February 2020
Dear AWR Friend,
I don’t know if you’ve been watching the news or reading the headlines lately, but if you’re a student of prophecy, you know we’re nearing the final chapters of the great controversy between Christ and Satan—a controversy that has been raging for more than 6,000 years!
We know that all mankind must choose sides in this battle, and Satan is hard at work calling the world to a great gathering. The book of Revelation talks about three unclean spirits like frogs going “to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for the battle of the great day of God.” (Revelation 16:14)
But God is also gathering His people. He is sending three angels with a message for every human being who is willing to listen, calling them to gather on Mount Zion, His church. (Revelation 14)
At Adventist World Radio, we are seeing with growing amazement this gathering taking place all around the world. God is calling His people from the most unusual places and “compelling them to come in.”
A few months ago I was in Tanzania and met with the AWR manager of our radio station in Liberia, Africa. He shared the impact our station is having in that country, where a large portion of the population is Muslim. Our radio station is one of the main means of soul-winning in Liberia, and God is working miracles.
One story especially touched all of us, and I want to share it with you. It shows how God is gathering His people. We cannot do it alone, but this is His work and He will finish it!
MOHAMMED AND THE ANGEL
Mohammed grew up in a devout Muslim family in Liberia. Five times a day, he knelt to pray, and in all things he tried to be faithful to his beliefs. Most afternoons would find him making his way to the mosque near his home for evening prayers.
One day, while listening to the radio at home, he heard a program he’d never heard before. What first caught his attention was the beautiful music. Someone was singing a strangely moving song, and Mohammed thought he’d never heard anything like it in his life:
“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see…”
The song stirred strange new feelings in Mohammed, and they followed him for the rest of the day—feelings he couldn’t shake off. “What did those words mean?” he wondered.
That night, as he slept, Mohammed had a dream. A shining being appeared before him and began singing the same song he’d heard on the radio! Mohammed awoke with a start, amazed at how vivid the dream had been—and he had enjoyed the song in his dream just as much as on the radio!
The next day, when it was time for the radio program to begin, Mohammed was ready—glued to the radio, hoping to hear that song again! He didn’t hear it, but he enjoyed the presentation. It was from the Bible—a book he’d never read before. Intrigued, he decided this was a program he wanted to listen to every day.
From that day forward, he never missed a program, and wherever he went, he now carried his little radio with him so that he wouldn’t miss it. And every day, he kept hoping to hear that special song again.
More days passed, and one night, Mohammed again had a dream. The same shining being appeared before him, and again sang “Amazing Grace!”
Mohammed wondered about this as he went about his duties the following day. What could it mean? But he had no one with whom to share his thoughts. He knew his Muslim family would not understand, so he kept these things to himself.
Three times, the shining being appeared in his dreams and sang the same beautiful song that Mohammed had come to love. He couldn’t understand its meaning, but the words sounded wonderful. His religion taught him that “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was the fair way to deal with others. You simply got what you deserved. He didn’t know how to live differently, but as he listened to the Bible presentations, he came to better understand the words of the song. Still, it was hard for him to grasp the concept of undeserved grace.
Mohammed had always believed in an unforgiving God who was ever ready to punish—a God to be feared. But he had never thought of God as a friend who loved him and whom he could love back. He was learning that Christianity taught forgiveness—unmerited, undeserved grace. And most amazingly, that God loved him so much that He had sent His Son to die for him! It was too much for Mohammed to grasp! He pondered all these things but kept silent.
One afternoon, as he walked to the mosque, while carrying with him his small radio, something incredible happened. As he arrived at the mosque, the shining being from his dreams appeared before him—right there on the street—and began to sing his song!
Mohammed stood silent—transfixed. When the angel finished, he had a message for him. He told Mohammed not to enter the mosque anymore, but to call the radio station.
THE CALL THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE
It had never occurred to Mohammed that he could call the station! Right then and there, he turned around and went home. Encouraged by the angel’s words, he called the station—and talked to Fred, our AWR manager in Liberia who just happened to be there!
To Mohammed’s great surprise, Fred agreed to meet with him personally and study the Bible. Mohammed enjoyed the Bible studies, and when Fred invited him to attend church, he gladly accepted.
On his first visit to the local Adventist church, there was a portion of the meeting dedicated to personal testimonies. Mohammed felt compelled to publicly share his story, and when the call was made for those who wanted to accept Jesus, he was the first one to step forward.
A few weeks later, when Mohammed was baptized, we had the privilege of speaking with him personally. He said, “Even though my parents threw me out because of my new faith, I chose to follow Jesus. Praise God for Adventist World Radio. I would still be in darkness if not for your program!”
I never get tired of sharing these wonderful stories of what God is doing! Yes, if we watch the news and read the headlines, there is plenty of distress and anguish everywhere. The devil is hard at work—but so is God! His angels are circling the earth with a message of reunion under Heaven’s banner, and we must take a stand.
As this world spins inexorably toward its grand finale, I want to be on Heaven’s side. I’m so grateful that we have a Savior who died for us, who is calling not just the kings of the earth, but all—the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame—to join Him under the banner of His amazing grace.
Thank you for supporting the work of Adventist World Radio. We could not do what we do without your support. It is only as we work together that we can reach people like Mohammed and rejoice with him in the good news of salvation.
What an amazing story! Yes, Jesus is coming soon, and we are seeing the signs in the physical world. But the most amazing things are happening in the spiritual realm as God works in the hearts of people everywhere. Thank you for making these stories possible, and for joining us in the greatest calling ever—the saving of souls!