Moslem To Christian (Walid - Israel)

My name is Walid. I was born in Bethlehem, Israel. On the day that I was born it was one of the holiest days to Islam, the birthday of the Muslim prophet Mohammad (Al-Mauled Al-Nabawi). This was an honor to my father. For that, he named me Walid which relates to the Arabic word (Mauled) and in English (The Birth) to always remember the birthday of the Muslim prophet.

My father was a Palestinian Muslim who taught English and Islamic studies in the Holy Land. My mother was an American who married my father during his studies in the United States in the year of 1956.

Fearing the impact of the American way of life for their two children and while my mother was pregnant with me, my parents left to live in Israel in 1960 which was called Jordan at that time. When they arrived to Bethlehem I was born. As my father changed jobs, we moved to Saudi Arabia, then back to the Holy Land -- this time, to the lowest place on earth, Jericho.

I can not forget the first song I learned in school just before the Six Day War titled "Arabs Our Beloved and Jews Our Dogs." I used to wonder at that time who the Jews were but with the rest of the kids, I repeated the words without any knowledge of their meaning.

As I grew up in the Holy Land, I lived through several battles between the Arabs and the Jews. The first battle (while we lived in Jericho) was the Six Day War when the Jews captured old Jerusalem and the rest of Palestine. This was a great disappointment to Arabs and Muslims worldwide.

The American Council in Jerusalem came just before the war to evacuate all the Americans in the area. Since my mother was an American, they offered us assistance but my father refused and turned them down because he loved his country. I still remember many things during the war -- the noise of the bombing and shelling that went on day and night for six days, the looting of stores and houses by the Arabs in Jericho and people running to cross the Jordan River from fear of the Israelis.

The war was called the Six Day War because it was won in six days and on the seventh day a Rabbi by the name of Goren blew the ram's horn on the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem declaring the victory. Many Jews claim that this was a parallel to Joshua when he went around the walls of Jericho six times, then on the seventh day seven times, and on that day the priests blew the trumpets and everyone shouted with one voice and took the city. To my father in Jericho, it seemed that the walls had crumbled on him. During the war he was always listening to the Jordanian radio station. He used to say that the Arabs were winning the war, but he was listening to the wrong station. The Israeli station was announcing the truth of their soon coming victory. Instead my father chose to believe the Arabs who claimed that the Israelis were promoting propaganda.

Later on, we moved back to Bethlehem and my father enrolled us in an Anglican-Lutheran school as they had a better English course. My brother, sister and I were the only Muslims in the school. Being half Americans, teachers would beat us and students would laugh at us. When the Bible class started, I would leave the class and remained outside waiting. One day, I walked in the Bible class and the class 'bully' stood up to fight. He shouted, "We don't want this half American and Muslim to be here!" I refused to get out and the lady who was teaching the class asked me to sit down. Since then, I changed the school's policy and for the first time, the school allowed a Muslim to study the Bible. For the next three years, I studied it despite all the mocking.

Later, my father transferred me to the Government school where I grew in the faith of Islam. I was fed the idea that one day, a fulfillment of an ancient prophecy by the Muslim prophet Mohammed would come to pass. This prophecy foretold a battle in which the Holy Land would be recaptured and the elimination of the Jews would take place in a massive slaughter.

This prophecy in fact is documented in Mohammed's Book of Traditions which states the following:

"The day of judgment shall not come to pass until a tribe of Muslims defeat a tribe of Jews." (Narrated by Abu Hurairah, Sahih Muslim, Hadith #6985; Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, #177)

When Mohammed was asked of the place this would take place, he said:

"In Jerusalem and the surrounding nations."

During my youth, like my father, I was always tuned to Islam and what our Muslim teachers taught. Believing in Muhammad's prophecy, I offered my life to 'Jihad' or 'Holy War' as the only means to obtain either victory or martyrdom. In Islam martyrdom is the only way you can ensure salvation and enter into heaven -- especially since Allah and his prophet Mohammed promised it. As the Quran states it:

"Do not think of whom are killed for the cause of Allah (in a Holy War), to be dead but living with their Lord receiving his blessing". -- Sura: The Family of 'Imran ('Al-'Imran, verse 169)

During school riots against what we called the Israeli occupation, I would prepare speeches, slogans, and write anti-Israeli graffiti in an effort to provoke students to throw rocks at the armed Israeli soldiers. We shouted, "No peace or negotiations with the enemy! Our blood and our souls we sacrifice to Arafat! Our blood and our souls we sacrifice to Palestine!" and "Death to the Zionists!"

I vowed to fight my Jewish enemy believing that I was doing God's will on earth. I remained true to my word as I participated in many riots against the Israeli army, always trying to inflict harm to them by all means and methods I could devise. I would start and participate in any riot I could initiate: in schools, streets, and even on the holiest place (the Temple mount site) in Jerusalem called by Arabs (Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa). All through high school I would always be one of the first to provoke a riot.

Many others got involved in terror tactics against the Jews using bombs and armed assaults on Jews in an attempt to force them to leave Israel. But they never could pluck them out.

Nothing could change my heart, I could only die or a miracle needed to happen. The simplest way to describe myself is that I was one of those one would view on CNN throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails in the days of the Intifada or 'The Uprising'. I was one of these who Jews would call a terrorist. The interesting thing is that I was not only terrorizing but I was terrorized by my beliefs which required me to gain enough merit and good deeds to go to heaven. But I never was sure if my good deeds would outweigh my bad deeds in the scale when I would be judged by God. Of course to die fighting the Jews would ease Allah's anger towards my sin and I would then be secured a good spot in heaven with beautiful wide-eyed women to fulfill my most intimate desires. Either way, I won and terror was the only way.

I remember one time in Bethlehem all viewers clapped their hands with joy in a jam packed theater watching the movie, "21 Days in Munich". The moment we saw the Palestinians throwing grenades into the helicopter killing the Israeli athletes, hundreds of viewers yelled, "Allahu akbar!" (Allah is the greatest). This is the slogan of joy used by Muslims for victorious events.

I remember students used to ask the teacher during our Islamic studies in Bethlehem High School if it was permitted for Muslims to rape the Jewish women after we defeated them. His response was, "The women captured in battle have no choice in this matter, they are concubines and they need to obey their masters, having sex with slave captives is not a ‘matter of choice for slaves’". This in fact was written in the Koran, for it says:

"Forbidden to you also are married women, except those who are in your hand as slaves, this is the law of Allah for you." -- Sura: The Women (al-Nisa, verse 24)

And in a different verse the Koran says:

"O prophet; we allowed thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowries, and the slaves whom thy right hand possesseth out of the booty which Allah hath granted thee, and the daughters of thy uncle, and of thy maternal aunt, who fled with thee to Medina, and any believing woman who hath given herself up to the prophet, if the prophet desired to wed her, a privilege to thee above the rest of the faithful". -- Sura: Confederates (al-Ahzab, verse 50)

We had no problem with Mohammed taking advantage of this privilege as he married 14 wives for himself and several slave girls from the booty he collected as a result of his victorious battles. We really never knew how many wives he had and that question was always a debatable issue to us. One of these wives was taken from his own adopted son Zaid, as Allah declared that she was given to the prophet while others were Jewish captives forced into slavery after Mohammed beheaded their husbands and families.

In an attempt to change the hearts of Palestinians, the Israeli TV station would show Holocaust documentaries. I would sit and watch cheering the Germans while I chewed on food. It was impossible for me to change my mind or heart concerning Jews, only a "heart transplant" would do that job.

They once took our school for a week to a Jewish camp on the coast of Eshdod to mingle us with other Jewish schools. That didn't work. On the contrary, every teacher who spoke to a Jew was mocked.

My mother on the other hand tried to teach me a different idea at home that she called God's plan. She spoke to me about Bible prophecy; she said that the return of the Jews was pre-planned by God and had been fulfilled. This, to her, was Gods miracle in our generation for the world to see that "His will shall be done."

She also told me about many future events to be fulfilled in our generation which is surfacing every day now. She told me of false Messiahs and counterfeits; but all that had little effect for my heart was set on fighting against the Jews.

My mother was influenced by an American Missionary couple who she asked secretly to baptize her. When she refused to be baptized in a pond full of green algae, the missionary priest had to plead to the YMCA in Jerusalem to clear the pool of men, and my mother was then baptized. No one from our family knew.

Many times my mother would take me on trips to several museums in Israel and I fell in love with archeology. I was fascinated with it. In my many arguments with her, I would bluntly tell her that the Jews and Christians had corrupted the Bible. She responded by taking me to the Scroll Museum in Jerusalem and showed me the scroll of Isaiah, still intact. There was no one taking pictures of any Biblical errors to prove of any corruption and I could not respond to my mother.

I remember when I still tormented my mother by calling her an "infidel" and a damned American Imperialist who claimed that Jesus was the Son of God. I'd show her the pictures in the newspaper of all the teenagers supposedly martyred as a result of violence demanding that she answer. I hated her and always asked my father to divorce her and remarry a good Muslim woman.

I would even pose with a grim and sad face for the school picture as if I knew that my turn to be in the paper as a martyr would be next. Many times I risked being killed during youth protests and clashes with the Israeli Army.

