Journey From Islam to Christ | Daniel Shayesteh | John 1:1-3, 14

hey you probably hear me in the hallways if you guys could come in I've actually I've actually come up with this new test to find out if your church is healthy or not and if the parking lots not empty right after the closing prayer you're healthy that's just my test and then if everybody likes each other and they talk a lot that's not just a reflection that the pastor likes to talk a lot it's actually a reflection that you like each other so I want to introduce you today and then we're gonna pray for dr. Daniel Shasta I actually was listening to messages online I came across him I said to my wife I want you to listen to this man she listened I sent it to the message to a bunch of our leaders some of them said we have to have him here almost immediately we started talking on the phone and via email and I just knew that the Lord wanted to bring him here to minister not only to our congregation but really to the to the community and so it's been our privilege to have Daniel these last few days and he's going to share about some of the books that he has on sale on the at the book table actually we just tell him just pay full price everybody there's no sales today you'll just be supporting his ministry after he speaks today we will be receiving a love offering Daniel said to me that his ministry he lives by faith and he simply doesn't ask for anything just you know if you just want to receive a love offering afterwards so we're actually expecting that there's gonna be a lot of love in the offering so let's pray for Daniel we'll let him tell his story father we thank you so much for our brother we thank you for what you've done in his life and where we thank you that his story his testimony what you've done in his life and in his family Lourdes is an absolute miracle of your grace kindness and mercy today Lord we pray that as we listen to him that your reality that your goodness that your desire to seek and save that which is lost would be fresh in our hearts in our minds we pray this morning that we be encouraged through his testimony through the words he speaks to draw closer and closer to you Lord Jesus and we thank you use him today open our hearts open our minds open our ears open our eyes to hear what you're doing and what you're saying to us through this man in Jesus name we pray amen amen amen thank you so much pastor and all of you giving this chance to me to come here and to praise His name with you it's an honor for me to be with you here I really feel honored because I see a lot of young people here I don't see any old people here except myself and the reason I'm I feel good and honored because I know that young have power when they prepare depth of Lord and they speak and they amaze people you know people tell me I'm 65 years old oh yeah I mean thirty thirty years of spending his life you know studying it's normal for him to talk but when you talk really you affects life and they people get amazed and that's what you need to listen to me carefully today and the God has given you treasure do you need to use that treasure my books are there this is the book that we want to teach how to reach to over a billion Muslims through this book this is this is a book to lead Muslims to the Lord and also it's a book for you to prepare yourself how to talk to other people it's the polar jet ik conversational evangelistic book it's mainly focused on Muslim but thirty english-speaking teachers edited this book for me because of my English they all told me this is not only for Muslims this is for all Christian balls so it's an if you were here yesterday I thought about you know evangelism if you prepare yourself in an apologetic way that's going to be used for all people from all religious background so make sure if you're interested in reaching out to people grab one of those book it's a suggested donation you can you know ignore even paying that but every penny is coming to my ministry it's going to break the backbone of Satan and lift you know America and other countries to the throne of the Lord Jesus this is my life story it's an amazing story how Jesus changed a radical Muslim leader and a scholar and the politician and it's amazing I'm really I praise his name that he met me and changed my life it's a book that in many parts of the world people have read that some presidents some prime ministers have read that this book can pet Islam it Christianity in all levels if you want to understand what is Islam and is where the Islam is really peaceful or not all are there full of verses from the Koran in comparison with the Bible this book compares nine Bulls major beliefs and religions together it's a book of questions and responses the questions that touches the mind and heart of people and encourages them to think and to make themselves available for conversation now my life story this is the country run I have come from this is the country of prophet Daniel and Esther they lived in this country prophet Daniel was the second man King Cyrus and King David areas he was the Prime Minister of the country that country has become a silly terrorism now you know but we are affecting that country in a mighty way even is the country that has killed many number of Christians and pastors and even killed 11 pastors from only one church but it's the number one country for many people coming to the Lord it is because our voices are louder so if you make your voice louder after one year and or two years you will see what's happening in America and in all over devil because I make it influencing the world I was born in a Muslim family I have come from the northern part of the country from there my father had two wives and twelve children they were all living together I was the one from childhood encouraged to memorize the Quran to recite the Quran reciting it with the voice of my voice was good and people were attracted by voice but they don't know the meaning of the verses and I was really myself embarrassed later to learn the meaning of the verses I was singing with beautiful you know voice those the meanings are hard anyhow I became very very famous you know