In the Arab World, terrorist attacks, the Islamic State, and fundamentalist Islam are combining with a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit to move more and more Muslims away from Islam and toward Jesus. The Gospel is getting traction among Muslims in ways you will never hear about through traditional means.
Five years ago, after working for 35 years in the middle east, one team member reported a network of 500 Muslim Background Believers (MBBs). In the five years since, as technology and other factors have allowed them to reach critical mass, that same team member now reports over 30,000 MBBs meeting in over 100 countries in over 3,000 cell groups! That’s a 6000% increase in just 5 years! God is moving in the Arab World!
Connecting with Seekers
One of our greatest challenges is connecting Muslims who are genuinely seeking knowledge about Jesus with missionaries and local believers who are anxious to share this Good News. Often, it’s a world of secret handshakes and code words because of the extreme danger associated with becoming a Christian. In some communities, those who want to learn about Jesus are told to wander through the market saying “Je”…”Je”…”Je”…and if they’re lucky enough, another local believer may walk up behind them and say “…sus.” That’s the code that tells them it’s safe to ask questions about the Savior.
What if I told you we discovered a better way to connect believers and seekers with a simple technological tool most of you have in your own home?
A portable internet router.
These little wireless devices are the size of a small smartphone. You simply turn them on, put them in your pocket or purse, and head out to the local Arab cafe. Anyone within a hundred meters that is checking for a wi-fi signal can log on for free to your router. Once they do, the seeker can only access the information the team has prepared, and no one can tell the origin of the signal.
They can view the Jesus film, video testimonies, portions of scripture, and other evangelistic material. The seeker can then fill in a response form and a missionary or local believer can follow up and tell them more about Jesus.
That all sounds great, but will it actually work?
The following stories were shared by a missionary in one small Arab town where these devices are being tested.
Tabitha
“Tabitha” contacted the wireless wifi system and requested a Bible, but she preferred that we send her the book and not meet her in person. She didn’t know anything about Christianity but was very interested in learning more. Our team began talking to her on Skype, and slowly she became convinced that Christianity is true. She believed and asked to be baptized.
Shane
Shortly after, “Shane” contacted our wifi system. We met the next day in a local coffee shop and talked for a few hours. Shane began reading the Bible we gave him, but still insisted that Christianity and Islam are just two sides of the same coin. After several discussions, he began to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Now he openly shares this with others on Facebook. We began studying the Bible together, and at one point he asked, “Hey, I see here that when people believe in Jesus they are baptized. Why am I not baptized?”
And so Tabitha and Shane were scheduled to be baptized on the same day!
Randy
“Randy” also found us through a wireless router. He told me that Islam is about killing, blood, and darkness. After our discussion, he said that following Jesus is about life and light. I gave him a New Testament. He said he would read it and then call me to study together. Two days later, Randy had a dream that he was drowning in the sea. A man, like a king glowing in white, stretched out his hand and said, “I can save you.”
I asked him, “if God gave you his Word to read and you found truth in it, then He sent you someone all the way from Texas to help you, and then He Himself came to you in a dream, why don’t you believe?” Randy asked how to become a Christian and when he could be baptized. Randy was also baptized with Tabitha and Shane!
Jack
A 16-year-old boy named “Jack” came to watch and told us he was a believer, too. One of our team members asked Jack when he was baptized and learned he hadn’t been yet. We extended the offer and Jack was baptized on the spot! We all took the Lord’s Supper together and rejoiced in God’s goodness!
There were sixteen of us together rejoicing with four former Muslims who found Jesus and were baptized on the same day.
Because of a wifi router.
Technology is Strategic
There are now more cell phones in the world than people. All over the Arab World, Muslims are accessing the internet through their smartphones, and technology is making this possible in powerful new ways. These wireless routers connect missionaries with Muslims seeking something more. We must use every means possible to fulfill The Great Commission.
