The Underground Revival in the Middle East That Might Take Down Islam
Testimonies of Former Muslims
Many Middle-Eastern Christians publicly acknowledge the fact that dreams actively facilitated them coming into a saving knowledge of Jesus. For example, Nabeel Qureshi is a former devout Muslim. He became a believer in part through a visionary experience. When recounting his conversion he writes:
“When I contrasted the evidence for Christianity against the evidence for Islam I knew that intellectually there was no comparison. So I asked God to reveal Himself to me in truth, through dreams and visions. All those things, combined with actually reading the Bible, are what drove me forward to the point of accepting Christ.”[26]
When asked about his conversion to Christianity from Islam, Pastor Naeem Fazal of Mosaic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, mentioned several things that impacted him. He pointed out things like friendship with a knowledgeable Christian as well as reading the Bible. However, it was a particular supernatural encounter that brought him into a moment of crisis. Having a visionary experience one night, Fazal had an encounter that forever shifted the course of his life.
“It looked like a figure made up with light—solid, yet transparent. It was an experience like no other. The peace I felt from this presence was so powerful, so aggressive … and [He] introduced Himself to me and said, ‘I’m Jesus; your life is not your own.’ The next morning my life changed forever.” [27]
Fazal acknowledges that he is not unique in this experience. He notes that “the majority of the [Muslim] conversion stories I hear seem to involve dreams and visions inspired by the Holy Spirit in which Christ is supernaturally revealed.“[28]
Dreams Seem to Fill in a Gap
Many are compelled to question this approach. As I already mentioned, this seems rather unorthodox, particularly within the American Evangelical context. However, dreams are unquestionably shifting awareness and opening the door for the gospel. In fact, it might be God’s way of counteracting the relative failure of Western missions in the Middle East.
Walid Shoebat agrees. He is a former PLO operative turned Christian and peace activist. Shoebat acknowledges that Jesus is compensating for the weaknesses of the Western Church. Reflecting on this, he noted the following:
“I had first doubted the countless stories of Muslims becoming Christian as a result of dreams until I met some of them and heard their testimonies. My conclusion to this phenomenon is that Christ succeeds where the church fails.”[29]
I believe that it’s time for Christians to celebrate the advancement of the gospel in some of darkest places on the globe. In this season, Jesus is doing amazing things in the midst of every tribe and tongue. We are obliged to acknowledge the beauty and wonder of the kingdom’s advancement.
Don’t be mistaken; Christ succeeds where the church fails.
“Now a word was brought to me secretly, and my ear received a whisper of it. Amid disquieting thoughts from night visions, when deep sleep falls on mortals, terror and trembling came to me, which made all my bones shake. A breath of wind was passing before my face, and the hair on my body was standing up. It stood still, but I could not recognize its appearance; a form was in front of my eyes, there was stillness, then I heard a voice saying: ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?'” (Job 4:12-17).
J.D. King is an author, speaker and director of the World Revival Network.
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[1] Audrey Lee. “Why Revival is Exploding Among Muslims.” Charisma. December 2012.
[2] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 6.
[3] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 15-16.
[4] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 5.
[5] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 3.
[6] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 13-14.
[7] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 9.
[8] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 7.
[9] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 11-12.
[10] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 7.
[11] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 14.
[12] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 15-16.
[13] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 12.
[14] Joel C. Rosenberg. Inside the Revival: Good News and Changed Hearts Since 9/11. Tyndale Publishers, 2009, 11.
[15] George Thomas. “Revival Breaks Out In Land Once Hostile To Christianity.” CBN News, April 22, 2014.
[16] Tino Qahoush quoted in George Thomas. “Revival Breaks Out In Land Once Hostile To Christianity.” CBN News, April 22, 2014.
[17] Editor. “Al-Jazeerah: 6 Million Muslims convert to Christianity in Africa each year.” Muslim Statistics, December 14, 2012. (Al-Jazeerah has since removed the interview and details).
[18] Kelly Head. “Living From His Presence.” The Voice. Christ For The Nations. March 13, 2014.
[19] Jayson Casper. “Why Christianity Is Surging In The Heart Of Islam.” Christianity Today 59:7 (September 2015): 19.
[20] Timothy C. Morgan; “Why Muslims Are Becoming the Best Evangelists: Missiologist Dave Garrison documents global surge in Muslims leading Muslims to Christ. He calls it, ‘Unprecedented;'” Christianity Today; April 22, 2014.
[21] Tom Doyle with Greg Webster. Dreams and Visions. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2012. 12-13.
[22] Url Scaramanga. “John Piper ‘Suspicious’ Of Muslim Dreams Of Jesus: Does the gospel only advance through human ‘preachers,’ or might God use other methods?” Leadership Journal. November 2, 2011.
[23] Georges Houssney; Factors leading to conversion of Muslims to Christ; Biblical Missiology; April 8, 2013.
[24] Tom Doyle with Greg Webster. Dreams and Visions. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2012. 126-127.
[25] Nabeel Qureshi quoted in Daniel Darling. “Friday Five Interview: Nabeel Qureshi: A faithful Muslim finds his way to Jesus.” Leadership Journal. February 14, 2014.
[26] Naeem Fazal quoted in Audrey Lee. “Why Revival is Exploding Among Muslims.” Charisma. December 2012.
[27] Editor. “Muslims Next Door: What to do, and not do, when reaching out to Muslims: An interview with Naeem Fazal.” Leadership Journal. September 2009.
[28] Daniel Darling. “Friday Five Interview: Nabeel Qureshi: A faithful Muslim finds his way to Jesus.” Leadership Journal. February 14, 2014.
[29] Walid Shoebat quoted in Michael Carl. “Visions Of Jesus Appearing To Muslims: Middle East evangelists report nagging dreams leading to conversions.” World News Daily. February 9, 2013.
