Christian Living in a Muslim Home? - Tim Conway

So here's the last one.

Last question.

Now this question could easily involve

a young man,

but it does happen to involve a young lady

and I actually think you'll see

by the nature of this question,

I really believe that this situation

probably impacts young ladies

in a tougher sense,

in a harder sense,

in a more difficult sense

than it does young men.

And you'll probably see why as I give it.

She doesn't even give her name.

She just comes across with this:

"God's girl."

She says, "Dear Pastor Tim,

I'm a 21 year old girl

who used to be a Muslim.

God had mercy on me

and opened my heart to His truth.

I currently live with my parents

who are strict Muslims.

I have no way to fellowship
with other believers

since I have to practice
my faith in secret.

I know that the Lord had geared me

towards biblical teaching

during the past few years..."

And I'm imagining that
came over the Internet.

"...My heart's desire is
to be able to move out

and not hold back as a Christian.

I hold back due to the strict
environment I live in.

It is an extreme taboo

and I'm looked at as an evil person

by my parents for even questioning Islam.

I've tried to tell them,

but I was threatened with being disowned.

I just don't know what to do.

I get aggravated, because when they

talk about Islam,

they debase Christians and Christianity.

I feel angry a lot

because of their religion

and that they pressure me to practice it.

I resent their authority

because they pressure
me to practice Islam.

Is my resentment unbiblical?

Should I act differently?

Thanks."

Tim: Look, you know one thing I realize,

when James puts stuff on I'll Be Honest,

I don't know - this girl
doesn't say where she is,

but I know this,

I suspect that people in Muslim countries

that understand English are coming across

some of these.

And so I'll speak to those
Muslim young people

that may be in Saudi Arabia.

They may be in places like Pakistan

or Indonesia or Turkey.

Many places.

Many Muslim countries.

Iran.

What do we say?

This girl's 21.

If she was in this country,

obviously, that scenario
might look different

than if she was in Saudi Arabia, right?

I mean, I think this question

that she's asking -

I think just the scenario -

it's different if you're a boy

than if you're a girl.

I can tell you this,

boys are typically more high esteemed

in those countries than girls.

They'll tolerate more in boys

than they'll tolerate in girls.

Age has a lot to do with it.

Obviously, she's 21, but
if you're 10 years old,

that's a different scenario, right?

The country you're in -

so the gender, the age,

the country,

obviously, the strictness of the parents,

if somebody is genuinely converted

in these families, all those factors

are going to come into play.

To simply give a blanket answer

is very difficult, but I would say this:

If there is any Muslim young person

that is likely to be disowned

and thrown out of a Muslim family

in the United States of America,

contact us.

We will see to it that
you are given housing;

that you are taken care of entirely.

We will take care of you.

If you'll contact us,
we will send somebody

to get you if that's the case.

If you're in Maine,

if you're in Washington,

if you're in Hawaii -

or if you're in another country,

and it's possible somehow for us

to even get you here,

but obviously there's visa issues

when that kind of thing takes place.

If somebody already had a visa,

somebody already had a passport,

they were able to get here,

we would harbor somebody like that.

We would do whatever is in our power

to help people.

To a young lady like this,

even if she's in Saudi Arabia,

the truth is this young lady

has access to the Internet.

In this day, if a young
Muslim has that access

and they understand English

like this young lady obviously does,

then the sky is almost the limit

as far as the teaching you can get.

Obviously, that's restrictive as far as

meeting with other believers.

Brethren, I guess we just have to say this

to people like this:

There's several principles

that young folks in Muslim families

need to consider.

One is that as a follower of Jesus Christ

your commitment needs to be to Him

above all else.

Matthew 10:21, "Brother will
deliver brother over to death,

a father his child,

and children will rise against parents

and have them put to death."

The truth is -

the truth is this:

we cannot tell Muslim young people

that they will not suffer

if they come public to their families

as being Christians.

We cannot offer you words

from our Lord Jesus Christ

or anywhere from the Bible

that would be words that would lead us

to believe that there
won't be any suffering.

In fact, what Jesus said

is there is very likely going to be,

and in fact, they may
even put you to death.

