{"id":12120,"date":"2020-05-14T05:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/?post_type=conexion&p=12120"},"modified":"2020-05-13T10:53:27","modified_gmt":"2020-05-13T09:53:27","slug":"family-or-god-choose","status":"publish","type":"conexion","link":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/en\/blog\/family-or-god-choose\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cFamily or God: choose.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Euras<\/em>i<\/em>an student <\/em>Miraz* had <\/em>almost <\/em>everything a young man could want. <\/em>He was bright. He had a well-paid part-time job. He was a very successful athlete. And yet, inside, it was a different story. Despite all his achievements, Miraz felt hopeless. He <\/em>wanted <\/em>his life<\/em> to end<\/em>.<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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But then God stepped in, in an extraordinary way. Miraz tells his story:<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cI wasn\u2019t seeking God\u2026 He found me \u2013 at the most difficult time in my life. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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I was walking by my university one day and saw a student handing out flyers. Never in my life would I go to someone handing out flyers, especially outside the university. I can\u2019t explain why, but that day I went up to her. She seemed to be shining. I took the flyer \u2013 it was for an event organised by the IFES movement in my country. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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I sat down on campus with the flyer, thinking for a long time about whether I should go or not. My other thought as I sat there was how to end my life, how to end the suffering. I was tired of life. I couldn\u2019t live any more. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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But I went. And it was amazing. God was working in that place.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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If I had only known how much God loves me!\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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At that first meeting, the <\/em>message<\/em> that struck Miraz was \u2018the truth will set you free.\u2019 He downloaded the Bible on his phone and started reading John\u2019s gospel<\/em>\u2026<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cSome time later I made the decision: I want to know God, to know Jesus. I want to grow in Him.<\/em> From that moment, God started to change everything in my life. When I told my friends my decision, they rejected me. When I came home from Bible study one day, my father, a Muslim, was sat waiting for me. They had noticed a change in me and had started to suspect something wasn\u2019t right. He asked me: \u201cWhere have you been?\u201d I told him I\u2019d been with friends. \u201c<\/em>Where were you? <\/em>What did you do?\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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I tried to use all the wisdom God had given me, and I knew I couldn\u2019t lie. \u201cFather, I\u2019ve been in church. I was at a Bible study.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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My parents find out the truth <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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It was a shock for them: \u201cWe didn\u2019t think you\u2019d become like that; we didn\u2019t think you\u2019d be one of them. We don\u2019t need a son like that.\u201d  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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What should I do? My father said to me: \u201cFamily or God: choose.\u201d So I began to gather my belongings. It was a very difficult time. I was in tears. Ok God,<\/em> I prayed, may your will be done.<\/em> My parents asked me to renounce my faith, but I couldn\u2019t. How can you reject the one who has saved you? That was the start of a long period of opposition. So many tears, so much shouting. They made me go to the mosque and meet with a Muslim leader to persuade me to turn back. But I always felt God near me, saying \u201cDo not be afraid, just believe.\u201d  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Losses and gains <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Though everyone in the world left me, I understood how much God loves me because the Word of God is active. It was active in my life. I knew that, even if nothing changed, I needed to stand firm and overcome these difficulties. Through it all, I knew in my heart that God had saved me. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Now time has passed, and I have a new family. I am not thirsty for anything in this world. I don\u2019t need anything \u2013 I just need God. Thank God for the church here and for the student ministry through which I came to Him. Thank God they were not afraid to share with me, even though it might have caused them problems. God is alive.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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