I lived in Israel during the Six Day War, the PLO resistance, the Jordanian Black September civil war, the bloody wars in Lebanon, and the war of Yom Kippur. With no hope to destroy Israel and all these losses, we still hoped for that one victory since that is all it would take to destroy them.

My parents worried a lot about me as I got thrown in prison by the Israeli Army. My mother went to the American Council in Jerusalem to try to get me out. She was so stressed her hair started to fall out. In jail, I learned more about the art of terrorism and when I got out, I was more fanatical than before.

When I graduated from high school, my parents sent me to the United States to seek a higher education. Of course I got involved with many anti-Israeli social and political events. I still remember my favorite sick joke I used to like to tell my friends, that I hated Hitler very much because he never got the job done, that is: he never finished the Jewish problem "once and for all".

With Hitler being my idol, and Mohammed my prophet, I went on with my life with little regard for Jews, Christians, or anyone who was not a Muslim. I believed that one day the whole world would submit to Islam and that the whole world owed the Palestinians for their losses in all the battles with Israel. I also believed that Jews were prophet-killers and that they had corrupted the Scriptures to serve their evil desires. This is what Muslims teach. They also teach that Mohammed is our only redeemer and God's favored prophet.

As I lived in America, I could not forget the hundreds of thousands of Muslims who died just in the last 20 years in Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Afghanistan and in every single Muslim nation. I had to get revenge for them and someone had to pay the price. Of course there was no question in my mind that the Jews had to pay the penalty, somehow we always managed to twist things together and make it their fault.

One day I fought with a man and struck his eye blind, I was so happy to learn that the man was a Jew.

I was fascinated with Islamic history and I learned that the Islamic prophet Mohammed extradited a Jewish tribe from Saudi Arabia and ordered the beheading of all the men from another tribe. The women were taken as concubines. I used to believe, as Islam taught, that only a Caliph (Islamic ruler) could rule the world. Islam is not a religion for one's personal and moral life, but a system of law and government to the whole world. If not achieved through peaceful means, it would have to wage war against all who did not submit to Islam. With one billion Muslims living today, I believed that it could happen.

I'll be honest, all my life, I was terrified every time I read the Koran, as, after every other verse, there was always threats of hell fire for this sin and that. All I wanted was to reach out to my Maker to say I am sorry, forgive me, give me another chance. But I failed to keep count of all my sins and my good deeds and I was sure that at the end, my sins would outweigh my good deeds. So, I lived my sinful life depending on the love and mercy of my Maker. I always wondered about my destiny. Lost in my fears and doubts, I really hated the idea of killing for my salvation and, in reality; I never had the heart to kill a rat! How then could I kill a Jew!

Sometime in 1992, I was fascinated when I read a book titled "Armageddon, Appointment with Destiny", by Grant Jeffrey. Some of the things explained in this book had many detailed prophecies about Jesus: his birth, life, death and resurrection and the re-creation of the state of Israel. Many of these prophecies came to pass just as God put them down in the Bible! What also amazed me was to find out that the chances for a man to predict hundreds of historic events written hundreds and thousands of years before their occurrences are one in zillions. What is more fascinating is that the margin of error had to be zero, especially when the fulfillment of many of these prophecies was happening in my generation. This kind of evidence had to come from a divine origin that origin had to be God Almighty.

The struggle began. I was puzzled. How could the Bible be a fake and corrupted by the Jews if the land I grew up in, spoke and cried out as thousands of pieces of archeological evidence surfaced from the land of Israel confirming the Bible? The book of Isaiah, discovered in the Qumran caves, was found by a Muslim from the town next to Bethlehem by the name of Muhammad Deib while looking for a lost sheep. From that discovery, they found the rest of the Old Testament which matched the Old Testament Bible in our hands today. It contained hundreds of verses predicting the coming of Jesus Christ.

I had to read the Bible to know who Jesus really was, to find out for myself. God finally led me to get to the bottom line as I started reading what Jesus said:

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, who was and is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

Christ also said to the Jews:

"Truly, truly I say to you; before Abraham was born I AM (God)." John 8:58

It amazed me to find similar claims between Jesus and Mohammed. These claims were serious, as Mohammed said:

"I am the beginning of all creation and the last prophet."

He also said:

"I was a prophet of Allah while Adam was still being molded in clay."

Moreover, he claimed to be the intercessor for Muslims in the Day of Judgment, by all of these, claiming to be the world's last and final prophet and savior.

These things always puzzled me. If Mohammed claimed all that he claimed, than who was Jesus who claimed to be our Redeemer and Savior? That question troubled me a great deal. One of the two claims had to be a lie, if there were two redeemers; this would be association with God since God is the only Redeemer.

Christ or Mohammed had to be the Redeemer and Intercessor for mankind. The Bible or the Koran had to be correct. One of them was pure gold and the other had to be a fake, but which one...?

Vowing to make a decision for "The Truth", I stayed up late many nights comparing many details between the Koran and the Bible. At some point during my study, I prayed saying: "GOD, you are the Creator of heaven and earth, the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jacob, you are the beginning and the end, you are 'The Truth', 'the only Truth', the Maker of the true Scripture, the one and only word of God. I suffer to find your truth, I want to do your will in my life, I long for your love and in the name of 'The Truth' I ask. AMEN!!!"

I wanted real gold and would not settle for an imitation. I had to scratch very hard to look beyond the surface of the world's plastic religions.

I believed in the Koran as the word of God because it had modern scientific laws and only a book with a divine origin could have scientific facts written a thousand years before their discovery. I spent a month using a computer program searching for scientific clues in the Bible. Every verse in the Koran that was a scientific miracle that led me and millions of Muslims to believe in the Koran was already in the Bible. Many stories in the Koran had serious errors and with my knowledge of history and archeology, I knew that the Koran had serious faults.

With many of these discoveries, my claim that the Koran was a miracle was in question. The Bible had all of its miracles hundreds and thousands of years before. My foundation shook and I felt the sinking sand under me. Even the nations mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 38, whom God would destroy -- most of them were Muslim nations growing towards Islamic Fundamentalism today.

What also helped me was that God led me to discover, through my study of the Bible, hundreds of detailed and unique verses concerning prophecies fulfilled to the letter. No man has ever presented such detailed predictions of future events without having more errors than truth. God is the only one that holds the key to future events and only the Bible has the key, not the Koran which lacks those most important elements of "Salvation and Redemption". I knew at that moment I would have to be a fool knowing all of this and continuing worshipping a different God than the God of the Bible. I really thought with my prayer, that God will lead me to the Koran, but that was not the case with me. In fact it was the other way around, I had to give up my pride and be open-minded to truth.

God said in the Bible:

"For I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things are not yet done, saying: My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure." Isaiah 46:9-10

God not only foretold future events, but declared them and brought them to pass, unlike the Koran which simply used terror tactics to conform Muslims to believe. Since I did not believe that the Bible was corrupted, I spent many days searching the Bible for Mohammad, as he claimed to be in it, but never found him. If the Bible had been corrupted it had to have happened after the prophet Mohammed since the Koran always addressed the Bible that was 'between his hands' at his time. From that time until now Muslims have failed to provide one single Bible from the face of the earth to prove the corruption, and not one historical or archeological evidence has been discovered to disprove the Bible.

Even the death of that Muslim prophet was different than the death of Jesus, as Mohammed died on the lap of his favorite wife, Aisha, while Jesus died on the cross in order to redeem man's sins.

I felt sad that hundreds of millions of Muslims today live without ever hearing or being challenged with this kind of evidence.

It was astonishing to me to find that Muslims and the rest of the world recognized three main religions that worship God even though God said that He is One and his Word is One.

I was blind, but with the Bible only, I began to see -- I mean really SEE!!! With so much Biblical prophecy fulfilled showing the return of Israel from the grave and the attitudes of Muslims and the world towards Jews, the end time is near.

Man has never changed. He still kills his brother as Cain killed his brother Abel. The only difference is that we don't behead and stab each other in battles as much as we used to. We simply wage chemical warfare to exterminate each other like bugs as human life is becoming less and less valuable. I began to see that sin was the source of all man's problems and that the Devil was man's worst enemy, not the Jews, of whom Hitler exterminated 6 million less than 50 years ago. Ironically today, there is tons of literature being sold denying the incident even occurred. I wondered what would happen if a Hitler or a Mehdi or an Islamic Khalifa (Caliph) came to power and has what we have today: all these nuclear bombs capable of destroying earth seven times over. God led me to look at the world that I live in and ask myself if the world today so foolishly denies the Jewish Holocaust despite all the evidence we have, why should I still wonder why most of the world today denies the Messianic claim of Christ and the accuracy of the Bible -- especially when the evidence is all around.

God opened my heart and mind and led me to see how people today deny all the proofs He has provided for us in His Word, adapting themselves to false forms of worship.

The Lord began to show me the satanic influences which affected my way of thinking. Regardless of my Islamic background, I used to think these influences were from God.

I was led to a new view of the world and the meaning of life and saw the need for salvation. Today, we all can see man's goal for a world government waiting for the Devil to be the king!

"Babylon" is being revived from the grave to unite the world one more time; we have only changed its name to "The New World Order" when it should be called "The New Babylon". I started reading the Bible and began to wonder why Zechariah prophesied:

"For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem, the city shall be rifled, and the women ravished." -- Zechariah 14:2

In Islam I was taught that the second coming of the Messiah was in Islamic prophecy. He was portrayed as the one to break the cross and kill the pig, another setup for Muslims to follow the "false" messiah, the Mehdi, the coming Antiochos Epiphinias.

