“Revival”: Mosques are closed in Iran and Muslims accept Jesus

“Revival”: Mosques are closed in Iran and Muslims accept Jesus 8/14/24 Guiame.com.br Translated by Josimar Salum Despite local persecution, many are abandoning Islam and finding hope in Jesus. Amid the climate of war in the Middle East, there are reports that many Muslims are experiencing a spiritual awakening. With this, mosques are also closing. In Iran, an anonymous internal survey found that 80% of Iranians prefer a democratic government, and many are leaving Islam. Todd Nettleton, from The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), explained: "You have a country with one of the highest rates of drug addiction in the world. You have a country where corruption runs rampant. You have a country where more than half of the people live below the poverty line." "And the people of Iran are looking at this and saying, 'Wait a minute. If this is what Islam has brought us for the last 45 years, we're not interested. We want to know what the other options are,'" he added. According to Nettleton, many are choosing Jesus, with at least a million Muslims reportedly abandoning Islam to follow Christ. With about 50,000 of the country's 75,000 mosques currently closed, the leader said the country's regime is not happy. "They are looking to solidify their power and crush any kind of dissent," Nettleton said. He continued, "We've heard several stories this year of Bible study and a house church being raided. There, everyone is photographed and interrogated. But then they are arrested and put in jail." Furthermore, Nettleton noted that family and friends are more tolerant than the government about abandoning Islam. “They’re like, ‘If you’ve found something that works for you, then I’m happy. I know Islam doesn’t work,’” he explained. Dreams and Visions Don Shenk, executive director of The Tide Ministry, said he believes what’s happening in the country represents “what’s happening in the Islamic world.” He said Muslims are having dreams and visions that lead them to find purpose and a new perspective on God. “Many are saying, ‘Now I understand that God loves me. I always thought God wanted to punish me,’” he explained.  There’s an awakening happening all over the Muslim world, not just in Iran,” he added. Shenk noted that people are being reached with the gospel through radio broadcasts in Afghanistan, where the Taliban pose a great danger to those seeking information from secret Christians in the country. “There’s a lot of suspicion. If I go and meet these people and share that I’m now a believer, they think, ‘Are they really true believers or are they just trying to identify me?’” he said. “It’s more than just being ostracized or rejected by your family. It’s actually the threat of death. So accepting a new life in Christ means accepting the possibility that your life will end in this world,” he added. Christianity is also spreading in Yemen, where the Joshua Project reported that Christian growth is nearly double the global average. In addition, Nettleton sees the Saudi Arabian monarchy becoming a bit more tolerant of Christians and their churches. “Not necessarily welcoming them with open arms, obviously. But just the understanding that it could happen, that there could be Christians here. And maybe that’s not the worst thing in the world.” This is such a huge shift from what we would have seen 10, 15 or 20 years ago,” he explained. This awakening is bringing about changes that could transform not just Iran, but the entire Middle East. https://guiame.com.br/gospel/mundo-cristao/avivamento-mesquitas-sao-fechadas-no-ira-e-muculmanos-aceitam-jesus.html