Halil followed his friends into the home of Brent, a tall man who had come from a country far away. Brent eagerly shook his hand and asked where Halil was from. Halil explained that he was in town visiting his sister. Brent invited him in as the group of men made themselves comfortable on the rug.

After several minutes of casual conversation Mahmoud, one of the other young men, said, “I have a request.” The room became quiet as all eyes turned to Mahmoud. “My brother is in jail, and I’d like to pray for him.”

Halil raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t time for Maghrib, the evening prayers. But he supposed it was possible to pray more than five times a day.

Mahmoud began talking to God as if He were a friend. Halil wasn’t sure he should speak to God so informally, but he liked the idea of being able to do so. Perhaps he would pray like this on his own, too.

But his heart froze when Mahmoud finished the prayer in Jesus’ name. Halil glared at Brent. This foreigner was clearly spreading dangerous ideas.

Halil jumped up and hurried to where his sister and her husband, Imran, lived. He banged on the door. Imran was a spiritual healer. If anyone knew what the Quran had to say about what Brent was doing and how to stop it, it was Imran.

Imran opened the door, his brow furrowed in concern. “Halil, come inside. Is something wrong?”

Halil stepped inside, his heart pounding. “What do you think of Brent, the foreigner?”

Imran smiled. “We are friends.”

“But does he talk about Jesus to you?”

“Often.” Imran chuckled. “Probably because I ask so many questions.”

Halil wrinkled his nose. “Why are you interested in Jesus?”

Imran sighed. “I’m tired of letting people pay me to pretend to heal them. No one is ever made well from drinking water and ink.” He shook his head. “But all I do is write Quranic verses, wash them from my slate, and sell the water. If I had other skills, I could find a new job and follow Jesus.”

“And my sister agrees with you?” Halil asked, terrified of what Imran would say.

Imran nodded. “She believes that Jesus loves us, and we have been reading the Injil together.”

Halil’s chest ached. If his own family had been deceived by Brent’s smooth words, no one was safe. Brent was leading the community away from the true religion, and someone had to put an end to this evil.

A thought entered Halil’s mind like a bullet: He could be the one to do it. He could kill Brent.

Shakily, he lowered himself into a chair and clutched the cup of tea Imran handed him. He didn’t like the thought of killing anyone. But if Brent was gone, talk of Jesus would stop spreading through this village, and his family would once again believe the truth.

For the next few weeks, Halil spent every possible moment with Brent, looking for an opportunity to take his life.

But Brent spent every day talking about Jesus, praying, and studying the Bible with the people of the village. Halil couldn’t help but hear about a Savior willing to die for the ones He created. The words Jesus spoke in the Injil were filled with hope and life and unlike anything Halil had heard.

After only a few days, Halil realized he was spending time with Brent to hear more from the Bible, not to pursue his plot. And shortly after that, Halil began to realize that what Jesus said was not only beautiful, it was also true.

There was nothing wrong with the message Brent was spreading throughout the village. If Jesus was truly the only way to God, then Halil couldn’t ignore Him, either.

Halil began to earnestly study the Bible with Brent and other Jesus followers and shared what he learned with as many people as possible. Soon, he gave his life over to Christ, and a group of believers started meeting in his home each week. Over several months, the house church grew so large that it had to multiply into two groups. The same thing happened again and again.

Like the Apostle Paul, Halil’s passion to stamp out the name of Jesus turned into zeal for spreading that same name. Halil continues to be discipled by Brent, and today, there are six generations of house churches with more than 515 believers in the region because the Gospel changed Halil’s heart.

Pray:

• Believers in Halil’s country frequently face persecution. Pray for their protection and the courage to share the name of Jesus despite risks.
• Praise God for His ability to change even the hardest hearts.
• Ask God to grow and multiply the church movement in this region.

**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**

Main photo on iStock

Original article: https://frontiersusa.org/blog/zeal-for-the-truth/