Contrary to Mohammed's prophecy, the Bible prepares its readers that the outcome of the siege in the time of Jacob's trouble will not be the total annihilation of the Jews but that Christ himself will descend on the Mount of Olives for judgment as He fights the enemies of Israel. Unfortunately, it will be too late for repentance and redemption for non-believers.

The saddest part is that hatred towards Jews is not an old out-moded idea from the far past. Millions of Muslims today have the same sick idea that one day they will do the same to all Jews in the Holy Land as Mohammed did to the Jews in Saudi Arabia.

In fact, the permission to kill Jews and Christians and to take their wives as concubines was engraved in the Islamic "Holy Koran" and is the main cause for the hatred of Jews by Muslims to this very day.

The word "Truth" was stuck in my heart day and night, pounding on my soul as I continued to compare the two books and to finally conclude that the Bible could be proven beyond any shadow of a doubt to be true gold. Not only by hundreds of ancient prophecies that came to pass, but by one ancient word created by God from the time of Jacob until our generation. For all who doubt, that word was and still is 'Israel'.

Israel's existence today, and the re-gathering of the Jews from ALL parts of the world is an irrefutable proof that the Holy Bible is the true Word of God. God scattered them throughout the whole world and then re-gathered them again from ALL nations back to their original land in fulfillment of His promises in the far past, until our present, for He said:

"I will gather you from ALL the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive." -- Jeremiah 29:14

The true God has never changed, He is still the same. I also learned that my enemy, the Jews, were chosen by God to write God's Word and God's plan for salvation through Jesus the Messiah, the only Messiah and Redeemer for man. I also learned that Jesus, the man from my hometown, was a Jew and that even my hometown was Jewish 'Beth-Lechem', which means 'Home of the Bread', as He said:

"I am the Bread of Life, he who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." -- John 6:35.

Beth-Lechem was given its name before Jesus came to this world. Jesus was from the people of my enemy, the Jews. Yet, He died for my sin. I had never heard of an enemy who died for another enemy and loved him so much that he allowed Himself to be beaten, spat on, mocked and finally crucified. Would your enemy die for you? Yet He said:

"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." -- Matthew 5:44.

The Truth was in front of my very eyes, knocking constantly on my heart, and wanting to come in. I called on The Truth and He answered, I was blind and sought the truth, and now I see. He knocked on my door and I opened, and now had set me free! Christ said:

"I am The Way, The Truth and The Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me." -- John 14:6

My way of thinking, my feelings, and my goals in life began to change. I began to feel for the Jewish people. All the hatred left me. The desire to see them hurt was no more a thing in my life. Now, I hurt for them and pray peace for Jerusalem continually. Instead of laughing at images of the Holocaust on TV, I weep for them. I am even ready to give my own life for them, as did my Lord. I say it despite the outpouring of hate that could come from my own fellow Arabs and Muslims.

Yes, I say it to the whole world, I love Jews. I love them because of their Messiah. I love them because they brought Light to the world and through them came the Light and the Truth and for that I love Jews. I no longer despise them and I know from the Bible that the Jews are God's chosen people to give light to Arabs and to the whole world if we only allow them. For God made them a blessing to the world and we need to love and support them as God said to Abraham:

"I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." -- Genesis 12:2

Knowing the truth transferred my way of thinking from believing in Hitler to believing in Christ, from believing lies to knowing the truth, from being spiritually sick to being healed, from living in darkness to seeing the light, from being damned to being saved, from doubt to faith, from hate to love, and from evil works to God's grace through Christ. This transformation taught me that without the (true) word of God, things could look good on the surface but in the core lies deception. I accepted Jesus the Messiah who died for all of our sins as my Lord and Savior; to Him I submit.

Jesus said:

"Come to me all you labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." -- Matthew 11:28

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for fulfilling your promise.

If you would like to contact me, you can send me an email.

Islam Into Christianity (Jamel - Morocco)

Depuis ma naissance, j'étais imprégné de la culture musulmane. A partir de 12 ans, j'avais commencé à pratiquer l'Islam, religion de mon pays et de ma famille, tout en condamnant sévèrement la chrétienté. Mon but était alors de ressembler, ou plutôt d'imiter le plus possible Mahomet, le fondateur de l'Islam. Je jeûnais souvent, je passais beaucoup de temps dans la Mosquée, le lieu de prière du musulman, et lisais tous les jours le Coran, leur livre "Saint". Prier Allah cinq fois par jour en me tournant en direction de la Mecque, était un exercice quotidien de foi et de sincérité. Ma ferveur religieuse prenait de l'ampleur pendant le Ramadan. Je rêvais de pouvoir un jour faire un voyage à la Mecque, lieu saint de l'Islam, l'expérience suprême pour le Musulman. Ma foi aurait atteint son apogée.

A l'âge de 18 ans, je suis venu en France pour faire des études en Physique, Chimie et Mathématiques, à l'Université de Caen. Là, je fus contacté pour la première fois par une femme chrétienne qui tenait un stand biblique au restaurant universitaire. Je n'espérais pas plus, car enfin j'avais l'occasion de prêcher l'Islam à un chrétien ! Jusqu'alors, je ne savais rien au sujet de la Bible, sinon qu'elle était "falsifiée", selon ce que j'avais appris en tant que musulman. L'Islam m'avait enseigné que les chrétiens faisaient de Jésus le Fils de Dieu, et pour moi, cela n'était ni plus ni moins qu'un blasphème impardonnable. Aussi, n'osais-je même pas laisser cette idée effleurer mon esprit, car ç'aurait été ma condamnation éternelle. En plus, le Coran affirme ceci : "Dis: il y a un seul Dieu, il n'a pas engendré, et il n'a pas été engendré, et il n'a point d'égal." (Sourate 112). Ainsi, la filialité de Jésus et sa divinité se trouvaient balayées du même coup. Jésus n'était pour moi qu'un simple homme, prophète certes, mais créé de poussière au même titre qu'Adam. Il faut ajouter que tout ce qu'affirme la Bible, comme le péché originel, la Trinité, l'amour divin, le salut par grâce, m'était étranger. Cependant, ma religion me demandait de croire que la Bible était la Parole de Dieu, sans pour autant prendre ses enseignements au sérieux. Pour expliquer ce paradoxe, l'Islam prétend que la Bible a été falsifiée par les Juifs et les Chrétiens et qu'il est par conséquent impossible d'accéder au vrai texte. Je croyais simplement cette assertion sans l'avoir jamais vérifié.

Le temps passait, et j'assistais à quelques réunions d'église. Cela m'a aidé à comprendre l'Evangile du salut. L'amour de Dieu, manifesté à la croix, m'avait bouleversé, moi qui ne connaissais qu'un Dieu souverain, Puissant, sans aucune indulgence pour le pécheur. Quand on me parlait de cet amour, j'avais les larmes aux yeux, mais je restais quand même sûr que l'Islam était la bonne et la meilleure voie. Néanmoins, un combat violent s'était déclaré en moi-même. Aussi avais-je décidé d'étudier et de comparer la Bible et le Coran. A mesure que je lisais, je me rendais compte que la Bible était autre chose que ce que je me représentais ; et surtout que l'image que je me faisais de Jésus était tout à fait fausse. D'étranger, Jésus devenait pour moi un homme unique ! Qui a, comme lui, consolé les pauvres, accueilli les hommes rejetés, pansé les blessures de tous les opprimés ? Qui a, comme lui, parlé avec simplicité et beauté de Dieu qui aime les malheureux et prend le parti des humiliés ? Mais surtout, qui a, comme lui, révélé le Dieu Père de tous ceux qui placent leur confiance en lui ?

Après les recherches, je commençais à avoir des doutes sur la falsification de la Bible, mais je ne pouvais encore croire ni à la Trinité, ni à la filialité divine de Jésus, et encore moins à sa crucifixion. En effet, l'Islam nie tout simplement que Jésus fût crucifié. Une autre chose qui m'empêchait de croire, c'était ma famille. Se convertir et quitter l'Islam, c'est renier sa famille, sa patrie. Le prix me paraissait trop élevé. C'était toujours le côté où se trouvaient ma famille, mes amis, qui penchait dans la balance. Au bout de 2 ans, j'étais arrivé à ne plus supporter d'entendre parler de l'Evangile, tellement cela me frustrait. Si je discutais avec des amis, cela finissait toujours par des disputes.

