Imagine the beginning of your life. You were born to a family, be it a mother and father or just mother you were conceived and born.
Someone raised you. It doesn't matter who or where, but someone took the time to instill values, character and morals into you. It may have been good, it may have been bad, it may have only been by example with no words spoken. But if you are alive today that took place.
Throughout the years you grew, each year you had a birthday, and turned a year older. You observed life, and other things around you, all adding to your personal views.
And then something changed…
At a certain age, maybe 18, 12, or 20 you decided to change, causing you to either throw away everything you had been given or taught by those who raised you and shaped your life, or you decided to hold it as truth and walk in it.
For some of us this meant being raised a Christian, with good morals and values instilled in us, but then deciding that the things of this world were more important. Our personal desires and pleasures were better, and we threw away our faith. For others this meant walking away from the world, and the horrible things that had been done to you, or you had been taught, you then became a person of character, and Christlikeness.
Either way, at this very moment you are living a certain way. You had a choice and you made it.
You have a Choice…
Now imagine that you didn't have a choice. And imagine that all you had been taught was a lie. None of the things instilled in you were truth, and yet there was no other option.
Why?
Because the government says so. And the government is supported by THOUSANDS of people who believe the same lies you were taught, and yet you are one of only .3% who hold the truth…
Welcome to Malaysia.
An official islamic nation.
And here if you are born a Malay, you are born muslim. But not only are you born muslim, you die muslim as well. Because in Malaysia you don't have a choice. The law states…
Freedom of religion.
But according to article 160
If you are born a Malay, you are defined as Muslim. If you change that, you renounce your ethnic status.
Sound like a contradiction? Yes, it does to me as well, but that is the truth of it, and there is no trying to fight the government without risk of being killed. This makes the Malays one of the most unreached people groups in the world concerning the Gospel.
Let me give you a little more information on Malaysia.
It is comprised of 4 people groups. There are the Malays, who basically are like Caucasians in America. Although not their original home, they have been in Malaysia forever, and it is their home. There are the Natives, or the princes of the soil. These are equivalent to Native Americans, Malaysia was their home first. Most natives reside in the jungles still, not living a modern way of life. I will actually talk further about the natives in another blog. Then you have the Chinese and the Indians. Both people groups have been in Malaysia a long time, yet they are still at times treated like second class citizens by some people.
The Chinese, Indians and the Natives are all allowed to accept Christ, and from these 3 people groups we met some of the most amazing, radical believers I have ever encountered. But they don't evangelize to the Malays…
Why not? Well picture this.
It is 1950 in America. Although slavery no longer exists there is still a ridiculous amount of tension between African Americans and Caucasians. Why? Because the African Americans feel as though they are treated like second class citizens, and they are.
It is the same in Malaysia. Although the Indian and Chinese heavily populate the Christian church's they don't do outreach to the Malays because of their mistreatment, and because of the Law set in place.
Sound like a difficult situation?
It is. Because now there is an entire people group that is not being presented the Gospel in any way because of fear, the law and prejudice. Also there is no safe place for Malay believers to go if they do happen to encounter the Gospel. Bibles are not printed in their language, unless in secret, and their ID cards state their born religion.
No choice…
But then there is JESUS. And the true power of the Gospel steps in. That is where my month in Malaysia and this journey starts…
To be continued…