at the age of nine people called me through their if different religious ceremonies I performed the Islamic rituals and recited the Quran for them but you know I'm just going to rush a little bit you know concerning the beginning of my life but I just want to tell you a brief how that is this he has been he was working since I was a young lad I have amazing stories in my you know testimony book my biography that I haven't got time to talk to you I just simply want to tell you by His grace I am here it is impossible for a Muslim leader to become a follower of Jesus Christ not only that to become his evangelist to the end of the world so by his grace I am here but listen what kind of grace is dead I finished my high school and entered University in the university I became a radical Muslim followed of this radical Muslim leader that he wanted the king of Iran to be killed because the king of Iran accepted Israel as a country no Muslim should believe for any right for any Jew it's illegal Jews actually you know what demonized and Islamic books are saying that the end time won't come until all Jews are dead and even Islamic books are saying that even rocks and trees will help Muslim to get rid of Jews because some Jews will hide themselves behind rocks and trees and trees will call Muslim brothers there is one here come and finish so it's that's what you know this man's doctrine is and was and so he wanted to get rid of the king but we were young students didn't know Islamic Phillip political and social philosophy were deceived by this clergy he promised us such a cruel dictator promised us freedom and democracy to prosper from the oil money in the country we didn't know it is impossible for dictators to give democracy or to have reverence toward democracy anyway we were fooled you know we became his followers and you know the king of Iran couldn't survive and he left the country and we captured the country because I was one of the famous boys initially I was invited to stop the Revolutionary Army that's me here with two others now even had a powerful general army but radical Muslim never trusts the general army god forbid if one day Muslims take over Austria America they do not trust any army members here they need to make their own army army made our committed and jihadi Muslims they are them there are such Muslims that if necessary they kill their parents for the sake of Islam and I hope you read the Quran I mean Quran it's in the website possibly you can spend time one hour every week you know read half a chapter or one third of the chapter to understand what what I'm talking or at least you can read this book and to understand there are many plenty of verses there so there the goal of the army was to prepare young boys and girls with Islamic principles you know Lamech you know much to make Iran fully committed alam ik and also god capture Israel and then also do some terroristic things in different parts of the world world why terrorism because you need to frighten people if people are scared then they surrender the meaning of Islam in Arabic means surrender so we frightened you you surrender you become a Muslim so that's the goal of the army and it's that this army is now giant unfortunately by the help of Russia and and the China and it's a threat to the world and especially to the middle Middle East and when I was part of the government in Iran our goal was to capture entire the Middle East's entire Middle East needed to follow Iranian and system but very soon I became an opposition to the grand leader that was the everything I started I really I didn't think if I was a thinker I wouldn't do that but very soon I saw the grand grand leader was doing something that was not part of his promises before the Revolution and it scared us it frightened us that this is going to destroy our country and we won't be able to talk at all my death sentence was this I said in one of my talks that we have you know initiated we started the revolution and we became victorious because we want to build this country if anyone in this country does mistake we need to remind him even our grand leader I got a death sentence for that you know and so it still it was the first year there was a interim interim Prime Minister was you know in that time a liberal man a little bit so the Claridge's haven't occupied every place so there wasn't still freedom there we raise their voices and people stood behind us we won the election with 88 percent of people's watch one of my colleagues became the president of the country but Ayatollah leader lasts with two percent almost zero one year we proved to people that we should not follow him but it was the chief commander of the Revolutionary Army and then he used his power he wanted to kill the president three times he initiated to kill the president president eventually escaped from the country he's a refugee in France now government was demolished and he became so cruel killed people some escaped humble you know court I was one of them caught and put in a Cell waiting on death row I got my death sentence with four others all four were killed I was able to escape but they help out some friends very old friends they put their life in risk they played some legal games so I was able to you know come out from the prison and escape from Iran to Turkey my escape story is really powerful painful and you can understand the glory of Jesus the one I didn't know in that time it's amazing when he has a plan for you nothing is going to stop that plan it's amazing I really encourage you to read my chest life astoria testimony anyhow I was able to cross the border of Turkey enter into Turkey in Turkey I didn't know really what was my future Turkish is my mother language so Iran has 30 million Turks and so the language is a little bit different but it's not difficult for iranian turks i prepared myself entered University to do my doctorate listen to how God is leading my step in in for my doctorate thesis for my doctorate major which must supervising you know professor we chose this title how religions and cultures and philosophies affect human attitudes established their attitudes their leadership their