Written by Dr. Pat

Iain left his homeland for a better life in another country where he opened a butcher shop selling only products for Muslims. He found it very difficult to own the business, being responsible for marketing as well as day-to-day operations. 

America had just gone into Iraq. In the Mosque, Iain overheard the Imam praying to Allah for Muslims to hate the Americans, cursing them, their wives and their children. This was quite disturbing to hear and it got him to questioning the hatred within Islam. He was struggling with his business and his religion.  He was not sleeping well.

Iain’s two brothers who had become Christians offered to pray for him. He would not accept their concern and told them there were no problems. The brothers prayed for him anyway and Iain felt a peace and happiness in his life for the very first time. He realized that his brothers’ beliefs were true, “Jesus Christ is God, the God who can change his life.”

He and both his brothers’ new found faith did not sit well with local Muslims in the area around the butcher shop. Iain would be asked about his faith from businesses with whom he dealt who were concerned about whether or not he was a good Muslim. His answer was to testify to them of Christ. The Muslims talked among themselves and decided not to buy from his shop any longer.

Iain implored God to help him find a solution for this situation. God put a fear in his heart and warned him, “If you don’t sell this butcher shop it will be destroyed.“  Then, as only God can arrange, a man from his homeland came to him and asked Iain if he wanted to sell the shop. The butcher shop was sold to this man although Iain received only half of the money as the buyer cheated him of the rest. Iain was able to forgive this person because of Christ.

Moving back to his homeland Iain was able to buy a house to live in with his wife and children. But without a job there was no money to live on.  He traveled back to the country he had just left to be trained for a chance to be recruited for a good job. While living there, he shared a Bible with a man from Africa. The trainers learned that he had a Bible and as a result, the company immediately refused to consider him for any job.

Devastated, Iain began to pray and cry out to God for help and direction. That night he had a dream where God revealed He had a calling on Iain’s life.  In another dream, Iain saw Christ in heaven on a cloud. Christ came to him with raised hands and blessed him with a voice like a storm. Smiling at him, Christ touched him with his hand, which was very warm, waking him. Iain awoke happy and went and told his brothers he had seen Christ. Three days later, in another dream, Iain was given the idea to evangelize starting with his family back home. When he was with his family, again he started to speak the truth to them of Christ and soon could see changes in their spirit.

Iain’s conversion was beginning to be known in the community. The local Muslims wrote the Islamic testimony, “There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is the prophet of Allah” on his front door.  So, Iain carved a cross into the door.  There were no repercussions because of his bold statement.

Iain’s 6-year-old son went to the local market for groceries. The Muslim owner challenged the boy offering him a little money and candy, encouraging him to say the Islamic testimony and become a Muslim. The boy replied, “Even if you give me the entire supermarket, I cannot.” He was strong and chose not to deny his faith in Christ                                                                                           

The local Imam (Muslim priest) asked Iain to come to the mosque to talk.  Iain expected the meeting to be just between the two of them. Instead, Iain found himself surrounded by many community members who felt his new beliefs were wrong. He prayed to God to answer them well because the first questions were about Muhammad. He heard the voice of God telling him to not hold back, but tell the truth. So, with renewed strength, Iain told them about Jesus who is the truth, and how he changes lives.

The people remembered Iain used to be a bad man and now they could see the good changes in him. They again asked Iain about his opinion of Muhammad. He began sharing what he had read in books, books that the Imam objected to. The Imam was unable to believe what Iain was saying about Muhammad.  Iain claimed everything he was saying about Muhammad was also in the Koran.  The Imam ordered everyone present at the meeting to go and buy the books that Iain had read.  Iain was so excited that these Muslims would be reading the truth about Muhammad that he went home incredibly blessed by the Holy Spirit.

Joy turned to sadness within a half hour of returning home because the Holy Spirit convicted him that he should not have focused on Muhammad at the meeting. His wife also asked him, “Why did you talk about Muhammad?” Iain could not sleep that night.  Therefore, he cried out to God, “Why did the ground under the mosque seem to shake under my feet, why does the area seem like a war zone, everything seems so sad.  Lord, did I do something wrong?”  Within minutes, he felt peace and heard the voice of God reminding him that he had gone to the house of Satan, “You told him in his house that he is a liar.” Iain had just learned a valuable lesson about spiritual warfare.  Satan does not want the people to hear the truth about Jesus or Muhammad.  He had testified about Jesus as the Son of God, the people listened, and Satan raged.

The local governor, hearing about Iain’s conversion and subsequent visit to the mosque, called Iain in for questioning.  Iain explained that the Imam did not have the evidence to convict him, but in essence, lost the debate in front of all the people. The governor, a Muslim, understood and then berated the local Muslims for not helping with humanitarian needs in his district while the Christians help needy people with food and school supplies for the children.  The governor sided with Iain and told Iain to call him if anyone else causes trouble for him.

Iain went home strengthened and encouraged by what God can do.  As Iain proclaimed, “This is the surest God of everything!”

Please pray for Iain to continue his bold witness to unbelievers around him.

A Ministry to Persecuted Christians