Visions of Jesus Stir Muslim Hearts

[boulos]

Visions of Jesus Stir Muslim Hearts
By Chris Mitchell
CBN News
December 8, 2006

CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM - The Muslim call to prayer resounds through
a large part of the Earth, where more than one billion people call
themselves Muslims.

Throughout the Islamic world, many Muslims from Gaza to London are
also responding to the call to global jihad, where the goal is to
take over the world for Islam. It's a clash of civilizations with the
Christian faith in the middle.

Throughout the nearly 1,400 year history of Islam, Muslims have
resisted the Christian Gospel. Many Christians tried to reach them
with the good news, but with little success.

But according to many reports from the Middle East and around the
world, that history is changing.

"I see many, many Arabic-speaking people turning to Christ, accepting
Him as Lord and Savior,” said Nizar Shaheen, host of Light for the
Nations, a Christian program seen throughout the Muslim world. "It's
happening all over the Arab world. It's happening in North Africa.
It's happening in the Middle East. It's happening in the Gulf
countries. It's happening in Europe and Canada and the United
States-in the Arabic-speaking world. Everywhere, people are accepting
Jesus."

"What's happening nowadays in the Muslim world has never happened
before," said Father Zakaria Henein, an Egyptian Coptic priest who is
one of the foremost evangelists to the Muslim world. He says a
cross-section of Muslims are accepting Jesus Christ. "Young and old,
educated and not educated, males and females, even those who are
fanatic."

One fanatic Muslim who came to faith in Jesus Christ is Samer Achmad
Muhammed. He studied for years to become a Wahhabi sheik, one of the
most virulent forms of Islam. He hated Christians and the church, but
his heart changed when he heard the Gospel.

"I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ, Jesus forgave me for my sins,”
he said. “He gave me eternal life and peace. And the second thing, I
really suffered in my daily life, but I had peace, I had joy because
Jesus entered my heart."

Muhammed is just one of many who are coming to Jesus. Heidi Baker of
Iris Ministries sees thousands of African Muslims receiving Jesus and
getting baptized.

"It's probably the only place in the world where they are coming so
quickly,” she said. “Many people are having dreams. They see Jesus
appear to them. Probably half our pastors were leaders, imams in
Moslem mosques. They were leaders in these mosques, now they're
pastors."

Another significant evangelistic movement among Muslims links China
and Jerusalem. Chinese house churches plan to send at least 100,000
evangelists from China through many predominantly Muslim nations all
the back here to Jerusalem.

This quiet but powerful movement of itinerant evangelists is bringing
the story of Jesus Christ into the heart of the Muslim world.
Technologies like satellite television and the Internet also
penetrate the world of Islam.

But beyond technology, many say a supernatural dimension is at work
throughout the Islamic world.

"There is an end-time phenomenon that is happening through dreams and
visions," said Christine Darg, author of The Jesus Visions: Signs and
Wonders in the Muslim World. “He is going into the Muslim world and
revealing, particularly, the last 24 hours of His life - how He died
on the cross, which Islam does not teach - how He was raised from the
dead, which Islam also does not teach – and how He is the Son of God,
risen in power."

"We receive lots of letters about people who have had dreams about
the Lord, visions, even miracles,” Shaheen said. “When they watch the
program, they say yes, we had a dream or a vision, and they accept
Jesus as Lord."
But Muslims who accept Jesus face persecution, discrimination or even
death. Despite the dangers, many continue to live out their faith and
lead others to Jesus Christ.
"Jesus loves all people, Jesus changes all people and Jesus is the
One who places love and peace,” Shaheen said. “I was not like this
but Jesus changed my life and I am not scared to talk about Jesus
because praise is unto Him."
Some believe the Church's response to jihad must be a fearless
proclamation of the Gospel to Muslims. Through prayer and evangelism,
many see an unparalleled opportunity for the Gospel.
"I anticipate that very soon – perhaps within two or three years-we
are going to see the greatest harvest in history," Shaheen said.

I received it on my personal e-mail. I wanted to share it with you.