family relationship your belief does if you believe in Christ it is going to affect your relationship with other people your values and so I became really interested in it because in my mind also I was disillusioned with Islamic political philosophy and I was thinking hi but to study about my forefathers religion called Zoroastrianism before Islam and so this topic brought other religions into it so now I have to study the world major religions and philosophies like eight years and you know humanism new-age Confucianism to see which one is the best for Humanity which one has contributed more for freedom individual freedom now in my mind that was thinking I would find best thing about Islam because for 32 years I had learned I was brainwashed that Islam was the perfect the last and perfect religion in the world there is no religion perfect like Islam Islam came to complete the imperfection of other religions in particular Christianity and Judaism because Islam links itself to those two religions but to my surprise and shock I found Islam the worst religion among all other religions it was shocking to me really it becomes shocking to me because always you have learned here you have put here my beloved religion is the best you know I was shocked also and surprised and amazed because for 32 years I was taught that Christianity is the worst religion in the world and Christians are the most immoral people in the world whatever immorality they see in America they say it's from Christianity to my surprise I found Christianity was the best the toughest I'm not talking to you spiritually I'm talking about the political philosophy social relationship individual freedom leadership best number one amazed really I discovered that the civilization in the Western countries is strongly linked to the gospel gospel is the root of civilization freedom is coming from the Bible individual freedom is coming from the Bible from there believe because of Christianity because of judeo-christianity how why you see most of you do not know this most of the churches and American do not know this that's why I am begging you you need to discover this because if you discover you really become the strongest pillar of Jesus Christ in this country how this freedom is coming from this Bible individual freedom there is no individual freedom in any other religion and believe just read my book because I can talk to you 10 days yet let me just mention this one to you it's yum it's delicious because in this book God is called your father your daddy in this book there is an intimate relationship between children and daddy and children and mummy there is no any barrier between you and your daddy according to this book there is no wall between you and your daddy there is no veil you can directly without any problem you can go to your father and talk to your father and he talks to you the intimacy is number one is powerful the real intimacy you can talk to him you can even complain to him and tell him what is wrong with you you know Jeremiah said that Jeremiah said you deceived me I am not ready for this God is not deceiver but Jeremiah's has a problem here he is complaining to his father I'm not ready for this kind of ministry you said you sent me here why did you do that why Jeremiah is doing that because because the father his Jeremiah's father since your father true father so you can complain to him you can laugh with him you can talk with him reason with him he said in Isaiah chapter 1 come and reason together you can cry with him you can identify with him you can tickle him your dad my eldest daughter several years ago she tickled me I passed pass up I woke up and she so who dad doesn't know that's okay that's okay why because dad and child there is no barrier dad believes in your freedom that says you are free I do not allow anyone to limit your freedom it's coming from here that freedom was not made by university gurus in America it's coming from here it's amazing it amazed me I said wow that's why Western people are free whole lotta other things my brothers and sisters I'm going to write actually a book about the culture of Jesus and civilization amazing amazing because these are the areas that you need to prepare people are deaf to his spirituality but you can wake them up through this amazed because in every way it is good and also shocked because no other religion and philosophy has any good thing for society America now is now you know chained by many socialists in this country without knowing that socialism is the enemy of freedom individual freedom who is going to solve this problem you and I you're the salt and light of the world we need to prepare our so that's why I'm saying that I'm honored to be among you young people you have I am to prepare yourself I have spent years for writing this book I went to many libraries a decade ago but now you don't need to go to many libraries just open your laptop you can prepare yourself a lot of rubbish ting in the Raptor laptop but a lot of things are there too it changed my worldview about Christianity but I am NOT a follower of Jesus Christ yet I was a stiff neck I needed to experience some more pain I was a partner to an Iranian businessman in Turkey he had a little business I became his partner to make more money after a while he took all my money and escaped to Germany this is frightening me I couldn't do anything I couldn't chase him legally because company was under his name try to find the friendly way to approach him I didn't know any of his friends in Turkey so really shattered emotionally didn't know what to do one day I remembered that there was a Christian group coming to him I decided to go to the Church of the Christian group to get some ideas from them thought possibly they would be able to help me to find him and I went to the church they were so nice to me and they promised me to find him in Germany because they had many friends in Germany they would write for them and to search for him they asked me to keep in touch with them so if they got any result they would be able to share that with me I asked them how can I keep in touch with you they asked me to go to their church for