Quoique refusant l'Evangile, j'aimais passer du temps dans la famille du pasteur. Le lundi 5 août était un jour comme tant d'autres chez eux. Bien sûr, il fallait encore que j'entende l'Evangile. J'avais de plus en plus de mal à résister à l'amour de Christ, mais cette fois-là, je décidais que c'en était trop, et que je ne voulais plus jamais entendre parler de Jésus-Christ ! J'insistais que l'on me ramène chez-moi. Pour me calmer, je pris le Coran et me mis à le lire. Les paroles sortaient de mes lèvres, mais mon coeur restait sec, contrairement à d'habitude. Je décidai donc de dormir. Il était deux heures du matin. Dans mon lit, je commençais à prier Allah, tel que je le faisais chaque nuit, mais le vide m'entourait autant que le silence. Malgré tout ce que j'essayais, je n'arrivais pas à trouver cette paix de coeur que je désirais tant à cet instant. Soudain, poussé par une force invisible, je m'écriai : "Dieu, qui que tu sois, révèle-toi à moi !" C'est alors que le nom de Jésus se mit à raisonner dans ma tête, puis dans tout mon être. La présence de Jésus s'est imposé avec une netteté inouïe. "Est-ce toi , Jésus ?" demandai-je, alors que je n'y pensais absolument pas. Mon corps tremblait ! "Si c'est toi Jésus, je t'accepte, ajoutai-je". Le sentiment qui m'envahissait à ce moment est indescriptible. Je sus que Jésus est réellement d'un autre monde, du monde de Dieu. Mais je ne pouvais me résigner à cela. Aussi, immédiatement après, je commençai à crier : "non, non, non...", parce que je me rendis compte que j'ai dit quelque chose qui allait bouleverser ma vie. Mais je ne pouvais fuir le nom de Jésus ; sa présence de Jésus avait envahi la pièce.

En titubant, je descendais les escaliers pour me aller téléphoner au pasteur. Il était 2h15 du matin, lorsque, tout tremblant, je composai machinalement son numéro. "Il faut absolument que je parle au pasteur !" ai-je dit à sa femme. Je n'ai donné aucun détail concernant la raison pour laquelle je leur demandais de venir me voir au beau milieu de la nuit. Ils m'ont dit plus tard que par le ton de ma voix, ils pensaient que je faisais une dépression nerveuse. J'étais assis au fond de la salle lorsqu'ils sont arrivés. En voyant le pasteur, je lui sautai dans les bras ! Il m'a rapidement demandé ce qui se passait. En sanglots, je lui ai répondu : " Il faut que j'accepte Jésus dans ma vie !" J'étais alors si ému que je n'avais plus de force dans mes jambes ; je m'appuyais donc contre le pasteur pour aller dans son bureau. Une fois que j'étais assis, il m'a répété sa question, car il n'avait pas compris ma demande. Je lui répétai alors que je désirais accepter Jésus-Christ dans ma vie. En entendant cela, un sourire illumina le visage du pasteur, et il lui fallut un grand effort pour ne pas sauter dans mes bras. Je connaissais si bien le plan du salut, mais je voulais maintenant qu'il devienne une réalité dans ma vie. Le pasteur m'a demandé si je croyais que Jésus est le Fils de Dieu et Dieu véritable. -Oui, je le crois, répondis-je! - Crois-tu, Jamel, que Christ est mort sur la croix pour tes péchés, et qu'Il est ressuscité pour t'assurer la vie éternelle en Lui ? - Oui, je le crois! - A tous ceux qui l'ont reçu, continua le pasteur, à ceux qui croient en son nom, Il a donné le pouvoir de devenir Ses enfants. Crois-tu qu'il peut faire de toi son enfant ? - Oh oui, je le crois ! Nous nous sommes agenouillés dans la prière, et j'ai reçu Jésus-Christ dans ma vie, comme mon Sauveur et mon Maître. Quelle paix inondait mon coeur, une paix que je n'avais jusqu'alors jamais connu ! Je m'adressais enfin à Dieu comme mon Père céleste, et cela grâce à Jésus qui fut crucifié et ressuscité pour moi.

Je n'ai pas évoqué le problème du péché pendant ce témoignage. Mais il faut que je le fasse maintenant pour que chacun comprenne que cela constitue le noeud du problème dans toute religion. Comment un homme souillé, méchant, indigne peut-il se tenir devant Dieu ? Le sentiment du mal m'a toujours tourmenté. Mes efforts pour satisfaire les exigences de Dieu restaient vains. Comment aurais-je pu obtenir le pardon pour des offenses inqualifiables ? Seul Jésus Christ pouvait faire en sorte l'impensable devienne possible, que Dieu ouvre ses bras pour m'accueillir dans sa grâce et son amour !

Si vous avez les questions à me poser, écrivez à Jamel chez abdelkrim@thompsonic.com.

Islam To Christianity (Tahir - Palestine)

My name is Tahir and this is my journey from Islam to Christianity.

Soon after arriving in the United States from Palestine 14 years ago, I married a nice Christian girl. She tried to become a Muslim to please me, but the more she did, the more I turned away from her. We had a child together, but the marriage didn’t last because it is hard to love when your heart is filled with hate. Hate is what I was taught growing up in Palestine; hate towards the Jews, the Christians and hate against the world. As a Palestinian, you are taught from day one that the whole world is responsible for our misfortune especially Jews and Christians.

After we divorced, my ex-wife told me that she had my daughter baptized. I was so angry that I stormed into the church, cursed at the priest who performed the baptism, and told him that he was going to hell because of it. I didn’t want my child growing up Christian. My unsupervised visitation rights were taken away because my ex-wife feared that I would kidnap my daughter and take her to Palestine. The courts agreed and now I don’t get to see her much anymore.

My next church experience was in college when a Muslim Arab girlfriend and I toyed with the idea of converting to Christianity just because it was a more lenient religion. We knew what we were doing was wrong and the punishment for apostasy in Islam is stoning, but we needed an ideology that would justify our sinful life. Because of an invitation from an Arab Christian girl from the collage that we both were attending at that time, we visited her church one Sunday. The Church service was full of joy, something I had never seen in Islam. After the service, a Bible and a book about the divinity of Christ were given to us. A few months later and then again on Christmas Eve we looked for a church that some Arab Christian friends from collage told us about, but to our surprise it was closed.

My friend, Khalil, and I used to get together and talk about life and the state of the world. At times we wondered about Islam and why things are such a mess in Muslim countries. We wondered if this religion that we barely followed by tradition was for real. But our wondering didn’t lead to immediate action.

I got married again. This time it was an arranged marriage was with a girl from Palestine. This took place after my family stood in my way of marring my collage girlfriend due to the fact that she wasn’t pure enough for them. I brought my new wife to the U.S. but found it hard to love her since I barely knew her. So, I was glad that my job took me from city to city. That way I could indulge in things unmentionable (including having girlfriends in every town) and not have to think about my situation.

Then September 11, 2001, happened. As the towers collapsed, the last bit of respect I felt for Islam collapsed as well. This catapulted me into an all-out search for Truth.

I was laid off from a very good job as the result of the economic fallout of 9-11. As I was online every day searching for jobs, "for some reason" I frequently landed in Christian chatrooms. One day I even found the Bible in Arabic online.

One late wintry night I found myself reading the gospel of John. I never trusted the Bible, and I was taught my whole life that the Bible is corrupt and has been changed. As I started to read I was astonished. As I began reading about Jesus and his beautiful, pure, sinless, holy, amazing, miraculous life I couldn’t stop. I remember reading the whole Gospel from start to finish. It was early in the morning when I finished reading. I was crying so much that I was worried I might wake up my wife and I didn’t want her to see me crying so that she won’t ask me why. A few days later, I logged on to my computer and "for some reason" looked for Arabic churches in the area. I then called one and the voice on the other end of the line told me that his dad was the pastor, but he had passed away. He gave me another number to call—a man named Farooq. This man is my current pastor and the person the Lord chose to lead me to himself. We discussed deep issues like Muhammad’s personality, lifestyle, his many marriages and his many wars. Farooq gave me a book he wrote that compares Islam with Christianity, complete with references from the Koran and the Bible.

As I began reading Farooq’s book, I was both shocked and fascinated. I looked up the Biblical and Koranic references—all of which were actually there—and couldn’t believe my eyes! I realized I had been deceived all my life! The main issue that grabbed my attention was the completely different way the two religions treat women.

I can’t pinpoint the exact day on which Farooq led me in a prayer accepting the Lord in my life as my personal Lord and Savior, but it was sometime in early 2002. I do remember the exact day I was baptized. It was the most incredible and scary day of my life! And I have changed so much since I accepted Christ.

I am free! I have found that there is no comparison between Christianity and Islam. Where I once had many rules to follow from the Koran and the Hadith, I now have a relationship with God. It’s so different. Islam is based on force, but Christianity brings so much peace and love. I am a completely different man now. I am committed to my wife and am learning to love her. Now, instead of partying, I read the Bible. I attend church and Bible study when I can. And I don’t hate Jews anymore.

I have been sharing my testimony and faith with pretty much anyone who comes in my way. I shared it with my family, co-workers and even people on the street. It didn’t go so well with my family especially with my wife who still refuses to accept the fact that I have converted. She thinks that I’m toying with this and soon enough I would wake up and come back to my senses. My family, on the other hand, tried talking me out of it through debating about Christianity and Islam, then through abandonment and ignorance, but finally they have come to accept me for who I have become, due to the good and loving relationship that we have. Were we still living back in Palestine I’m sure things would be different and they would disown me or even try to threaten me.

By the way, my friend, Khalil, has also rejected Islam completely and refuses to obey by its rules and commandments. He is living his life as a secular person away from religion altogether. I’m in continuous prayer for him to come to the Lord and get free from the evil one.

I gave my wife a copy of Farooq’s book, but she was offended when she read it. Please pray for her to know the Truth. I want to go to church as a family, but this is only a dream unless she accepts Jesus. Currently I attend Sunday morning church when conditions permit. My wife knowing where I go is constantly making up last minute plans to prevent me from going.

