we we we|||have a harvest we can actually have a|||harvest if we see the way that Jesus|||sees if we have compassion the way that|||Jesus has|||compassion uh and if we pray for them um|||
the way that Jesus wants us to pray for|||them and if we take part in that Harvest|||that the Lord wants amongst Muslims|||[Music]|||
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