I discovered the guest speaker for Brisbane while surfing the web.  I came across the One Voice Conference and one of the speakers caught my eye as her promo said she was a Moslem who had converted to Christianity.

Not only that but she was an ESL teacher in a state high school in Queensland!

I followed through on contacting Abida Francois and was thrilled when she too felt it was a divine appointment.  Abida has also agreed to speak at the conference in September!

Abida’s dramatic testimony was central to her address to the teachers.

After living as a Moslem for 20 years, Abida found out that Jesus Christ had died for everyone, not just for white people.  Even after completing a double degree and working as a teacher, Abida did not know that Jesus Christ had died for the whole world.  No one had told her!

Abida encouraged Christians to tell others the Good News of the gospel. (Isaiah 61:1)

So after 20years of praying to Allah, Abida put a challenge to Allah and asked him to respond to her within 2 minutes.  Since Allah did not respond, Abida gave the same challenge to Jesus Christ and HE APPEARED!  He touched her shoulders and said “YES, MY child I am real, what else do you want?”

Abida’s response was “This is enough!  JESUS I give my life to You.”

Abida made the point that Christians have not adequately explained the mission and love of Jesus.  Moslems only pray for their immediate family and those whom they know.  Abida did not understand that Christians pray and therefore have love for people who they don’t know.

• We must let the grace and mercy that God shows us flow onto others.
• We should not judge but rather see Jesus in others, particularly in the Body of Christ.
• It is a privilege for us to carry the Name of Jesus!

Sometimes we start to look at our own weaknesses and failings and forget who we are in Christ.  We forget that the Spirit of the Lord is upon us.

• The Holy Spirit leads and directs us to who needs to hear about Jesus.

Abida has mercy and compassion for all those who are lost, all those who are sincerely following the wrong god, and being deceived.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon us to open blind eyes!

Abida encouraged us to accept challenges and trials as part of the Christian life.

She encouraged us not to be ashamed of sufferings and challenges.

Within a week of accepting Jesus as her Saviour she was challenged.

Her husband asked her to choose between him and their children or Jesus.

Abida chose Jesus.

Jesus released the children to go with her.

All her belongings from those 7 years in her marriage could be packed into 2 suitcases.

Easy to Praise God when you have family, house, food in the fridge and money in the bank… but what if all that was taken away…  would you still Praise God?

The reality of life is that we all go through trials.

The Lord uses challenges to transform us into the image of Jesus.

No good talking about forgiving your enemies if you can’t walk in love.

We must practice what we preach.

How committed are we to live for Jesus?

The day we become a Christian is the day we are called to be a witness.

There will not be a special anointing service to set us apart to witness, but rather the desire to share the gospel is imparted by the Holy Spirit on the day of our salvation.

We need to feel the burden for the lost.

Are we too caught up doing our own thing?

Our job should not be a burden.

How many Christian teachers can actually say they look forward to Monday morning?

On Monday morning Abida is thanking the Lord for the opportunities that will come her way for witnessing.

Which teacher, which student needs Jesus?

The harvest field for Christian teachers is the whole school.

Each day Abida says, “Lord, use me today.”

Be observant at school.
Look out for the ones who look distressed and upset.
Ask them if they are OK.

Don’t be so busy running from the photo copier to the classroom that you have not time for staff members or students.

Jesus came to seek and to save.

Have time to say hello and connect with school community.

Have an outward focus at school.

The spirit of the Lord is upon us to set the captives free.  Have the eyes of Jesus.

One of the reasons why we don’t speak out is because we are afraid of what people will think.

Either obey the Lord or HE will use someone else.

The Holy Spirit instructed Abida to ask the principal of her state high school if they could have a God awareness week.

Abida was nervous but she did obey the Lord and the principal agreed!

Abida and others organised Christian speakers to address the students during lunchtimes. It was a very successful programme.

Satan tries to silence us from sharing the gospel.

With passion Abida said society is putting energy into saving everything on the planet except LIVES!

Our focus must be people.

You don’t need people to teach you everything.

You have the Holy Spirit to teach you.

Make a commitment to pray for the students in your care.

Trust the Holy Spirit to guide you.

1 John 2:27 says:
As for you the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you.  But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in Him.

Abida prays before she enters the classroom.

When Christian teachers are ANOINTED by the Holy Spirit, teaching is an ENJOYABLE JOURNEY!