I get most of my spiritual "feeding" through reading the Bible alone and listening to pastors on the radio while I’m in my car or online.

I wanted you to know what the Lord has done in my life. If you’ve been in America for any length of time, you understand that Christians aren’t the ‘big Satan’, as you were taught."

I am proof that a life can change when Christ sheds light in the darkness. I hope you will be challenged to see and learn more of the Truth, wherever it is found — radio, TV, books, or online. May Jesus lead you in your search.

Your are welcome to contact me.

Tahir

Muslim To Christian (Mutee’a Al-Fadi - Saudi Arabia)

I was a very devout Muslim who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. For over 20 years of my life in Saudi I grew up as a very devoted Muslim follower who adhered and applied the teachings of Islam into every aspects of my life. These teaching included the belief that Islam is the final religion on earth; that it is the only acceptable religion to God; that it is the way to Heaven; that those who do not accept Islam as their faith are doomed to go to hell and their work and worship will not save them unless they accept Allah as their God and Muhammad as his messenger; that salvation for the Muslims is by work and it is never guaranteed except for those who are willing to die in the name of Allah; that Muslims are superior to all others; that all non-Muslims are considered infidels, this includes Christians; that Christ is only a human and a prophet sent by Allah; that He is not God or the Son of God; that He was never crucified, never died on the Cross, and never was resurrected from the dead; and that He was lifted up to Heaven to be saved from His persecutors and will come back again at the end of times to restore Islam as the true religion of Allah, to kill the anti-christ, and to convert Christians to Islam. But the most compelling thing I grew up learning was to HATE. Hate all of those who do not worship Allah and believe in Islam, including Christians and Jews.

By age 12, I memorized half of the Qur’an (which is the Muslims’ holy book). My goal was to memorize all of it, as it is taught that memorizing the Qur’an can cover your sins and atone you. When I was 15 I was ready to die in the name of God with a multitude of young people who were leaving to Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union along side Osama Bin Laden (who actually was a hero to them at that time). If it was not for my family’s plea to stay behind I would have gone, for I knew that the rewards which await those Muslims who die in the name of Allah are much better and far greater than what other Muslims might receive if, and only if, they make it to heaven, not to mention that it is guaranteed for those who die in the name of God to make it to Paradise with all of their sins forgiven, and to receive rewards that are far better than the rewards others might receive. But as I grew up I began to decipher the language of the Qur’an much better and within in it I saw messages of hate that I could not understand and did not like at all. I could not believe that God can hate His own creation simply because they do not accept Him. I thought God should be bigger than that and above all that. But sharing such thoughts or doubts with others would have caused me lots of trouble and would have jeopardized my safety (for the penalty for doubting & blaspheme Allah and leaving Islam is death).

After graduating from College in Saudi I wanted to pursue my graduate education in a western country, but I had a dilemma. The dilemma is that Islam teaches its followers not to befriend Christians, and the Muslim world truly believes that all western countries are Christian.

Sometimes in the later part of the eighties I arrived in a western country and was filled with fear and discomfort because of the fact that I will be dealing with Christians, yet I knew that in order to receive the best education, it is imperative that I go to a western country and pursue my higher education at one of their universities.

After living in the student dormitory for about a month, I began to feel the need to become more familiar with the culture and way of life in the country I am in. During that time I heard of a program that helps international students by teaming them up with families from this country in order to help the international students learn more about the culture and way of life. Little did I know that it was a Christian Ministry. So I signed up for it; a decision that would change the course of my life forever. Almost two weeks later, a young couple from the program contacted me and indicated that they were the family assigned to work with me. And for the next seven months, this family showed me LOVE that far exceeded my expectations, LOVE I have never experienced before even from my own fellow Muslims. Later on that year, this family invited me over to their house for dinner. It was only then that I realized they were a Christian family, because they asked if they can pray, and I heard their prayer. I have to admit that my heart sank. I never realized that Christians are actually filled with such Love and not hate as my belief made it seem to me. Not to mention, that this family NEVER shared the gospel with me; but rather, they showed the love of Jesus Christ to me through their actions. On that day, I walked out of their house with great doubts about my faith and my teachings. I vowed to research Christianity to learn more about this Jesus that can make such a profound difference in someone’s life, the one that can give them Peace and Joy I have never ever seen before, the one that was the source of the Light that was shining out of them.

Some years later, after graduation from college, I joined a local firm, and in there I met yet another born-again Christian gentleman who truly was a model for what a Christian man living a Christian life is like! I was very impressed by his faith; his walk; his joy; his peace; and the light that was shining out of him. He was without a doubt, different than any one around him. And when he invited me over for Christmas dinner at his house, I noticed that his wife and his kids were just like him. They were similar to the family I met in college. It was then that I could not hold back my curiosity and asked him about why is he that much different than others around him. He then proceeded to share his testimony with me and indicated to me that he was a born again Christian. That is because he accepted Christ as his personal Lord and Savior and so he became who he was with out any efforts on his part. Even though, just like the other family, he never shared the Gospel with me, once again, I fell in love with Christ who changes these people.

From that moment onward, the Lord has allowed me to go through numerous trials and circumstances in my life, through which, I became very interested in knowing more and more about Him. And in 2001, I elected to go to a Christian Church (against everything my faith had taught me, and against all odds since Muslims will never go to a Christian Church). And for 6 months and through the study of the Gospel of John at the Church every Sunday, I learned who Christ truly is.

In that year, and without a shadow of a doubt, I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. Going from being an enemy of Christ and Christianity as a whole, to becoming a born again Christian who will do anything to serve the Lord. And for few months, and through trials in my life, I came to know what is it like to have a personal relationship with the Lord; and to fully depend on Him and to experience Him in my life. And during this time, He revealed His awesome Glory to me in ways I can never deny or doubt. Since then, my life has changed forever, and I am no longer the one who used to be.

Please keep in mind that the message of the Gospel was never shared with me throughout my search for Christ, nor that I even heard it in full until after I accepted Him. The turning point in my life happened because of simple acts of LOVE by two separate families that truly were a shining light, just as they were commanded by our Lord in Matt. 5:16 – "You are the light of the world…so let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds, and glorify your father in heaven" - Through these simple acts of love I came to know my beloved Jesus Christ, and though their love, our Father in heaven was glorified, and will continue to be glorified.

Oftentimes we overlook the simplicity of the message, that Love was the greatest commandment given to us by Christ. We forget that the message is CHRIST and not CHRISTIANITY, that we are the message in how we present Him to others, and how this witness and representation can make a huge difference in the lives of those who are watching us, just like it happened with me when I was watching too.

Friends, if you have not made a decision yet in your life to know Christ and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, as the true living God. I pray that you will do so today. Once you do so, you will embark on a journey that will change the course of your life, but the only way to receive it, is by making your reservations with Christ at this moment, for life is very short and we have no control over what might happen to us in the next second.

You are welcome to contact me with questions or comments.

May the Lord of Peace bless you and yours.

Mutee’a Al-Fadi

Muslim Into Christian (Hamid - Algeria)

Je suis Algérien, je vis en Algérie et je suis marié, père de quatre enfants. Je suis né dans une famille musulmane pratiquante. Lorsque j'avais 10 ans, ma mère demanda à un couple chrétien qu'elle connaissait de m'accepter à 'l'Ecole du Dimanche'. Cette 'école' groupait une dizaine d'enfants, les jeudis et les dimanches. Nous nous réunissons autour de la Bible; pour en apprendre les belles histoires, et aussi pour prier ensemble. Il y avait aussi des travaux manuels, des jeux et concours. J'aimais ces classes, toutes ces occupations me plaisaient, j'y participais avec beaucoup d'ardeur et j'étais un bon élève. Les beaux récits de la Bible, la prise de Jéricho et le combat entre Goliath, le géant, et le petit berger David par exemple, captivaient mon imagination. Quant à l'évangile de Jésus-Christ, en me familiarisant pendant quelques années avec cet enseignement nouveau pour moi, je comprenais peu à peu que j'étais personnellement concerné, que ce n'était pas seulement une question de connaissances, d'intelligence et de mémoire. Les paroles du Christ étaient bien plus que cela, elles demandaient de ma part un engagement. A partir de 1966 j'approfondissais mes notions bibliques au moyen des cours bibliques de l'E.R.B. J'apprenais énormément de cette façon; près de chez moi il y avait aussi une chrétienne algérienne qui m'encourageait à suivre la voie de Christ.

Mais plusieurs questions me préoccupaient: l'évangile de la Bible était-il la vérité? Comment savoir si Jésus-Christ était vraiment MORT pour nos péchés? Chez nous on dit que Jésus est venu pour les Occidentaux. Moïse pour les Juifs et Mohammed pour les Arabes. Comment avoir une certitude sur Dieu, sur Jésus, comment savoir sans aucune erreur possible ce qu'il faut croire, qui il faut suivre? Un verset de la Bible ne me lâchait plus: "Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu'il a donné son fils unique afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse pas, mais qu'il a la vie éternelle" (évangile selon Jean, chap 3 verset 16).

