Born Again

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

Ephesians 3:18

I was having lunch yesterday when an old classmate of mine popped in. I had not seen him since before National Service so, naturally I was glad. The rendezvous was made all the more pleasant by some great news he had to give me.

You see, this friend of mine has been a Muslim for as long as I have known him, some ten years. Perhaps you, like me, have long desired the salvation of an associate or friend. We even feel guilty because it may seem that we want them saved more than others. You think about your friend, "She's so nice, so friendly, so … everything. If only she were a Christian." That's exactly the way I felt about this guy. He appears so complete in other areas of his life that it was that much more painful to see him heading the wrong way, so far as God is concerned.

But yesterday, he had good news for me. "I am now 'born again'" he said to me, quite matter-of-factly.

I felt a flush over my face as I was momentarily silent. It took a moment for that simple statement to sink in. My first response was disbelief. "Please stop joking," I said. "You shouldn't joke about things like that." But as he persisted and another friend confirmed it, I could see that he was actually serious.

"Why?", "How?", "When?", the questions started pouring in as my excitement grew. Apparently, he had considered it for awhile. He remembered the long-term prayers of his aunt (over a period of about 12 years) and, in his estimation, this was the single most important factor. Then there was the influence of friends and some Christian family members. But he made the final decision in the quiet of his room. "If anyone really wants to see the truth," he said, "it is quite obvious to see."

Many people contributed to this young man's transformation but the work was all that of the Holy Spirit. Whether tilling his heart, planting the seed or watering, it all served a single purpose. And thank God for that.

I just want to join the angels of heaven and God's congregation to rejoice in the salvation of this brother.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Sule Ibrahim Jibrin is saved!

With love, Doosuur.

Please join me and pray Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 on his behalf.