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...among African Muslims, "42% [come to Jesus through] visions, dreams, angelic appearances and hearing God's voice."
"A member of the Yakan people in Basilan Province dreamed that the Prophet Mohammed could not look Jesus in the eye. . . . "
www.amightywind.com...
"...In the dream, Jesus told me to come to Him and read the Bible and He would show me the way, truth and the life..."
"His office has received thousands of letters from Muslims," says Bright. "Many tell of a dream they had: 'I saw Jesus. He declared to me "I am the way."
A convert from the Middle East who had been afflicted with severe headaches was lying on his bed after having prayed for his sick son. A man with a beautiful, peaceful face appeared. Dressed in white, the figure walked to the head of the man’s bed and touched him three times on the head. The next morning his headaches were gone. His son, too, was fully healed. Understandably, he now recounts with confidence, “I believe in prayer in the name of the Christ.”
Two Types of Dreams
The great majority of dreams seem to fall into one of two broad categories. The first could be considered the preparatory dream. Like Christ appearing in a white robe, the vision confirms thoughts or conversations one has been having about Christ or the Christian faith. The second could be called the empowering dream. Here the dream or vision commonly gives the believer strength in the face of persecution. Short of persecution, it may embolden believers, strengthening the nature of their witness.
One night he had a frightening dream. Then as second and a third. Then for six nights, Mohammed had similar dreams. Each time, Mohammed saw himself in different places and, regardless of where he was, the same man in white came and helped him. In the last dream (the 9th dream), Mohammed was sitting under a tree reading books that he couldn’t understand. The man in white (Jesus) was sitting beside him. Jesus took a book and said, “This book comes from the Lord and it has the message of God inside of it. In this book, I will show you verses which will help you.” Jesus read scriptures to Mohammed, including John 14:6, which says, “I am the way, the truth and the life." The next day Mohammed told a Christian acquaintance about his dream. Mohammed suffered greatly for his new found faith. He was rejected by his father and several times he was in danger of death by persecution.
Khalil (Egypt) - A radical Egyptian terrorist changed from a murderous “Saul” to a forgiving “Paul” after Jesus Christ visited him in a soul-penetrating dream. This hater of both Christians and Jews set out to discredit the Bible, but instead, he was transformed when Jesus appeared to him and changed his heart. (in Arabic * 28:51 minutes) (more...) [see link immediately below]:
Khalil started memorizing the Qur’an at a very early age and developed what he called a love for the word of God. As he grew older, he started reading books on Islam and the interpretation of the Qur’an. By sorting out Muslims from non-Muslims according to the Qur’an’s teaching, he ended up considering his own parents infidels. Little things such as a woman not wearing a veil would make her a non-Muslim according to the way he understood the Qur’an. If a man didn’t grow a beard he would be considered a non-Muslim. He considered the Christians his worst enemies and started getting involved in attacks against Christians and churches. The Islamic Group, dedicated to the overthrow of the secular government of Egypt and the installation of a strict Muslim government, recruited him into their ranks, appointing him as a local leader. His group became involved in kidnapping a famous moderate Muslim writer who had dared to criticize the Islamic Group.
…
One day as he was trying to make a phone call at a café, his attaché was stolen. The bag contained all of his research papers, his Bible and his identity card. He was terrified because everything he had written would be considered blasphemous, and the bag also contained his ID card. He rushed home, troubled and tormented. In his room he started repenting for all that he had done and thought that God was punishing him for daring to think that Mohammed was not sent from God and that the Qur’an was not the word of God. He repented, washed himself, and pulled his rug out to pray, but he couldn’t bend his knees nor open his mouth to say one word of the Qur’an. He sat down and said, “God you know that I love you, and I know that you want me on the right path. God, I can’t resist anymore. All that I did, I did trying to please you. Please pull me out of this darkness.”
That night, Khalil slept in a way he hadn’t slept for years. In a dream, he saw a man, who came to him and told him that he was the one for whom Khalil had been searching. Khalil didn’t know who the man was. The man told him to look in the Book (the Bible). Khalil said the Book and all his papers were lost, to which the man replied, “The book never gets lost. Get up and open your closet and you will find it. The rest of your papers will be returned to you by the end of the week.”
. . .
. . .
After several years of schooling, he returned home. One night he had a frightening dream. He saw people along the roadside who were suffering. He entered a gate and people took him and beat him. Then he was locked in a room that was very hot. It was so hot that his flesh began to peel off his body. As he began screaming and trying to kick the door open, he woke up. He couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night. The next night, he had another dream. This time he was on a different road and he saw decaying bodies. He came to the same gate, was beaten and taken to the same room. His flesh was melting off his body when a man dressed in white appeared. Suddenly, the room became cold and the people who were beating him disappeared. The man stretched his hand out and held Mohammed’s hand, saying, “My son, what are you doing here? Do you want me to take you home?” Mohammed says, “Within a second I was back home and he said to me, ‘I love you, my son.’”
. . .