"Dieu est un et n'enfante pas", disait ma religion. J'avais beaucoup de mal à saisir et accepter la notion de Jésus "fils" de Dieu. Après une année de lutte intérieure je compris que c'est une notion spirituelle, qui n'a rien à voir avec une filiation charnelle, avec la sexualité, et qu'il n'y a pas plusieurs 'dieux' dans la Bible. Non, c'est Dieu Lui-même, l'Unique, qui est venu parmi les hommes, qui s'est incarné en la personne de Jésus. Aucun prophète n'est né d'une vierge, seul Jésus a pu naître de cette façon miraculeuse. Aucun prophète n'a vécu sur la terre comme Jésus-Christ, sans commettre le moindre péché. Seul Jésus, SANS péché pouvait prendre sur Lui le péché de l'humanité. Lors d'une retraite avec des chrétiens, en 1968, j'ai fait le pas, je suis enfin allé au Christ avec le fardeau de MON péché; j'ai décidé de croire en Lui, de Le suivre et de Le servir. Je me suis CONVERTI.

Ma nouvelle foi n'a pas été comprise tout de suite par tout le monde. Il y avait de la méfiance dans mon entourage et j'ai même été questionné sur mes convictions chrétiennes, mais le Seigneur m'a délivré et protégé. "Si Dieu est pour nous, qui sera contre nous?" , dit la Bible.

Aujourd'hui je peux vivre tranquille, avec ma famille. On me respecte. On sait que je suis chrétien, mais on sait aussi que je suis sérieux, qu'on ne me verra pas dans les cafés, que je m'efforce de rendre service, de faire un bon travail. Je prie Dieu de m'affermir dans la foi, de m'aider à être un bon citoyen et un bon ouvrier.

Que Dieu garde sous Sa main protectrice notre magnifique pays et que la paix soit avec vous, chers lecteurs!
Hamid

Muslim To Christian (Mahmoud kamal Eldeen Mujahed - Egypt)

Dear Muslim friend,

Allow me to introduce myself to you. My name is Joseph Abraham -- previously Mahmoud kamal Eldeen Mujahed. Having come to the truth after many years of searching, I believe God is leading me to share with others what He has done for me through His holy Word -- the Bible. Please be patient in reading my letter.

I am Egyptian by birth, born in a Muslim home. My father was a Muslim priest (sheikh) and a teacher of Islam in Cairo, Egypt until his death. My family took pride in their Islamic heritage, for almost all my ancestors were Muslim clergy. In the early years of my life I was looked upon as a future Muslim priest. Therefore my family sent me to a Quranic school from the age of six or seven.

When I was still very young, I started asking questions about God, His judgment, His truth, man's eternal destiny, etc. Since I was only a child, my questions brought mockery from others. Such treatment did not help, but only discouraged me. I lived in despair and hopelessness because my soul was seeking something Islam did not provide.

My Islamic background was rather shallow and superficial. My father, as a sheikh, memorized almost all the Quran, and encouraged me to do the same, whether I understood it or not. Thus I became a mechanically religious young boy, while my heart was dry, like a desert that seemed endless and hopeless.

Like most Muslims, I lived in a traditional Muslim neighborhood, where I heard the thundering voice of the calls to worship Allah, five times a day. We celebrated the Islamic holidays religiously.

I was taught that Islam was the final religion, which cancelled Judaism and Christianity, and that Christians worship three gods. I was taught also that Christians had corrupted the "original" Bible, which -- supposedly -- once contained references to the prophet of Islam. Islam also denies the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But there was never any serious attempt to explain the ground of such claims.

When I reached my teens the desire to know which religion is true grew in me. Because questioning Islam is not tolerated in a Muslim nation, my questions and investigations became rather on a private basis. But later many found out about my curiosity. They threw harsh accusations at me: I was called "mentally unstable" and "idiot". Still others claimed that I was under the influence of an anti-Islam organization. Muslims made my life so intolerable that I wished to die. All I wanted to know is the truth.

In my early twenties I started searching again. Among the questions that concerned me were: Where will I go after I die? Don't I have the right to know my eternal destiny? Why do Muslims so strongly reject discussing their own religion? Does God want people to be blind to their destiny? How can I know that Islam is the only true religion?

Having no help from anyone, I began to read books about philosophy and psychology, some of which promoted atheism. But denying God never silenced the inward seeking to know the truth. I was encouraged to hold to fatalism and apathy, but that made things worse. My soul still desperately sought the ultimate reality of our spiritual destiny and God's eternal truth.

It bothered me to realize that I was considered a Muslim just because I was born to Muslim parents and lived in a Muslim nation. No choice was given me: no chance was offered me to examine and find the truth. Worst of all, many Muslims I knew (including my own family) were Muslims simply by heritage. I hardly saw any Muslim making a serious and diligent attempt to investigate their religion with hearts opened to the truth.

In 1968, while I was reading a certain book, I ran into some verses from the Bible which greatly attracted me. These verses spoke with authority about a Man whose name was Jesus Christ. This Man said to the world, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me." John 14:6

Dozens of questions jammed my head: Then what about the prophet of Islam? Why do Muslims never speak of Jesus Christ in this manner? They always speak of the prophet of Islam. Who is the "Father"? How can God be called "Father"? Who is His wife? What about Islam, which claims to be the ultimate truth? After all how can I trust the Bible, which Muslims claim is "corrupted"? And many more.

While reading more of the same book I came to other statements by this same Man, Jesus Christ, who said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 I had sought rest for many years, and this Jesus claimed to be the source of rest, and invited others to come to Him.

At that time I had never had a Bible; I had never seen one. Then secretly I asked a professing Christian to lend me a Bible so I could read more about this Man who claims such authority.

About the same time I had heard about an American evangelist who was visiting Egypt. With great eagerness I sneaked secretly into a Protestant church to hear his messages from the Bible. Because he knew no Arabic, he spoke through an interpreter. I heard things I had never heard before. I had never realized that the Bible is the source of God's eternal truth.

In the past I had read and memorized passages from the Quran. I learned Islam for years, but God never spoke to me through its teachings. In contrast, when I read verses or heard messages from the Bible there was a different voice speaking a different message with a different authority.

I gathered the courage to go forward to the preacher to tell me more about Christ and the Bible. I asked him if a Muslim could also have access to the Bible and the heavenly Father. Could I too, know for sure about eternal life, forgiveness of sin, escape from hell, and becoming a child of God?

The preacher shared with me John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This verse alone has the answer to all religions. God sent His Son to die in our behalf because of the sin of all mankind. It takes only believing this truth to escape eternal hell. God did that out of love and the goodness of His heart; but also because He is a righteous judge. The judgment of God requires a penalty for sin. "The wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a But God is also merciful; that is why he gives us the alternative: "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23b

The simple truth was too good to be true -- but it is true, because it is God's Word. I could not ignore God's call to me -- "Come, come, come." "Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your heart." Hebrews 3:7-8 And the more I read and heard the quotations from the Bible, the more I became convinced that God was speaking to me personally.

God's Word continued addressing my heart. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" Hebrews 2:3 There is no escape from God's eternal judgment on sinful man unless they come to acknowledge Who Jesus Christ is, and what He did for them. God gave a warning in case I hesitated to believe His Word: "Behold, now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation." II Corinthians 6:2 That simply means that tomorrow can be too late. To reject Christ as Savior of the whole world brings the judgment of God, who provided His Son to take our place on the cross of Calvary. Does it matter what all other religions teach? No. Why? Because God's eternal truth does not change.

Finally, after years of agony I was led to the truth, the Lord -- my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is God; He is the truth; He is the giver of life; He is the only way of salvation.

Dear Muslim friend, remember, you will stand some day before the throne of God, just by yourself. Would you be able to stand God's judgment?

Christians -- those who believe Christ as their Savior -- are no longer under God's judgment, because God already judged them in the Person of Christ. He died for them. Well, He died for you too.

Now, may I ask you, what would stop you from telling God right now that you are a sinner and that you want Christ to save you? Trust Him as your Savior right now. Then there would be joy in heaven for the salvation of your precious soul.

I searched for truth for years, until God reached out of heaven and sent His servant the preacher to lead me to Christ. God is doing that now. You too can know the truth and enjoy the same spiritual freedom I have. "...and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

Dear Muslim friend, come join us in the spiritual freedom we have in Christ our Lord, and let us hear from you so we can rejoice with you.

Sincerely,

Joseph Abraham

---

Muslim Became Christian (Zamir - Iraq)

I was born into a conservative Muslim family in Iraq. Whilst in The Middle school, I was always disturbed when I heard my teacher explaining how Islam spread by wars and battles lead by Mohamed or his successors. Even in the Muslim prayers there is no appeal for God to change their manners and behavior but rather their surrounding circumstances. So whilst my teacher was talking about the Islamic heroism of their wars and battles, I viewed them as war crimes that encourage hatred, malice, killing and stealing.

As time passed, I finished my middle school and was forced to join the army.

At the army I became an armored tank driver. When the war between Iraq and Iran irrupted in the early 1980s, I refused to participate in the war. I chose the path of peace and love over the road of killing and destruction. I realized that my choice would result in dangerous consequences; it meant prison time, torture and probably death.

I decided to escape from the army. When I asked my fellow soldiers If any of them were willing to come with me, they refused and I had to escape alone amidst heavy bombardment and dangerous land mines until I miraculously arrived at my House in the city of EL MOUSEL

When I arrived home, I was shocked that my family refused to accept, or even allow me to stay in the house, but rather they tried to force me to go back to the front line to continue the war. So I decided to escape the country to go to Syria.

