Popstar Pastor

Julius had fought his calling most of his life until an earthquake awakened his compassion for others.

Being born into a Christian family is one thing. But when you’re a believer and you also live in a Muslim country, you know you’re going to need God’s hand on your life.

Take Julius for example. He was born and raised in Pakistan, an overwhelmingly Muslim country. In fact, nearly 96% of the 2.25 million people practice Islam. Only 0.6% of the population is evangelical.

So as a Christian, he often felt different and out of place. On top of that, Julius wanted to sing for a living and become a famous popstar. His parents, however, weren’t exactly crazy about that idea.

“My father was a pastor, a theologian, and principal of the Bible college. They wanted me to become a pastor. As a good Pakistani boy, I didn’t oppose my parents, but I wasn’t sure whether it was my calling.”

Caught between his desires and his family’s wishes, Julius surrendered his will and began to follow in his father’s footsteps.  He became an ordained pastor in 1990 through Gujranwala Theological Seminary and served in rural villages. He was content with his quiet, simple life, but when a deadly earthquake hit the area 15 years later causing unbelievable devastation, he was shaken out of his doldrums.

Overnight, over 80,000 people were dead and at least four million people became homeless. Whole sections of towns slid off cliffs; entire families were killed. To make matters worse, landslides wiped out many of the roads to the affected areas, making it difficult for relief workers to access hard-hit areas.

As Julius witnessed the devastation, he couldn’t help but think about the plight of the people. “In our area, hundreds of people died and only seven were alive. None of the survivors were believers in Christ, but all had thankfulness toward God.” Julius was humbled by the power of nature and the fragility of life. His awe became an amplifier for the call of God.

“I prayed and cried to the Lord for forgiveness and gratitude. I promised God and myself that I would work for Him and for His people. That was my calling — at the right place and the right time.”

Julius went with his church to help in areas devastated by the earthquake. And when he returned, God sent him into other areas to help build churches. With the help of friends, he has built three churches in his Muslim nation!

Julius feels confident he’s living in his God-given calling and understands why the Lord gave him his love of music.

“Gospel music, audio, and video are my passions. I see that I can use my dreams to spread the message of Jesus Christ and His love through Christian programmers in this Islamic country. I love to encourage young Christians by supporting their Gospel music ambitions. I prayed to God to show me a way I can do His work better. I opened the internet and found Inspiration Ministries. God shows the way, and He guided me to you.”

What God did for Julius, He can do for YOU! Visit inspiration.org/souls today to sow a seed for souls or send your prayer request to our International Prayer Center at inspiration.org/prayer.

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