“Hey, Hashmeti, is that you? What a surprise! I haven’t seen you since school days! What are you doing here?” Our regional ministry leader was visiting scattered believers in a distant city to encourage them, when an old school chum recognized him as he weaved through shouting vendors on a busy street.
“You must come to my home to recall old times and catch up on what has happened during the past 25 years!” Hashmeti replied that he had checked into a hotel, but that it would be a pleasure to visit in the home of his old friend.
“Forget the hotel. Grab your things. I’ll drive you to my home. Let’s go, man!” The next few hours were filled with happy reminiscing about old times and old friends with Abdul and his wife Lulleta. “Here, friend, have a drink. Let’s celebrate our finding each other,” Abdul said as he popped the cork of a bottle during a lull in the animated conversation.
“No thanks, Adbul, I gave up drinking years ago.”
“Oh, come on, you used to out-drink all of us. Surely in celebration of our renewed friendship, you’ll join me in a good drink. Come on, man!” Abdul began to guzzle. When he had to take a break and left the room for a few moments, Lulleta confided to Hashmeti that her husband had taken to drinking a lot and that it was really affecting their marriage. “I just don’t know what to do,” she lamented.
When Abdul returned they were still talking about his alcoholism. Lulleta was saying that they really needed some help. Hashmeti offered, “I know someone that can give you that help. He helped me.”
“Really! Who is it?” Lulleta asked eagerly.
“His name is Jesus.”
“I see,” said Lulleta. “How could we get in touch with him?”
“Well, I have His book right here in my pocket. I’d be glad to share it with you. It’s called the New Testament. Though it is an ancient book, it has up-to-date answers on how you can meet today’s problems. I highly recommend it to you.”
Though Lulleta was eager to try this previously unheard of man and his ancient book, her husband immediately became irate. He recognized this as the Christian’s book and firmly declared that he wanted nothing to do with this heretical propaganda. Hashmeti sensed that his presence was now unwelcome and looked for a way to make a quick exit, assuring them that if they would take this inspired book seriously that they would find answers to life’s problems. He went on to visit believers in the city and returned to the hotel he had checked out of to spend the night.
In the morning, as he finished his hotel breakfast still thinking about his friends, in bounded Abdul. “How glad I am to find you again! I must apologize for the way I acted yesterday. I was wrong. You must return to my home to learn what happened to us.” Though a bit hesitant to return, Hashmeti noticed a change in the expression of his old friend.
On arriving at their home, the story tumbled out. Abdul and Lulleta had fought for several hours over the New Testament and Hashmeti’s suggestion to read it. At the end Abdul had slammed the book on the floor and stamped off angrily to their room. Lulleta spent the night on a recliner in the living room. During the night she had a dream of a Man in White saying that if she would read the New Testament, she indeed would experience a change in her marriage and their lives. Her husband would also understand. The dream was so real, that she understood it to be a message from God. She jumped out of her comfortable recliner and picked up the book that lay askew on the floor. She read for hours. The longer she read the more convinced she was that this Man in White was the answer to their problems.
As the first light of dawn crept into the living room, Lulleta drifted off to sleep for a few moments only to be awakened by hands around her neck. She jolted awake to feel an unaccustomed loving embrace from her husband and to hear a sincere apology for his unkind behavior the evening before. “I must tell you that I had a most amazing dream last night of a Man in White that told me that I was wrong and needed to read the book I had hurled to the floor,” he admitted.
“You must be kidding! I saw that very man, too, with the same message.” They were overcome with what had happened and hugged each other as they laughed and cried together. “Don’t you think we ought to try to find Hashmeti again to help us understand these things better,” they stammered simultaneously.
“I do, I do. I hope I can find him again. I’ll check at the hotel. He probably went back there.” And Abdul was off.
And so it was that Hashmeti was able to give a day-long Bible study and initiate this eager couple into a life-transforming experience. Jesus was now their Savior. Through His power alcohol and tobacco no longer posed an attraction. With personal testimonies of such power, their friends wanted to know this Jesus, too. Within three months Abdul and Lulleta were ready to establish their own home church. Soon they had opened six more in different areas. They have become among the most active workers in their area preparing others for the soon coming of Jesus.
Many people throughout the Eastern world are having transforming visions and dreams of the Man in White. It seems that we are living in the times of which the prophet Joel spoke:
And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions, and also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Joel 2:28, 29.
nPRAXIS International