The next day Mohammed went to meet a Christian acquaintance to tell him about this dream. This friend introduced him to some young men from another church and they led Mohammed to Christ. He told his parents that he was now a Christian. After several months, Mohammed’s father forced him to drink poison. He ordered men in the village to surround Mohammed so he couldn’t escape. Interestingly, two days earlier Jesus had appeared to Mohammed and told him that whatever difficulties he faced, He would make a way for him. Mohammed asked his father if he could pray before he swallowed the poison. He prayed, swallowed the poison, and went to bed. The next morning, to his father’s dismay, Mohammed was still alive. Later, his family tried to kill him by shooting him with a poisoned arrow. He spent a month in the hospital, but he survived this experience as well.
. . .
The month of Ramadan arrived and Dini became diligent with the religious practices of fasting and prayer. One night, during Ramadan, she decided to pray the tahajud prayer. The tahajud prayer is not one of the five required daily prayers. It is only done at midnight and, in particular, it includes petitions that ask God for signs. Dini set her alarm clock and woke up to pray. She says, “I had such strong faith that whatever I asked God for that night, God would listen and give His answer.” At the end of the prayer which she had memorized, she cried out to God and said, “God, I am confused. I’m very confused about the way to meet Your approval.” She continued, “God, if you wish for me to live life within your demands, then tonight show me the right path. If you do not show me, God, then let me live life the way I want. I won’t ever again care about the rules of religion. And if I die, don’t send me to hell. I didn’t know what was right! It wouldn’t be fair for me to go to hell, God. You never showed me the right way. What I want, God, is to be shown the right path tonight. I will live my life the way you appoint it.”
.
A bright light then appeared and she saw a figure standing in front of her. The man was wearing a white robe but she couldn’t see his face clearly. She doesn’t know how but she realized that the figure was Isa. He said, “Follow me,” and she was confused and thought, “Lord, I am a Muslim. How can I follow you?” She asked several other questions as she wondered how she could follow the God of the Christians. She heard another voice saying, “You can’t possibly follow Him. Forget your prayer! Forget the intention of leading a good life!” When she looked at the man in white, she felt calm and peaceful. Jesus continued to say, “Follow me,” as He stretched out His hand. Dini struggled over her decision but finally she said, “God, if this is the way of truth, okay. I want to follow you.” The moment she said that, she felt as if ice was pouring over her chest. At the same time, she felt a peace she had never experienced before. She says, “I felt something extraordinary inside my heart.”
Although Ali wasn’t a religious man—his family said they were Muslims but they didn’t really know much about the religion—he decided to go to Mecca, hoping that this would free him from alcoholism. He says, “I made a decision in my heart. I am going to be a true pilgrim. I am going to be a true Muslim and I will quit drinking.” The first night he was at Mecca, Ali had a dream. In the dream, Jesus took Ali’s hand and said, “You belong to me.” He also put His finger on Ali’s forehead and said, “You need to leave this place and go right now.” When Ali woke up, he felt like he was floating so he touched the carpet to make sure that he was still on the ground. He continued to hear Jesus’ voice saying, “You need to come with me. You belong to me.” Ali’s friends saw a shiny spot on his forehead where Jesus had touched him, but when Ali looked in the mirror, he couldn’t see it. (This spot on his forehead looked like “sim,” a glittery type of makeup that Turkish brides wear.)
.
Ali decided to continue his pilgrimage. However, his one-month old car would not start. He kept hearing Jesus’ voice saying, “You need to go from here.” Once he changed his mind and decided to leave Mecca, his car started. He went home to his apartment and heard the same voice again. This time Jesus told him that he should go back to Turkey. Within three days, he was at a “welcome home” party in Turkey. Again, he heard the voice. This time, Jesus told him to tell everyone at the party that he was now a Christian. He did this, but the people didn’t really take him seriously.
. . .
Originally posted by jonthedit
What does this prove? This proves that the human mind constantly wants to believe there is a greater power or beings that control and created humanity. If someone showed me the brain waves of those who had visions then maybe I'd be convinced that these dreams were not triggered by desire.
Originally posted by jonthedit
What does this prove? This proves that the human mind constantly wants to believe there is a greater power or beings that control and created humanity. If someone showed me the brain waves of those who had visions then maybe I'd be convinced that these dreams were not triggered by desire.
Originally posted by jonthedit
What does this prove? This proves that the human mind constantly wants to believe there is a greater power or beings that control and created humanity. If someone showed me the brain waves of those who had visions then maybe I'd be convinced that these dreams were not triggered by desire.
Originally posted by jonthedit
What does this prove? This proves that the human mind constantly wants to believe there is a greater power or beings that control and created humanity. If someone showed me the brain waves of those who had visions then maybe I'd be convinced that these dreams were not triggered by desire.
And, of course, I have no explanation as to why Jesus picks some vs others
Originally posted by NOTurTypical
There is no such thing as mass hallucinations, ask any Psychologist.
I don't have anything to add to the PREDESTINATION/FREE WILL debate of the centuries.
Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by BO XIAN
Ravi is indeed a treasure I'll always have. I can't think of a better apologist in Christendom, with the late Dr. Greg Bahnsen and Dr. Jason Lisle coming in a distant 2nd and 3rd.