the result not a good news for me for a Muslim because a Muslim shouldn't go to a church especially a fugitive Muslim it's a death sentence for your for your family you have already a death sentence this week this excuse becomes another one and your family can be persecuted in Iran my wife and children in that time anyhow my money was big thirty thousand dollars forced me to go to church but I discovered they were so so nice people lovely people churches are nice church people are beautiful but many people outside do not know and that's why you need to reflect that love outside for people to know that in the meantime I was listening their messages their message about God was amazing I was teaching also philosophy in Iran I didn't know the philosophy of the Bible about God is different to the philosophy of all other religions they were teaching that God in the Bible is the person of God why because only personal God can create impersonal God cannot create gods in all other religions are impersonal in other words they do not have any personality if God doesn't have any personality if God is not person then that God cannot have image because image only can be a personal beings impersonal God doesn't have brain you cannot say no God has brain impersonal means no God no God has brain so no God no image if God doesn't have image he cannot plan if he doesn't have plan he cannot he does not have anything to put into practice creation is in one practical thing so you see how you can prove God's in other religion are not real God they do not exist they are only made in the image of people but they say God the Bible is personal he has image he has created us he is personal I am personal true persons can have a relationship with each other only true person can have relationship with each other he is personal therefore he is functional therefore he can create therefore he can save that's why there is salvation only in this book not in any other religious book but all Muslims including myself we always desire to have relationship with our Creator Islam Quran says you cannot have that is the wall between you and creator when I heard that you know God is personal I said this is so yummy and delicious it really touched my heart and brain I said amazing I didn't know this this makes sense to me so you see I have gone for my money how he's working in my life that money just was an excuse I lost thirty thousand dollars it was a miracle sometimes you need to lose to see God I lost thirty thousand dollars and he gave me a book seven dollars amazing I became more interested and then I had a dream I don't I had I don't have time to talk about dream my dream the following Sunday I went to the church I heard my dream from the pulpit it amazed me it shocked me that dream my study in the university and their teaching all caused me to be interested in reading the Bible personally I grabbed a New Testament first and started to read the New Testament New Testament is mighty book really if you if you approach New Testament philosophically and doctrinally and you know through every angle of life it's an amazing book New Testament not only reveals God to you put your hand in the hands of God and unites you with God there are mighty philosophical and doctrinal passages there you know I was my mind was philosophical it's amazing that God revealed himself to me in a philosophical way in an amazing way I mean philosophy sometimes scares you know we sometimes speaking our daily language philosophy when you say oh I saw you I was happy that means you revealed yourself that revelation is a philosophy you see we speak that daily it's really the philosophy of Christ includes everything it's so delicious it's so yummy and so I was amazed really I finished the book for the first time I lost the God of Islam and I discovered that God of the Bible is the true God in every way and it started to read the gospel for the second time the second time Jesus revealed his amazing love to me he marveled me he amazed everything in Jesus is love based on love and he as logical reason for that it's not only spiritual it's logical reason we need to have reason for everything we have in Jesus why love because only love and kindness brings people together you don't say to people I hate you I'm not happy with you but I'm going to be free good for your friend it's not going to work you need to be sacrificial loving in order to have peace in your family spouses children in the society you need to have a peace first in your heart that's why he says love your God with all your being jesus said that if you do not love me more than your wife and mother and brothers don't follow me why he's saying that is he selfish no he's saying that through yourself first into the ocean of love leaving the ocean of love then you'll be able to love your wife and husband amazing I said I have to give my life to him I did there are some other pictures can you go forward for me this is not working please go forward go forward this is my wife by the way this is our wedding you see I'm not smiling there after our marriage our first child my family here I was an opposition a candidate for the Islamic Parliament next one I gave my heart to Jesus you see I'm smiling here here stay here this is my wife and three daughters my wife didn't know I was a follower of Christ I couldn't tell her actually one day through telephone we were talking she said to me what are you doing a part of my conversation I told her I found a friend she said to me you're very good in finding friends you found one who took your thirty thousand dollars and when I don't know what is this one going to do with you I couldn't say this friend was Jesus because it's so dangerous for her and also she was an aggressive girl you know you so she had the gun I just said this friend is good I couldn't tell her because if I told her she would be under pressure to divorce me that lamech law also she had to operate with them leaders to kill me I don't want sure to that chaos but I was surely free if he came she would be amazed because of the changes in my life and God open the door in an amazing way she was not going to come something