But I would say on that note

exactly what Jesus said.

"Blessed are you when others revile you."

He said this in Matthew 5:11.

"...And persecute you,

and utter all kinds of evil against you

falsely on My account,"

He says, "Rejoice and be glad

for your reward is great in Heaven,

for so persecuted they the prophets

who were before you."

And so I would say this,

to suffer even at the hands of your family

for the namesake of Jesus Christ,

He would tell you rejoice

and be exceedingly glad,

for your name is written in Heaven.

And I would say what Paul said.

Even though they might martyr you,

even though they persecute you

for the next ten years,

Paul called it momentary light affliction

in light of an eternal weight of glory.

But I would say this,

I would say this as well.

If you are a child of God,

He knows you.

He has promised never
to leave or forsake you.

He promises that He will provide for you.

He promises to be with you.

He promises to take care of you.

He promises that.

If your family throws you out,

go to Him.

He will not abandon you.

Even if you were ten years old

and your family put you on the streets.

I just read last night, I think,

in devotions to my children

about a young Sicilian man

who was Roman Catholic.

And in the courtyard of
his Roman Catholic school,

he found a Gospel of John.

The teachers were outraged.

And they took it.

And the priest there in his school

burned it in front of all the kids.

Well, you know what that did to him.

That made him all the more
wondering what was in it.

Well, he came to faith,

and his family put him out.

And God provided him a cave to live in,

and then gave him a job

so that he was able to support himself.

Listen, isn't that what Hebrews says?

Some of them wandered
about in this world.

Some of them lived in caves.

There's the true cave man, right?

We find it in Hebrews 11.

But you know what it says?

People of whom the world is not worthy.

And you know what Samuel Rutherford said?

He said that when they threw him

in the Anwoth Prison,

they meant to make
it a living hell to him,

and God made it heaven.

If God can make a dungeon heaven,

if your parents throw
you out on the street

and you have to live in a shack

or in a cave,

God can make it paradise.

And so, trust the Lord.

Listen, Jesus said very plainly

that we should not deny Him.

In Matthew 10, He says,

"Whoever denies Me before men,

I also will deny before My Father

who is in Heaven."

I call upon every young person,

if you're in a Muslim family,

do not deny Christ.

Stand for Christ though
it cost you your life.

Do not deny Him.

Now, just like the women

that we just talked about

in the last question who sometimes live

before lost husbands,

who can win those husbands without a word

by their godly conduct,

that may be the way you testify to Christ

in the midst of a Muslim family.

You seek to honor and reverence

your father and your mother

every way possible

without dishonoring Christ.

Don't dishonor Christ.

Jesus Himself said you need to love Him

more than your parents

or you're not worthy of Him.

But I would seek to honor them

and reverence them every way possible

that by your holy conduct,

show them that Christianity

is radically different than Islam.

Show them that there is truly

a God who transforms sinners.

Show them by the joy in your life;

the joy in what Christ accomplished

for you on the cross.

Show by that that Christianity
has so much more,

infinitely more to offer

than what Islam has to offer.

But don't be ashamed of Him.

I guess the other thing

that came to my mind

is pray.

Pray.

If you're a child of God,

you have His ear.

You may seem all alone

in the situation you're in,

but you're not alone.

And I would say pray.

Listen, if God did not hold
back His Son for you,

but gave Him up for you,

pray.

Though you be in Iran;

though you be in Saudi Arabia,

there are other Christians there.

I doubt anybody could possibly,

even in a situation like North Korea,

very unlikely anybody
would ever hear these,

but you never know with the Internet today

and with God all things are possible.

But whether it's Vietnam,

whether it's North Korea,

whatever country we
might be talking about,

there are underground churches there.

Pray.

Pray.

I mean, it is not impossible for God

to lead you though you be ten years old

in a Muslim country like Saudi Arabia,

that God leads you to cross the path

of other Christians that are right there

in the same city where you live.

Even in the same block where you live.

So pray.

You guys have anything else you'd say

to a person like that?

Those are the things that came to mind

that I would tell somebody

if I could get through that camera

through the Internet

and be able to put words of encouragement

in their ears.