Despite ongoing chaos in the Middle East, stories of hope have continued to emerge from the ashes.
Case-in-point: A Syrian pastor reportedly told Open Doors USA, a group that works to combat Christian persecution across the globe, about a stunning conversion story that he witnessed.
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The pastor, who decided to stay in Syria despite death and carnage, explained how he helped a Muslim extremist come to Christ.
“One of the pastors who chose to stay there talked about how he was hosting a church event, feeding the community who was remaining in this city, and they would feed the community and have a sermon where they shared the gospel message,” Emily Fuentes, communications director of Open Doors USA, told Mission Network News.
She continued, “And as he’s preparing to do it, he and the other pastor saw a Muslim extremist man with a beard without a mustache, which is an indication of a more fundamental, extremist Muslim, so they were concerned.”
But rather than ignore the man or scrap their plans to preach, the pastors decided to pray about him and then invited the man in. And it was that bold decision to step out in faith that yielded some stunning results, according to Fuentes.
“They prayed about it, but invited the man in and just kept an eye on him, fed him,” she explained. “And he heard the sermon and he gave his life to Christ.”
Faithwire has covered numerous Middle Eastern conversion stories in the past — reports that offer hope amid the ongoing battles against the Islamic State in the region. There was a former member of Syrian’s Al Qaeda, who surprised his friends, family and himself by claiming Jesus Christ as his savior instead of the Muslim God he has spent the majority of his life praising.
Then, there was a purported Islamic State leader who plotted to kill a Christian man — but ended up changing course and converting to Christianity. Report after report points to a revival or sorts, as some of the most extreme murderers are finding Jesus.