happened in Iran she decided to leave the country you know that scared her she came and joined me and she discovered that I was you know different I was smiling a lot as a as a husband committed radical modern we do not smile you know that's not Iranian culture Iranian culture is a smiley dancing you know always always people want a happy but Islamic culture when Islam dominates you have to be always angry serious frightened people you saw me that you know I was happy I was helping my children I was helping her in the kitchen and sometimes I thought she was there I was singing with joy singing and music is illegal in Islam it's evil if Muslims take over they break all instruments she thought I had gone crazy in the second way she asked me what that what had happened to me that was the scary moment for me for the first time I was scared there from my wife because I did the consequence could be a scary if she understood that I was a follower of Jesus Christ Islamic law is I have lost my authority now she has the authority she can decide my children can decide I cannot decide so minimum she would take the children and go back to Iran minimum but she could you know do more she could go and cry to a few Turks committed Muslim Turks they could come even cut you in pieces who cares a Christian is dead in an Islamic country a lot of excuses you know to say Muslims haven't done that Christians have done it but I praise His name I was scared really in my you know in my heart I didn't know really what to respond to her I actually complained to Jesus in my heart in that a few moments I said Lord why you're rushing this is the second week lord I need minimum two three months to pave this little by little Lord while you're rushing Lord unless you want to come and help me now and I praise His name he came I praise His name I love the Lord so much that's that's my Bible I love the Lord so much and I I really humbly ask you every day repeat that I love you Lord because you have a am a amazing and amazing covenant with him you are in love with him he is in love with you he came he helped I told what happened to me she was terrified it's terrifying because we had three children if she says to me okay so then we do not have the right of guardianship over our children Muslims can take our children promised at least someone needs to be Muslim and actually two times I was threatened in Turkey by two radical Muslim very soon they were going to take our children but amazing his story I have you know she terrifies me but she didn't go back to Iran because something had happened Lord had allowed something happened to her that wouldn't allow her to go back she had arrived and not to go back that was for me she remained there week after which she discovered that I was changed really she said really Jesus changed this wise man in my absence without asking me she was taking my gospel and reading it to see whether Jesus changes people where they dis manager is speaking the truth she never told me but she was very aggressive full of pride and also Muslim three do not say to other people I read the Christian book you know Bible it's dangerous but I caught her one night and that from the door for me after that to encourage her to read the Bible I encouraged her to attend ladies meeting Bible study she said no I'm not going to go there I don't want anyone to know and you know under you understand you're not going to talk to any Iranian she told me you're you don't put you my life and your children life in danger anyhow I didn't have any weapon but the church I went to the church ladies and said you need to call my wife so they called a few times and she used some excuses and they became tired and they gave up and I went to the church ladies again what are you doing you're not calling my wife they said brother we don't want really to you know disturb her and she said several times no I said call her again please you know and eventually she said this lady's made me sick let me go there maybe I can find an excuse and do not go there anymore but she didn't know that Jesus is clever she went there she was really amazed and she found the ladies were free they were talking like princesses my goodness one said this morning the Lord spoke to my heart the other one said the Lord spoke to me yesterday she said who she said who is this Lord speaking to ladies I am following the most perfect Islam I was told you have to stay in the wrong room you should not go out Quran chapter 33 verse 33 if you go out you do not speak quietly cover your face whole body nobody knows you are that's my perfect religion and this is the imperfect religion our Christianity that Christians are speaking like princesses if this is named for imperfection I love it and the next time so where are you going I'm going to ladies meetings after two and a half months she had a dream too let me tell her dream she was walking with Jesus on a beautiful land with several other ladies all of a sudden they came to a steep valley Jesus and other ladies walked through it very easily she was afraid to fall down she couldn't go Jesus called her said just take your first step don't be afraid she took the first step the valley was lifted up and she walked to Jesus as soon as I heard that I got goose bump and jumped and brought my Bible opened Isaiah chapter 40 all valleys and mountains will become level why because mighty God is walking in front of you she started to cry I cried I asked her why you're crying she told me why you're crying that softened her heart toward the Lord Jesus and she took their reading our gospel seriously and after a while she gave her heart to the Lord and the Lord changed the entire family the last one place last picture Lord not only changed us but he has been using us in an amazing way my brothers and sisters can I ask you humbly to love Jesus so much please do that because that's the solution for everything god bless you thank you so much [Applause] could we have the ushers come forward we're going to take up a love offering

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Length: 47min 44sec (2864 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 08 2020