Unfortunately I was caught trying to cross the border to Syria when two nomad informers for the Iraqi army arrested me. They handed me over to the Iraqi army at city of "Rabbia" where I was tortured severely and left blindfolded waiting to be executed.

Instead they decided to send me to the Iraqi Central Intelligent service in Baghdad to await being court marshaled for capital treason (escaping the military service in time of war is capital treason and in punishable by death).

I spent 16 months in a human army prison waiting for a trial, until I finally went to court and was confronted by the two nomad capture’s who acted as the prosecution’s main witnesses. At this difficult time I prayed for God to deliver me from this dangerous situation. Mysteriously enough, the court set me free for lack of evidence because one of the two witnesses was deaf and blind and so not able to testify legally before the court. At this very moment I felt the deep love of God, who delivered me and I felt more confident about him.

Later I was forced to go back to participate in the ongoing war and I found myself driving a tank one more time. I decided to escape again regardless of my past escape experience. This time I fled to the Iraqi City of Kordestan towards the Iranian boarder.

For 400 miles I walked through minefields and climbed mountains until I arrived at the boarder. There I was detained in a refugee camp that looked more like a prison, where we were forced to practice the teachings of Islam.

So I decided to run again, this time to Pakistan, for three days and three nights I had to walk with no food or water till I almost died.

I was homeless in Pakistan for a year until I decided to cross over to India despite all the danger at the boarder because of the tension between India and Pakistan. Once again God delivered me miraculously. During all that time I felt that God was always by my side protecting me from all the danger not knowing what good he was preparing for me.

God started dealing with me directly when I arrived at Katmandu the capital of Nepal, south of China. There I got sick and had to go to the hospital where I met a Christian nurse that worked in the hospital’s "Christian Committee".

She introduced me to a community of missionaries from all over the world. They were living in the same place called Della M House.

Those people came to this remote area for the sole purpose of serving Christ. They went to prisons, hospitals and poor areas to preach The Gospel of Jesus. I was invited to go to their house and I didn’t hesitate to do so. When I went there I saw simple people full of love, benevolence and the desire to help the poor in the name of Jesus who gave himself for all the humanity.

I stayed in their house for thirty days receiving the best medical treatment by every one there. That time was the best time of my life; I learnt about Jesus the loving God who had always protected me all my life. Every morning we would gather around the breakfast table, to sing praises, and to study The Bible as if the Lord Jesus himself was with us. Later in the day each missionary would go to his or her ministry.

There I learned more about Jesus, and about praying for other people, as well as praying before eating and The ‘Our Father’ prayer too. They told me about the atoning death of Jesus. I felt so loved by those people because I was persecuted and looking for peace.

Although they asked me repeatedly to stay with them, I made a bad choice, and decided to leave them to run after that phantom dream called freedom.

So I left them and went to Thailand, and not so long after it I found myself lingering amongst cities and ports exhausted. Until I felt so helpless that I decided to go back home where killings were widespread.

When I went back I didn’t care what would happen to me because I trusted in Jesus’ love for me no matter what. As soon as I arrived I was arrested and interrogated by the Iraqi intelligence service where they imprisoned and tortured me. Later on I was sent to court falsely accused, and they hoped to convict and executed me

I went to court full of faith in the Lord’s love and care for me. The court ruled that I would be imprisoned for 20 years instead of executing me. I was overwhelmed with joy that they were not going to execute me. They sent me to the central prison as a political prisoner. I spent one year there until the Iraqi government was forced to set all the political prisoners free (eight Iraqi officials were taken as hostages by the Kurdish rebels and they were exchanged for all the Iraqi political prisoners).

As soon as they released me, I decided to go back to that missionary house in Katmandu, where I first encountered the love of Christ. But whilst I was planning my departure, the Iraqi army invaded Kuwait and I was forced again to join the army. One more time I escaped from the front line to the Saudi boarder towards the American troops stationed there. But the Saudi army arrested me instead and I was once again imprisoned for 18 months in a desert cage not even fit for wild animal.

The Lord strengthened me and I endured this tough time until I was released. I managed to escape to the United States where I met my fellow

Evangelical Christians who helped to live and walk with Jesus. I am will always be thankful to the Lord that he never forgot me but instead he led me from the darkness and into the light of the Gospel.

Glory to God forever and ever, Amen.

Samir

5 kali iblis meninggikan diri, 7 kali Yesus merendahkan Diri.

5 kali Lucifer/iblis meninggikan diri (Yesaya 14:12-14 # Amp. Bible):

1. Aku hendak naik ke langit/surga.
2. Aku hendak meninggikan/mengagungkan takhtaku di atas bintang-bintang Allah.
3. Aku hendak duduk di atas gunung pertemuan, di sebelah utara yang paling jauh.
4. Aku hendak naik di atas ketinggian awan-awan.
5. Aku hendak membuat diriku seperti Yang Mahatinggi.

7 kali Yesus merendahkan diri (Filipi 2:6-8):

1. Walaupun satu dengan Allah dan dalam rupa Allah, tidak menganggap/berpikir bahwa kesamaan/persamaan/kesetaraan dengan Allah sebagai sesuatu yang harus dipertahankan erat-erat.
2. Telah “mengosongkan/mencopoti” diriNya.
3. Mengambil/menanggung/menerima rupa seorang hamba/budak.
4. Dilahirkan sebagai manusia.
5. Tampil dalam rupa manusia dan merasakan kehidupan manusia.
6. Merendahkan diri-Nya
7. Taat sampai mati, bahkan rela mati di kayu salib

Lima kali Lucifer meninggikan diri, Angka 5 di dalam Alkitab melambangkan “Anugerah/Kasih karunia”. Lucifer telah mencapai akhir dari kepenuhan Kasih Karunia Allah sebelum dia dicampakkan dari surga.

Ketika Tuhan Yesus datang ke dunia ini sebagai Adam yang kedua/akhir, itu adalah untuk mengembalikan apa yang telah terhilang dari Adam yang pertama (I Kor 15:45-47), Dia telah merendahkan diri-Nya 7 kali untuk merebut kembali kepenuhan kemurahan Allah bagi manusia, dan memberikan teladan suatu sifat takut akan Allah.

Angka 7 dalam Alkitab melambangkan kesempurnaan, oleh sebab itu, Tuhan Yesus telah merendahkan diri-Nya sampai kepada kesempurnaan, mewakili kita menerima kepenuhan Kasih Karunia Allah.

Rebah dalam Roh atau Kedagingan? (Untuk Kalangan Kristen - Daud Tony)

Pernah suatu kali saya berkhotbah di suatu gereja yang penuh. Saya katakan waktu itu kepada jemaat yang berdiri,”Saudara, angkat tanganmu semua.” Kita semua tahu ada orang-orang yang rebah karena didorong oleh pendeta. Ditumpangi tangan, diusap-usap sambil didorong sedikit, sampai goyang dan rebah. Itu kedagingan. Menjadi tradisi atau ritual saja. Jadi sewaktu saya berdoa, wah rebah semua.

Tiba-tiba Tuhan berkata kepada saya,”Daud, ini bukan rebah dalam hadirat-Ku, tetapi karena tradisi.”

“Apa yang harus saya lakukan, Tuhan?”

“Jangan ada yang menopang mereka saat rebah.”

Biasanya usher akan sibuk berjaga di belakang jemaat, yang diperkirakan akan jatuh. Saya pikir, ada baiknya saya menguji ini suara Tuhan atau bukan.

“Kalian yang maju ke depan, perlu kalian tahu, usher-usher yang kadang memegangi dari belakang, saya minta tidak boleh ada yang memegangi; kalau ada yang rebah bukan dari Tuhan, benjol-benjol, jangan salahkan saya.” (Tidak ada yang rebah)

Yang ketiga, akhirnya Tuhan berbicara lagi dengan saya,

“Sekarang, engkau akan tahu hadirat-Ku yang sejati.”

Wah, langsung saya berkata,”Kalian semua yang ingin berdiri, berdirilah semua. Kalian yang ingin tetap duduk, duduklah.”(Ada yang duduk, ada yang berdiri) “Tuhan, ini urusan-Mu. Kalau tidak mau melawat, ya sudah, hari ini khotbahku selesai.”

Saya mau turun dari mimbar saat saya dengar bunyi orang berjatuhan. Saya bingung. Lho, pendetanya yang tadi ikut menumpangkan tangan, juga ikut rebah.

Saya katakan, jangan memasukkan unsur kedagingan dalam gerakan Tuhan. Kalau Tuhan memang mau rebahkan, orang-orang itu pasti akan rebah. Tetapi kalau Tuhan tidak rebahkan, dia tidak akan rebah selama tidak didorong dahinya. Sudah ditumpangi tangan, tidak usah didorong lagi.

A 5th Generation Jehovah's Witness Finds Christ

I was the 5th generation to be raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. They were proud of that. I remember taking pictures on the porch of the family homestead of the 4 generations that were still alive. We were all so close. My grandmother taught me how to cook in her kitchen next door when she could. All of us lived on an old farm alone. It was peaceful and quiet. I spent a lot of time with my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We all went to the same kingdom hall. We would work in the garden together, go in service together, and go to meetings together. The fun I had as a child was either playing alone or playing marbles with my grandparents.

