I can testify that I have heard over 200 testimonies of believers from a Muslim background. As I listened to them, one thing was clear: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ. (Rom. 10:17). I observed that the dramatic did not save them, but God’s word did. So what about all these dreams of Jesus?
Hearing the Word
God’s Word saves those who believe. Hearing the Word always is the central part of one’s salvation. When I hear the testimonies of these new believers from an Islamic background, it’s striking that nearly 50% or more of them mention a dream or an unusual incident, with a few even recounting a vision. However, it’s important to note that these visions may not align with a biblical understanding of the term. The authenticity and validity of these experiences are known only to God, but for the testifier, they are real. It’s foolish to question someone’s testimony or experience, especially regarding what they consider miraculous. As they testify, these miraculous events spoke strongly to their belief process. Distinctly, Middle Easterners and those in Central Asia perceive these ideas as authoritative, not a whim.
Cultural Tendencies – Dreams of Jesus
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, ESV
Undoubtedly, 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 has guided my understanding. The Jews look/require/demand “signs,” while the Greeks look to wisdom. I see this as cultural tendencies that exist in people groups. Of course, we are speaking in generalities, but Iranians, Afghans, and Tajiks are very Jewish-like in this area. They base many of their decisions and give authority to anything that seems miraculous. If they, like the Jews, demand this type of encounter, how do we respond?
A classic illustration of this is the 1971 movie Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye needs to convince his wife about his daughter marrying the tailor… his pretended dream speaks to his wife’s sense of what is authoritative. She values dreams, her late aunt, and someone coming back from the dead to convince her that it is a bad omen for her daughter to marry the butcher. He knew his wife would demand a more miraculous reason than she loved the tailor and not the butcher.
These legitimate-based things also describe the Islamic psyche. They see touches of the spiritual realm as authoritative, and dreams become their primary means of reconsideration.
Wisdom Method and Dreams of Jesus
Europe and North America are very Greek. We base decisions on logic and sequential thoughts and give authority to this process – often very pragmatic. How should we respond when we hear that our neighbor, Joe, came to Christ through Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ or Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict? While we might appreciate that God can use logic and creative apologetic proofs to demonstrate His workings, it’s important to remember that Joe is not saved by these proofs but by the power of God’s Word. We would not doubt what took place. Yet, we know they cannot be saved without hearing the Word of faith. This method did not save them but only helped them come to faith.
In sharing the gospel, we provide scripture and demonstrate many proofs of Christ’s death and resurrection, as well as evidence that the Word of God remains unchanged. For this reason, the translations of Scripture and the use of the Bible in witnessing become central to the process of salvation.
However, if one had a dream, where did that come from? The running joke is that if one had a dream, what kind of pizza did you have last night to initiate this? Yet, for those who resemble the Jewish demand for a sign, the dream means something. Could God use what that person considers authoritative to create a greater thirst for the gospel? Much like God uses apologetic proofs for a more Western mindset. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17, ESV)
Focus: Christ-crucified
The passage in 1 Corinthians 1 focuses on Christ crucified – which has been our focus for over 30 years. Some missionaries reluctantly proclaim Christ this way to their Muslim friends. The Gospel is Christ crucified. I mentioned dreams in previous social media posts since so many believers from that background give credence to a dream. I cannot deny that God can use this tendency in their lives to draw them to Himself. Many people who don’t have direct access to Scripture have dreams that prompt them to seek out a believer or the Scriptures. This is often the case for believers from an Islamic background where the Scriptures are not readily available and/or reading is minimized.
In some Western circles, they put dreams into a box and, after locking it, do not want to consider how these subconscious matters relate to our spiritual world. However, when I listen to these testimonies, I realize that their dreams often resulted from their reading of Scripture at that time or a dream that led them to read or find a portion of the Bible. This consistently occurs. It’s important to note that the dream does not save them; God’s Word does. There is no fear in talking about this subject as usual.
In my mind, the dream is a method God uses to draw people to himself. Scripture shows this quite a bit in how God leads people to change. The dream does not save a person but points to what they should be looking for.
What are your thoughts on dreams of Jesus? I would love to hear your perspective, especially if it differs from mine. I’m still learning about this topic.
To know the critical differences between Christianity and Islam, check out my book Searching Below the Surface.
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