When we think of evangelism and missions, we often expect instantaneous results. The parable of the soils (Matt. 13:1-9) not only indicates the variety of responses to the word Jesus sows in His preaching; it also forces us to think of the patience of the farmer. The farmer prepares the ground, sows seed, waters the seed, and then he patiently waits for a crop. Producing a crop does not happen instantaneously. It is a process that occurs over time. Winning Muslims for Jesus Christ requires such patience.

A believer of this monotheistic religion is one who submits himself to Allah (Arabic for God). Besides the five pillars of Islam (recitation of the Muslim creed, ritual prayer five times each day, giving of alms to the needy, fasting during Ramadan, and making the pilgrimage to Mecca), pious Muslims follow a code of ethical conduct that encourages generosity, fairness, chastity, honesty, and respect. Murder, cruelty, adultery, gambling, and usury are considered contrary to Islamic practice. Piety ensures a Muslim entrance into paradise.

In a country with a evangelical Christian majority, there is a great deal of work to be done for our Lord. Yet with the evangelistic appearances of Elgin and Dorothy Taylor and not to mention other missionaries, the ground has been prepared. Seeds have been sown, and others have been watering them. Some responses may call to mind the bad soils in Matthew 13, but let us pray for a good harvest. The Apostle Paul taught that the gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). There are no walls it cannot penetrate, no borders it cannot cross, no ideas it cannot demolish, and no heart so hard it cannot soften, if God so wills it. The church can breach the very gates of hell in the power of Christ’s gospel.