Obedience Beyond Fear

        	              

The man sharing his story was an ordinary looking guy. One you could have imagined passing on the street in any major city of the world. Yet this man was anything but ordinary! Samuel (not his real name) lives in an Arab country and is a follower of Jesus who has been led to live in a secluded village among the Druze in order to share the good news of the gospel.  




The Druze are a religious offshoot of Islam, some of whom claim to be Muslim and some who do not. The Druze faith abides by Islamic principles but their religion differs from mainstream Islam on a number of fundamental points. They live an isolated lifestyle and no one is allowed to be converted in or out of the religion. You must be born a Druze, wear the clothing and be trained according to their belief system.




When Samuel and his family first moved to the Druze village, they were surrounded by people who were scared of Christians and hostile toward them because of recent adversarial incidents between the two religious factions. Unmoved by these potential problems, Samuel and his family rented a home and settled down to live.




One neighbor began to treat this young man like a son and took Samuel to visit in the neighborhood. As the visits were repeated, the villagers began to see that there was something different about this new man and his family. When opportunities arose, Samuel faithfully shared the truths of God’s Word referring to himself as a "Follower of Jesus."




Over time people saw and heard about the love of Jesus from Samuel. God began to work in their hearts often through visions and dreams which sent them to Samuel’s door for understanding. As Samuel shared the truth of Jesus, many responded. In the past 17 years, Samuel has seen faith in Jesus bring reconciliation between many of the Druze and those who now follow Jesus. 




The work did not stop in this village! More than 100 Druze believers returned to their home country with a vision of ministering to Shi’ites who have been their long-time enemies. During a recent medical outreach to the Shi’ites, the believers gave a New Testament to each person and prayed with them. The amazing fact that are Druze who follow Jesus has given them opportunities to share their faith more openly. "Now," Samuel said joyfully, "the work is growing faster in this closed country than in my country."




Samuel and his fellow workers have a high value for caring for their families and not being dependent on any church for financial backing. Working and earning a living is a good testimony for them and doesn’t raise questions by the police as to why and how they are living among the Druze.




When asked about receiving help from the outside, Samuel responded, "We need you to be with us but in your skills. Let’s talk about how we can work together. Please don’t give money. The Druze are very good to share the gospel in their way — in the Druze way."



    

  • Pray for Samuel and other followers of Jesus as they share the gospel with the Druze and Shi’ites.
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  • Pray for the Druze young people who tend to be very secular and dislike their religion. Many are cultural Druze only and, therefore, more open to the gospel. When these young people come to faith in Jesus, they have a great heart for the Lord and are active in witnessing.
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  • Pray for leaders. "Early believers are passionate and should be taught vision and witnessing skills so they can be actively witnessing within their family and friends," Samuel said. "Teach them in small groups more about God’s Word and how to be a group leader." 
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Read additional information about the Druze people.




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