A man called Jihad started to correspond with one of our staff members here at ONE FOR ISRAEL (Carlos), after watching some of his evangelistic videos in Arabic.
Jihad quickly came to put his faith in Yeshua, and was born again in a powerful and meaningful way. His thirst for the truth and the scriptures seems to be insatiable, and since he knows a lot about Islamic writings and Sharia, he has already got to work, noting all the contradictions and lies that are leading so many astray. He longs to help as many as possible find the truth that has set him free.
He lost his job recently, and had to move his family to a poorer area within Gaza where the control over the people is even more extreme. Every Friday morning, people bang on the doors at 5:00 am to wake everyone up, and insist that the men of the house attend the mosque. They are effectively goose-marched to the mosque, and forced into the building. Jihad told Carlos,
"I was forced into the mosque, but I cannot pray to the God of Islam anymore, so I just go in the front door, leave by the back door, and go home again!"
Of course, if he was found to be avoiding worshiping in the mosque, he could be killed. But Jihad says now that he has been born again, he simply cannot do it.
Jihad's wife is also opening up more and more to the gospel, and another man who is a singer has come to faith in the last month or so. Like Jihad, he is also eager to start serving God in the best way that he can, and is now wanting to record worship songs to Yeshua in Arabic.
Praise God for these people, and others, who are coming into the kingdom at this time in Gaza! Their courage is truly inspiring, but as they told Carlos, they used to be willing to die for their Muslim faith, so now that they have found the truth, they are all the more ready to lay down their lives for the One True God who loves them and saved them through Yeshua the Messiah.
