Posted on 10/22/2001 11:01:34 PM PDT by ocean
The director who leads Campus Crusade for Christ's
work in the Middle East and the Muslim nations of Northern Africa oversees
a radio program that is being broadcast to the entire region.
He is reporting an astounding phenomenon.
"His office has received thousands of letters from
Muslims," says Bright. "Many tell of a dream they had: `I saw Jesus. He declared to me "I am the way."
Moved by this compelling dream, they are writing the Campus Crusade's Middle East office
to find out just who Jesus is. Once they know, they
freely respond.
"In Algeria, a number of people discovered they had the
very same dream. They began to talk with one another
and discovered each had experienced the same
dream. The details were the same, and even the words Jesus said to them were the same.
On their own, they have formed a Bible study and are following Christ.
"A fanatical Muslim woman had spent four years in
prison for her political activities. While there, Jesus
appeared to her in her cell. He personally explained
redemption and the gospel. She is now on the Campus Crusade
staff, totally sold out to reaching her Muslim people for her Savior."
Bright continues: "I could tell you other
stories--miraculous, incredible stories of visions.
Muslims are seeing the risen Christ. Can there be
any doubt? Our great, wonderful Lord is calling
the Muslim world to himself. Praise his holy name."
"Perhaps you already know that Islamic theology has
no place for forgiveness. Islam is primarily law, legalism,
punishment, death, and vengeance," writes Bright.
"That is why they are stunned, even troubled for days,
after they view the `Jesus' film. When they learn of Jesus' life of love and
forgiveness they are drawn to him.
"The concepts in the film are so foreign that sometimes
Muslims ask to see `Jesus' two and three times before they
grasp what it means. Amazingly, they readily accept
his miracles as historical fact and are deeply impressed.
But they are moved most by his forgiveness,
that he willingly carried his cross for them, and then
died on it, taking upon himself his father's
`vengeance'...for their sins. For them, it is truly a
revolutionary concept.
"And, when given the chance to freely respond, without
fear of retribution from Muslim zealots, there have been i
nstances when all those in the audience indicated that
they wanted to receive and follow Christ.
"Clearly, God's Spirit is moving. In these `Last Days,'
before his return, Jesus is building the Bride of Christ, his
Church, by drawing from the very heart of the Muslim world,
from among the most unreached people in all the world.
"Many consider Muslims to be the most `Unreached' people of the world. Until now, they have been deeply resistant. Yes, most still are. But, for those whom God
has touched, in whom he has placed a desire to find the truth...they will respond if only we can get the message to them.
"Second Peter 3:9 reminds us that God is eager to bring millions to himself among the
Kurds as well as among the people in Iraq, Pakistan, Muslim republics of the former U.S.S.R., Sudan,
Indonesia, India, and in other Muslim nations."
Dramatic Answers to Prayer
A Muslim Priest
The Wagners tell a story of a Muslim priest "who hated Christians and
decided to destroy a Christian church and see the believers scattered. He figured the best way for him to do this
would be to burn down the church one night. He was successful in his project and the
church and everything in it was totally destroyed.
"He celebrated his victory by walking through the ashes a short time later.
He saw but one thing that remained--a single page from the Bible. Curious, he picked it up and read,
`Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
"The priest decided he must read more of the Bible, so he bought one and began to
read it. Soon he began to preach from it as well as the Koran in his mosque.
He decided to become a follower of Jesus.
He was soon thrown into prison and served a prison sentence because of his new-found faith. When he finished his jail sentence, he became a Christian pastor and continues to proclaim Christ."
This story reminds one of the Scripture: "So shall my word be that goes forth from
my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please. And it shall prosper in
the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).
Spontaneous Conversion
John Robb of World Vision and the AD 2000 Unreached Peoples Track reports: "A series of `spontaneous
conversions' have been occurring in the countryside as a result of dreams and visions of Chris
t given to Cambodian villagers. In one village a medium saw a vision of
Jesus coming with jet planes in the sky. Very soon after, a Cambodian pastor came to her village at the time that a
Buddhist family was holding a funeral in the Buddhist pagoda. The pastor decided to attend the funeral and
was bold to preach God's Word to them in the pagoda. The medium responded to
the message because of the vision of Jesus she had already seen. She received deliverance from the demons
which had been possessing her. Her entire family became
Christians and they have planted a church in their village. Please keep Cambodia
, its people, and the Christians there in your prayers."
God works with each soul. People who may seem to have come to Christ in a short time have probably been nursing doubts for quite awhile. The opportunity arises for God to act and He does. Same thing happened to Paul.
While I abhor peace nicks making a mockery of Christian peacefulness by asking us to be human shields against terrorists, I do admire the ones who are capable to think otherwise than what they are told to think - or previously enjoyed thinking. There is a marked difference between peaceful consciousness with a genuine authority defying independent loving thinking for the weak at the risk of one's life, and caving in to evil powers for pretentious sakes of "peace" hidding the cowardice of those who would not lift a finger to show nor demonstrate love to the weak.
I tend to want to believe those accounts of miraculous visions and defying faiths, because they are much more genuine - oriented toward the weak and not power, and run at the risk of one's life, truly self demonstrated. This may close a loop of questions surrounding the question of true faith. After all, the key to teach us the independent thinking - that is key in itself to motivating us to escape Egyptian slavery - is by throwing us into a world of evil and showing the stubborness and resilience of a thinking independent from earthly powers.
Science would indicate that to keep alive and thinking one would have to follow the rules of thinking and behaving prescribed by the state. However, this is a point where science fails as a matter of fact, because how can independent thinking be adopted in brainwashed and studied prescribed behaviors.
This is where the leap of faith takes precedence over everything else. One makes the bet or, better yet, has a vision and the faith that defying all odds will lead to salvation and a good life. It is truly amazing how good forces us to ultimately attempt to break the rules, but not only the rules of the state, but the rules of nature and science in general.
How can one explain that to the elite which depends heavily on "logical" deductions to create policies? No wonder we keep caving in to Chinese and Russian aggression lately. Yet, strength of character and defiance of those powers is so much within our reach. I just hope that Bush will show some character sooner rather than later, that he will see the folly of a "respected" but dark path. Frankly, it is not for my own sake, but merely for his own sake.
Interesting: this what we are praying for, and once again, God is indeed able to do more than we can ask or imagine -- as is promised. May we never forget that as we continue this hard road.
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