When faced with an all-or-nothing decision, Mezgebu chose Christ. Because of that bold move, thousands have been baptized in recent years, and God has given Mezgebu a vision to equip at least 10% of university students each year for the next 10 years in his home nation of Ethiopia. That’s 45,000 emerging leaders accelerating the spread of the Gospel!
This is Mezgebu’s story.
Rejected by the world, but found in Christ.
"You are not my son anymore." My father's words continued to sting as they replayed in my mind. “You must leave this house at once.” It was just after midnight, and there I was on the street. I was kicked out of my home, rejected by my family, and ostracized by the church I once loved. How did I get here?
Not long ago, I was studying to become a priest when the elders gave me a Bible and told me to read it. The more I read, the more I found myself asking why the teachings of our church did not match the teachings of Jesus. That's when the elders told me the Bible was one of many good books and that Jesus was one of several different ways to salvation.
But their answers did not sit well with me, so I began digging deeper into Scripture. After I spent some time searching the Bible, I became convinced Jesus was the only way to salvation. So I began boldly preaching my conviction. When the elders heard, they demanded I immediately stop preaching this doctrine or face severe consequences. I realized I had a choice:
I could either continue preaching the true Gospel at the cost of great earthly persecution, or I could stay silent at the cost of eternity for many souls.
Standing with three other friends who shared my convictions, we were removed from the denomination. I was kicked out of my home as a result and rejected by my family. Across the nation, though, we began hearing similar stories of youth accepting the truth of the Gospel. They, too, were being thrown out for their decision to proclaim Christ. Eventually, we felt led to start a new denomination, Emmanuel Church.
The Lord does powerful work through those who fully surrender to Him in bold obedience.
Dare to Ask God to show you the area of your life you can fully surrender to Him, no matter what the cost.
Until all worship,
God’s passion for His people can not be extinguished. Do you embody this same passion?