What would you do if Jesus appeared to you in a dream? What if He came to you in a vision and told you to follow Him? What if these visions continued for over thirty days? Would you believe? Would you put your trust in him? Would you devote your life to him?
Would you if you were Muslim?
“If you are concerned about the end of the world or Islamic fundamentalism or whether or not America will survive an economic collapse, this book is for you. Whatever world condition worries you most, you can take heart that Jesus remains firmly in control. As always, Jesus touches people one by one…….Islam has a visitor – Jesus has arrived.”
Eleven years ago, Pastor Tom Doyle felt God calling him to leave the pastorate and become a full-time missionary in the Middle East and Central Asia. Throughout his journey he has encountered a staggering number of Muslims who were first introduced to Jesus through a vision or dream so powerful that they eventually turned from their lifelong religion of Islam and embraced Christ as their Savior. Despite living in a culture where converting to Christianity can result in execution, these former Muslims have found hope, peace, and inspiration that comes from knowing Christ. Their stories will amaze you. Jesus is reaching out to the Muslims and they are responding. I had no idea that Iran has the fastest growing church in the world!!
Tom Doyle has extensive experience in the Middle East, but explained that when he first heard of the supernatural move of God taking place in the Middle East, he had difficulty believing the stories….but the stories kept coming... and coming. One former Islamic person after another told stories of how Jesus Himself came to them in dreams or visions which opened the door for them to become a follower of Christ. A statement made in the book that stuck in my mind was: "God showed me that my theology does not determine His actions." In Pastor Doyle’s time in ministry, he has witnessed many Muslims who had specific dreams and visions of Jesus. Despite the Muslim rule of law in many countries that says that if you convert to Christianity, death will be your end, many Muslims are pursuing Jesus after having these powerful dreams of Him. Yet, as Pastor Doyle attests, Jesus is awakening Muslim culture in powerful ways.
To assure the skeptic, Pastor Doyle makes statement that all the accounts within the book are verified: "The stories in this book are about real people I know personally or are known by my family's closest friends in the Middle East. If we couldn't verify the experience, we left it out - no Christian fairy tales here."
One of the great things about this book is that you get a glimpse of Muslim people getting glimpses of Jesus through dreams in many different countries. The book is divided by chapter, but also by country – chronicling the work of God in such countries as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria. We get a sense of the difficult situation in these Middle East countries through Pastor Doyle's description. He writes, "Because 1.5 billion Muslims look to Saudi Arabia as home base for their faith, Saudi Arabia rises to the top when it comes to "zero tolerance" toward other religions".
This book challenged me to check my preconceptions about Muslims at the door and offer prayers to God on their behalf. No, not every Muslim is a terrorist; Pastor Doyle makes an assertion that only about 10% of Muslims align themselves with extreme positions.
While some are questioning the veracity of Muslims having dream and visions are even possible, I am reminded of Scripture, specifically Joel 2:28-29:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
And also in the New Testament, specifically Acts 16:10:
"And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them."
Pastor Doyle continues, "I believe Islamic terrorism is Satan's attempt to keep the gospel message away from Muslims. The enemy thinks that if he can make the rest of us afraid of Muslims or make us hate them, then he can short-circuit Jesus' church from reaching Muslims." This statement convicted me to my core.
Scripture commands Christians to share the gospel with all peoples. The Great Commission doesn't exclude potential terrorists or extremists, doesn't give Christians an "out" for choosing fear over obedience. Christ clearly said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19-20). These ARE NOT confusing words. All means all.
Jesus also said: “Then He said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it." -Luke 9:23-24.
For the Muslim who decides to follow Jesus this is no small thing; they may very literally pay with their life.
That Jesus is directly connecting to Muslims through dreams and visions, and angelic visitations, is incredible. Pastor Doyle's thesis is clearly stated on pp. 126-127: "...a large chunk of Jesus' world has no access to Him--no Bibles, no missionaries, and no one to tell them that God wants to rescue them. That's why He's been taking the matter into His own hands...God is happy to rescue people out of the darkness by means we more conservative types find unconventional." Interestingly, Pastor Doyle points out that Islam started with Muhammad having a dream, and how dreams are respected as a means of divine revelation in the Middle East.
I was particularly moved by the story of Fatima in chapter five, about an amazingly brave Islamic poet who was beaten and killed by her own brother for becoming a follower of Christ. In some countries, the family will do the 'honor killings' to remove the shame that their loved one brought upon them. Heartbreaking what a lie and supposed “cultural customs” can do to a mind.
This book has increased my awareness of Muslim beliefs and practices, made me more compassionate, and boosted my faith by hearing the stories of how Jesus is appearing to these people today. The book also gives the Christian reader insight on what the Quran teaches about Christ, so that if you speak to a Muslim, you will know that while most believe that Jesus was a prophet, they do not understand the purpose of His martyrdom nor His Godhood. Many think Christians worship three Gods!
The author reminds us that as we encounter Muslims within our community, we should not look at them as terrorists but people that have needs and desires as we do.
We must remember that salvation is a gift, we didn't earn it and when we approach others, it should be as Christ interacted with great gentleness and humility. When we genuinely love, others sense it. Love draws people. Fear, hate and judgment always pushes away. Will we have an answer, when we stand before the Throne and are asked, "What did you do for me?"
