Mohammed was sick. He went to visit a doctor in Lahore, a city near his home in Pakistan.

Mohammed’s parents had named him after the man who started Islam, the religion of Muslims. Mohammed and his family were devoted Muslims.

While Mohammed waited in the doctor’s waiting room, a kind Christian nurse began to talk with him. Mohammed asked the nurse many questions about her faith. The nurse gave him a Bible and invited him to come to church when he felt better. Mohammed was surprised that the Christians at the church welcomed him.

Sadly, some Christians in Pakistan are afraid to let Muslims come to their churches. They know that radical (extreme) Muslims persecute other Muslims who become Christians. Sometimes they persecute Christians who share the gospel with Muslims. But many churches are growing because of bold believers like the Christian nurse.

Finding the Truth

Mohammed remembered what happened after he went to church and returned to his hometown with his new Bible.

“I came home and immediately started reading the first chapter of Genesis. I was excited to learn that God created me in His image. For six months I kept my Bible in a suitcase in my closet. Then someone stole it.

“A friend told me about a Web site that had a Bible online. I talked online with a Christian from Canada. One night she shared the gospel with me and I accepted Christ as my Lord. I changed my name from Mohammed to a Christian name.”

Persecution

“I tried to go to five different churches. But when they found out I used to be a Muslim, they refused to allow me to come back. One pastor told some Muslims that I had tried to go to his church. The Muslims told my cousins. That’s when my family began to persecute me.

“My relatives sent some wicked men to threaten and hurt me. I am a black belt in martial arts, but I ran when they pulled out a gun to shoot me.

“I was living with my sister, but she asked me to leave her apartment. I prayed, ‘Lord, my family and relatives want to hurt me. My sister kicked me out. Even the pastors won’t let me worship in their church. What should I do?’

“Then I rented an apartment and my father said he would pay all my expenses. He hoped he could make me a Muslim again. My family invited me to a big meeting where 12 relatives tried to convince me to come back to Islam. They gave me books about Islam to read.

“During this time, I met some Christians and their pastor allowed me to come to his church! He gave me a new Bible and taught me more about Jesus.”

Free to Share the Gospel

“Things seemed to calm down for awhile. But then five relatives kidnapped me from my apartment. They locked me in a room, then they tied me to a stake in the sun for six hours.

“My sister paid some people to secretly untie me and set me free. I walked about 10 miles to escape. Some Christians helped me move to another city. Now I am learning more about the Bible so I can share the gospel among Muslims who are looking for the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

To Think About

“Mohammed” is thankful that he is now free from his persecutors. He is using his freedom to spread the gospel, even though that could lead to further persecution. The church in Pakistan is growing because of courageous Christians like him. How can you use your freedom to help others find Jesus?

Note: To protect their identities, the names of some of the people on this Web site and some identifying details have been changed. Some of the quotes are edited and paraphrased from the original sources for clarity.