Scared Silent

“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.” Ezekiel 33:6, NAS.

Many rural towns in this Muslim majority country have little if any Christian presence. Finding a believer is sometimes difficult. On the one hand, there are not many of them; on the other hand, because Christians fear persecution, they often stay to themselves. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but Muslims are also under Islamic law. Witnessing to Muslims is discouraged by local authorities.

One Christian businessman noticed a medical clinic in a small town that had a name which suggested a Christian background. He stopped in to see if the clinic was owned by a Christian. The doctor greeted the traveling businessman warmly and confirmed that he was indeed Christian. He was ethnically Chinese, and had lived in this small town for a long time.

There was only a few churches in town, and they were almost exclusively made up of Chinese believers. The businessman asked what efforts were being made to share the Gospel with Muslims. The doctor got a nervous expression on his face. He said, “We simply can’t do that.”

The doctor’s response is not uncommon. Fear of persecution keeps many Christians from witnessing to their Muslim neighbors. While fear may keep them silent, it will not release them from their responsibility before God to share the Gospel with their Muslim neighbors.

Pray that:

Christians will be awakened to their God-given responsibility to share the Gospel with those who live around them, including the Muslims.

God’s people will have a deep hunger and thirst for God that will result in spiritual cleansing.

The churches will be convicted of sin, righteousness and judgment by the Holy Spirit.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.