Persecution and Grace

I just wanted to share with you about a man named Farooq Keiser. Farooq is in both my ethics and old test. class. He is a christian who converted from Islam with a pretty intense story. This is his testimony.

I was born in 1973 in a middle class Muslim family in the east part of
the Nepal. My father was a religious leader of the community. As I was
growing up, my parents taught me the basic teachings of Islam. It
began with 'Kalima" which said: "there is no deity but Allah and
Mohammed is the prophet of Allah", because of this statement I was
brainwashed to believe that this was the only truth. I was taught that
there is no better religion than that of Islam and that only Muslims
are the true followers of God. All the other religions were called
"KAFIR", means paganism. Up until then I was never able to find peace
and love in my family. My father had problems with my uncles about
property and my grandfather had problems with his sons. Later, I found
that most of the robbers, thieves, murderers, and terrorists were
mostly Muslims. I began to question that if the Muslims are the
followers of the only true God then why were they so bad? Secondly I
was wondering why Muslims were one of the poorest communities in the
world and why they were always at war etc? Beside these questions, I
had asked so many other questions to my father but he had never been
able to satisfy me with his answers. Now, slowly I started to doubt
and hate Islam.

At the age of 12, I was trying to find a musical radio station on my
radio after finishing my homework. I was suddenly stopped when I heard
a voice and began to listen to it carefully trying to find out the
title of the song. To my surprise, the person never mentioned anything
about the movie song; instead it said "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT
HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM, SHALL NOT
PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE." Then there was a brief story about
Jesus Christ that came into this world by virgin birth, performing
many miracles, as well as dying on a cross for sinners and who on the
third day raised to life again. Even though I did not know who Jesus
was I started weeping. I have never heard such an incredible story
before in my life. Since then I became a regular listener of that
program and after 5 to 6 months, I came to a conclusion that if there
is any loving, forging and living God that must be Jesus Christ. I
confessed my sin and accepted Jesus as my Savior. At that time there
were neither church nor any Christians in that area. After some time I
went to Delhi for higher education and started to attend a church and
got baptized in 1991 in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Still, I was a nominal believer, without anyone strong
discipling, along with a desire for personal fame.

In 1992 I went to Mumbai with the purpose of joining Bollywood to
become a movie director. As I was working there in an attempt to
accomplish my dream, I had to leave Bollywood because of Hindu and
Muslim riots. I went to Thailand on business where I was discipled by
a friend and began to know God more intimately. As I started to grow
in intimacy with God, I got a vision and burden for the lost souls of
Nepal. Therefore, I resigned my job and returned to Nepal in 1996.
After attending a short training school I started preaching the
gospel. The Muslims of my community got very angry and starting making
plans to kill me. My family kicked me out of the house because of my
faith and asked me never to come back again. My mother said, "Son, I
had 4 sons but from today on one son has died for me." I have never
imagined that a mother can say that to her son. Full of tears I left
home never to come back home again. The love of Christ gave me grace
to forgive my family and love them. After one and a half years of
fervent prayer, most of my family members are walking with Christ and
have started a fellowship at home. Besides that, several other Muslims
responded to the Gospel. At present I am leading two Hindu and five
Muslim background Churches in Nepal. I often face death threats and
persecution is very common.

However I have made a commitment that "If I live I live for Christ and
if I die I die for Christ. Nothing can separate me from the love of
God."

Your brother in Christ,

Farooq Keiser