PTAP - Question
I saw on the history update from I think week 1 from February 2005 that speaks about MMb's and believers meeting in desert places. I got a map of the AP and see that there are huge areas that's only desert. How do these people meet together and get to know of each other? How do these 'desert' Christians get training of the ways of the Bible and support. Is it not dangerous to just start a conversation with someone else about your beliefs?
- NdT, South Africa.
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In some ways, those who live in the desert are actually "freer" than those in cities. In the cities, there are all sorts of people who can monitor. Also, tribes & clans can move. When (& if) a clan migrates, then the gov't will have quite a time trying to chase them through the sands. Finally, often, bedouin (& Yemeni) tribes put their order of allegiances to the tribe ahead of Islam, thus ... when / if a tribe turns to the Lord ... great things can happen & the faith they then have in common reinforces itself within the clan.
Some areas that are mostly desert are also pocketed with oases along river beds and spots where water collects & springs up. It was in
these places where the first sky-scrapers were built (in Yemen - the
Hadramout).
If you go to the Yemen or the Yemeni Arab page on www.strategicnetwork.org
you can find out more about Yemeni peoples. Also, www.shaketheheavens.com or .org has info about Saudi Arabia.
As far as starting conversations: building friendships, singing songs, faithful worship as gathered believers, business discussions, joyful greetings, blessings in times of need ... all these can become moments when the Word of Truth is shared. And, of course, many throughout the Arabian Peninsula perceive themselves as inherently Islamic & all non-Arabians (particularly Westerners) as non-Islamic ... so when believers in Christ behave in a godly way & are unafraid of ever ready Islamic attempts to propagate their faith ... then a natural opening for the Good News is there. Often locals in the AP talk about religious topics. That is, it is not a forbidden topic of daily conversation, unlike much of the West.
Peace in Christ
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MJH
- NdT, South Africa.
====
In some ways, those who live in the desert are actually "freer" than those in cities. In the cities, there are all sorts of people who can monitor. Also, tribes & clans can move. When (& if) a clan migrates, then the gov't will have quite a time trying to chase them through the sands. Finally, often, bedouin (& Yemeni) tribes put their order of allegiances to the tribe ahead of Islam, thus ... when / if a tribe turns to the Lord ... great things can happen & the faith they then have in common reinforces itself within the clan.
Some areas that are mostly desert are also pocketed with oases along river beds and spots where water collects & springs up. It was in
these places where the first sky-scrapers were built (in Yemen - the
Hadramout).
If you go to the Yemen or the Yemeni Arab page on www.strategicnetwork.org
you can find out more about Yemeni peoples. Also, www.shaketheheavens.com or .org has info about Saudi Arabia.
As far as starting conversations: building friendships, singing songs, faithful worship as gathered believers, business discussions, joyful greetings, blessings in times of need ... all these can become moments when the Word of Truth is shared. And, of course, many throughout the Arabian Peninsula perceive themselves as inherently Islamic & all non-Arabians (particularly Westerners) as non-Islamic ... so when believers in Christ behave in a godly way & are unafraid of ever ready Islamic attempts to propagate their faith ... then a natural opening for the Good News is there. Often locals in the AP talk about religious topics. That is, it is not a forbidden topic of daily conversation, unlike much of the West.
Peace in Christ
====
MJH
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