Love, Truth, Power

I don’t know where the idea originated, but one of the helpful frameworks we talk about a lot is the idea of three different encounters that many people have on their journey to faith in Christ: love, truth, and power. 2 Corinthians 6 mentions these ways (along with several others) that we carry the message of the gospel: “by sincere love, by the message of truth, by the power of God” (6:6-7). 

Many people will have all three encounters – multiple times – before coming to faith in Christ. I remember hearing years ago that the average American who came to faith did so after encountering the Gospel seven times… how much more will it take for someone who is deeply committed to a very different way of belief? We must not get discouraged when our friends don’t respond the first time – or perhaps many times after the first time.

Love encounter: As followers of Jesus, our love displays kindness – but also goes beyond kindness. The world can be kind, but they can’t offer the love of Jesus. The depth of love that we show our neighbors – and each other – is a testimony to the work of God in us. 

Truth encounter: Over and over, the Scriptures talk about the importance of proclamation. We use our words to proclaim the truth of who Jesus is. We preach the Gospel – that is our task. And in order for someone to come to Christ, they need to have an encounter with that truth – the truth that brings freedom.

Power encounter: Dreams, visions, healings, miracles… so many who come to the faith in this region report that they had an experience with the power of God. Sometimes it was with a believer who prayed with them. Sometimes it was during their daily prayers. Sometimes it was in the middle of the night. During a normal year of Ramadan, many Muslims would be spending the entire night tonight at the mosque, observing the “Night of Power” (Laylet el Qadar). But this year around the world, they will pray and read from home.

Not every meeting we have with someone is an opportunity for all three of these encounters – but we aim for our lives, our words, and our prayers to pour into the hearts of our Muslim friends and lead them closer to meeting Jesus. Please pray that as workers around the world interact with Muslims, that they would have an increase in all of these encounters. And pray that tonight – even as they stay at home – people would encounter the power of God through dreams and visions.