I am sure that it seems like everything was wonderful back then. It seemed that way to everyone else too. I was struggling inside though. I had a very hard time with a few things. First, I never felt like what I did was good enough to please my family or anyone in the congregation. I never felt like I fit in or was included in things. I remember being left out of the things the other kids did at the kingdom hall. I had a hard time with this because everyone liked me at school but my fellow believers did not want to have much to do with me. There was a large family who were all related in the congregation and if you weren't a member of their family, they just did not ask you to do things with them.

I realize now, even though I did not quite understand then, that I was trying to please the elders instead of trying to please God. I know my mother had a hard time with the same thing. I heard her say many times, "Jehovah God understands my limitations. I think He is more merciful than the elders are."

Another thing that bothered me was the lack of love. So many of the sisters and brothers were so rude to me. I kept telling myself that they were just imperfect humans and I expected too much. I also spoke out many times about the motivation everyone had for going door-to-door. They counted hours. I saw many times pioneers waste time on purpose. They would go to people who obviously just wanted company and did not care about our religion. They could give them literature and count it on their time cards. They did not care about baptizing people. They just wanted to make their time card look good. I remember 2 people getting baptized who were converts instead of being "raised in the truth." In 24 years there were only two.

Please do not get me wrong. I was not a perfect angel myself. I had my faults. I kept trying and trying. I kept making new commitments to Jehovah, only to find myself sinning yet again. I would try and fail. I never really felt like I was growing though. I felt more like I was just running and then I would get exhausted. I would run some more, and then get exhausted.

At this point I was 18 years old. I saw many things that I thought needed to improve in the congregation. Never did I imagine or fathom that all of it was a lie.

I graduated from high school May 2000. I was very tired of being told every single move to make. My parents would not let me date even though I was legally an adult. They told me I was going to have to pioneer until I started college in the fall. They let me go to college, interestingly enough. I was the second to go to college in my congregation in its history. I am glad I was not the first. I remember how much she (the first one) was criticized. My parents refused to pay for college. They told me that I would have to work to pay for it myself.

During college I began to learn so much about history and how to logically think. I was bothered that the arguments and logic of the society commonly made little sense. Their reasoning was so empty to me. Their arguments were just not sufficient to me. I remember, in the summer of 2005, reading the scriptures and coming to a conclusion about a point in the scriptures. I tried to show my family and they dismissed me quickly. They would not believe me. Then two weeks later the WatchTower had "new light" and said exactly what I had just said. I showed my family yet again and they said, "You should have just waited on Jehovah to reveal it." That made me realize that no matter how true something is, they would not believe it unless the WatchTower said it. I was stunned.

That time in life was when things really started to change for me. On June 1st, 2006, I decided that I could not take being told every single step to make. I wanted to remain a faithful Jehovah's Witness, but I wanted to have the freedom to let my own conscience guide me. I left home and eloped with a boy from the kingdom hall. We married without having been on a single date.

I did not do anything wrong by getting married. I had some of my close friends disown me at that point. They did not agree with the decision I made so they refused to speak to me. They would say hello but that was about it.

The boy was one that had been interested in me for a long time. He went to school with me and started coming to the kingdom hall when we were about sixteen. He got baptized in about 1999. I had suspicions then that he only converted because he wanted a relationship with me. I did not realize that he knew the whole time how much of a lie it all was. He pretended for years to be a Jehovah's Witness until he gave up about a year after we were married. He just faded away. He never told me or any of the other Jehovah's Witnesses that he did not believe them. He also never told me until after my disassociation that he had decided he was going to hell for leaving Christ to be a Jehovah's Witness. Because he had decided he was going to hell anyway, he treated me in any way he selfishly felt like.

While we were married, he slyly put doubts into my mind. He would ask me questions like: "Why do they not welcome people in whatever clothes they have? Why do they insist that they dress differently even if they cannot afford it?" He would never agree that Jesus was Michael the archangel no matter what. He actually got me to think and defend my doctrine. I realized how little proof I had for a few of the things. He asked me why a lot but never attacked me. I do not know how he held back from telling me the truth all of that time. I guess he knew that I would shut off talking to him about it if he admitted that he did not agree with their doctrine.

Those times were really hard for me. He was selfishly treating me very badly. He hit me on quite a few occasions while we were married. One time was especially bad when he left welts and bruises. The other times he would just push me down or hold me down. He would yell and yell to the point where I could not take it any longer. I began to pull my own hair out - literally - in frustration. The yelling and criticism were the worst part of it. He had such control over me that he would not let me even go places with my mother. I was constantly accused of cheating on him when the truth was that I did not even want to look at a man at that point. I had little money because he barely worked. It really hurt me that his "worldly" family helped me by giving me food while the "friends" did nothing. I called a pioneer once who lived about a mile from me and asked her for a ride to the kingdom hall because I could not afford the gas to get there. She would not even do that for me. The lack of love once again hurt me.

After I was done with college and had a job, things did get much better for me. I was going door to door and had much better results than the other "friends." Interestingly, I met a Christian who actually defended his faith in the door to door ministry. It was a thought provoking experience. I had never met anyone like him in my life. During that time, I had 2 Bible studies. I did not have time for anything else in the week because my husband was so demanding of me. I was taken to the back room for council quite a few times because my service time was so low. It was about 6 hours a month. I was so hurt by that because I was studying with 2 girls and doing some good when many of the pioneers could not even say that they had two Bible studies. This focus on hours and placements and lack of concern for actual people yet again hurt me.

I finally decided that I could not bear to stay with my husband any longer. June 2005, I finally left him. I went to the elders for counseling. They told me that I should have tried to stay because now I was setting both of us up for sin. He was abusive to me. I did not care if I set him up for sin or not. The elder's reaction in the meeting shocked both my mother and I. She was so proud of me and the fact that the elders would say such things upset her tremendously.

I decided at that point that I was not going to be single for the rest of my life. I did not care if I had to spend the rest of eternity in the silent grave. I was going to live a happy life now. I made the decision to leave Jehovah's Witnesses.

I quit going to the meetings except now and then. I wanted to just fade away. I knew I would be disfellowshipped when I remarried at some point but I wanted to put that off. I lived a completely reckless life at that point. I did whatever I pleased. I did all sorts of immoral things. I hid it all from my parents and the congregation. I was not going to the meetings but I did not want to be shunned so I lied.

I had done everything else wrong in the world so I decided to talk to apostates. I began to tell them my story. I met a lady named Mary. Mary changed my life. She told me that the way they had been treating me was wrong. She told me that God still loved me and wanted me to be one of his children. She told me that eternal life was a free gift and I could stop working for it. Mary promised me that if I would give my life over to Him that he would take care of me. It took a while for all of that to sink in.

I began serious research day and night. Hours and hours I studied the scriptures with a goal to find the truth. I learned then why they did not want you to go to college. I had learned how to think critically and could see that their logic made no rational sense. It was amazing what I found in my studies. The veil was gone and I could see the real truth. The first thing that I realized was that I was going to heaven. I had doubts during a lot of my early days but I kept saying to myself, "But I am sure that they are wrong because the Bible says I’m going to heaven." I realized that my faith and belief in the Lord was the most important thing and that he would supply all that I needed if I would just trust him. My relationship with God took on a whole knew meaning.

December 2005 I was called for a judicial committee meeting. I thought it was because I had asked one too many questions. I found out that they knew about something that had happened seven years prior. They had been digging around in my past and found out about something. I had confessed this sin to them when I was young and had been put on private reproof for it. They were saying that they found out more about it that I withheld from them so they would probably disfellowship me for withholding the details from them.

I cried. I had no idea what to do. My father came to tell me goodbye. My mother came to tell me goodbye. I called many of those I knew who were former Jehovah's Witnesses and now Christians. They helped me to make a decision about what to do. I remember Frankie telling me that I had to make a decision. I had to stand for Jesus and make a decision to follow him and depend on him or else to give in to the Witnesses. I followed her advice. I prayed to receive Christ into my life and I decided what I had to do. That was the moment that my life began to transform.

I walked into the room of the judicial committee. They asked me to describe the details of the sin to them. I told them that God had already forgiven me seven years prior and I did not have to justify myself to them. I added that I no longer wished to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. They asked me to leave the room so they could talk. I waited. When it was time, they called me back. They said that they wanted me to make a donation for $1282.00 for some work they had "volunteered" to do after the Katrina disaster to my great grandmother's house in which I was livng. For some reason I gave them the money. They asked me to sign a piece of paper saying that I no longer wished to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was over.

My family asked me to leave my house. I had to move. I found a new place to live. I found a distant family member who was also an apostate and we were able to talk and he helped me emotionally. He helped me grow into a Christian. I found a church home and I am busy there. It has been less than a year since my disassociation from the WatchTower society. It has been the best year of my life. I can hardly wait to see where God takes me. It has been a ride of joy just so far despite the losses.

---

NERAKA dan SURGA (Kesaksian Elizabeth)

Kejadiannya pada bulan September 2001, ketika itu saya dan tim saya sedang berdoa syafaat di gereja. Saat itu saya sadar masih ada di dalam gereja, tapi saya juga merasakan bahwa roh saya dibawa oleh Tuhan Yesus ke suatu tempat lain.