The believers who took me in, who cared for me, who loved me, came from different countries and spoke different languages, but we were one family in Christ.

That’s real.

That’s powerful.

I learned that persecution cannot stop the gospel.

They tried to kill me to silence the testimony of a Muslim background believer, but they failed.

I’m alive and I’m telling my story to anyone who will listen.

Every attempt to silence the gospel only makes it spread more.

I learned that Jesus is worth everything.

Every cost, every sacrifice, every loss, he is worth it all.

I want to end by telling you what I’m doing now and why I’m sharing this story publicly.

After I recovered from the burns after I found my Christian community, I knew I couldn’t stay silent.

I had survived for a reason.

God had saved me and I needed to tell people why.

So, I started sharing my testimony.

first with small groups of believers, then in online forums, then with Christian organizations that work with persecuted believers.

And now I’m sharing it with you.

I know it’s dangerous.

I know that speaking publicly about my conversion and my survival makes me a target.

There are people who would still like to silence me to finish what they started in that desert.

But I can’t be silent.

Too many people need to hear this message.

Secret believers need to know they are not alone.

Persecuted Christians need to know people care.

Muslims searching for truth need to know about Jesus.

And comfortable Christians need to wake up to what’s happening in the world.

My life is not my own anymore.

I gave it to Jesus the night I first believed in him.

He bought me with his blood on the cross and then he saved me from the fire.

My life belongs to him and I’ll use it however he wants.

If that means speaking out despite the danger, then that’s what I’ll do.

If it means eventually dying for my faith, then I’ll die.

I’ve already faced death once.

I know Jesus is on the other side.

I’m not afraid anymore.

But until that day comes, I’ll keep telling my story.

I’ll keep testifying to what Jesus has done.

I’ll keep being a voice for the voiceless and a witness to the world.

I look at my scars every day.

They’re permanent.

They’ll be with me for the rest of my life.

When I first got them, I hated them.

They were reminders of the worst night of my life.

Reminders of pain and fear and loss.

But now I see them differently.

These scars are proof.

Proof that I was set on fire for my faith.

Proof that I should have died.

Proof that Jesus saved me.

These scars are my testimony.

Every time someone asks about them, I get to tell them about Jesus.

Every time I see them, I remember his faithfulness.

The fire couldn’t consume me because Jesus wouldn’t let it.

The flames couldn’t destroy me because he had more for me to do.

I am a walking miracle, a living testimony, a witness to the power and love of Jesus Christ.

and I will spend every day I have left making sure people know what he did for me.

There’s a verse in the Bible that has become very important to me.

It’s from the book of Revelation and it talks about believers who overcome Satan.

It says they triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.

They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

By the blood of the lamb, by what Jesus did on the cross, we have victory.

By the word of our testimony, by telling what Jesus has done, we overcome.

And by not loving our lives more than we love Jesus, by being willing to die rather than deny him, we triumph.

That’s what I’m trying to do.

to live out that verse to testify to what Jesus has done to show that he is worth more than life itself.

I didn’t choose this path.

Or maybe I did when I chose to follow Jesus.

But either way, this is where God has led me and I wouldn’t change it.

Even with all the pain, all the loss, all the suffering, I wouldn’t go back because I know Jesus now.

I’ve experienced his love, his presence, his faithfulness, and that’s worth everything.

So why am I telling you all of this?

Why am I sharing such a painful personal story with the world?

Because it’s not about me.

It’s about Jesus.

It’s about what he can do.

It’s about who he is.

It’s about how much he loves us.

If he loved me enough to save me from that fire, he loves you enough to save you from whatever you’re facing.

If he was faithful to me in my darkest moment, he’ll be faithful to you in yours.

The message of my story is simple.

Jesus is real.

He saves and he is worth following no matter the cost.

That’s the message I lived for.

That’s the message I was willing to die for.

And that’s the message I’ll keep proclaiming for as long as I have breath.

The fire couldn’t consume me because God wasn’t finished with my story.

He had more for me to do.

He had this testimony for me to share.

And now you’ve heard it.

The question is, what will you do with it?

If you are being persecuted, will you hold on to Jesus?

If you’re a secret believer, will you trust that God has a plan?

If you’re a comfortable Christian, will you wake up and help your suffering brothers and sisters?

If you’re a Muslim searching for truth, will you investigate Jesus?

If you’re a skeptic, will you at least consider that this might be real?

What will you do with this testimony?

Because it’s not just a story.

It’s an invitation.

An invitation to know the Jesus I know.

To experience the love I’ve experienced.

To find the truth I found.

He’s waiting for you with open arms.

Ready to forgive.

Ready to save.

Ready to transform your life.

All you have to do is come to him.

Believe in him.

Trust him.

Yes, it might cost you everything.

It cost me everything, but you’ll gain far more than you lose.

You’ll gain Jesus, and he is worth it all.

I don’t know what the future holds for me.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep sharing my story publicly or if eventually someone will succeed in silencing me.

I don’t know if I’ll ever see my children again in this life.

I don’t know how long I’ll live or how I’ll die.

But I know who holds my future.

I know Jesus has me in his hands.

And I know that nothing, not fire, not persecution, not even death can separate me from his love.

That’s enough.

That’s more than enough.

So I’ll keep walking forward one day at a time, trusting him, following him, testifying about him.

And if you’re on this journey too, if you’re following Jesus despite the cost, know that you’re not alone.

We are walking together, the global church, the family of God, united by our faith in Christ.

We’ll face hardship.

We’ll face persecution.

Some of us will face death, but we’ll face it together.

And we’ll face it knowing that Jesus has already won the victory.

Death couldn’t hold him.

And it won’t hold us either.

One day, we’ll all be together in his presence, no more tears, no more pain, no more persecution, no more fear, just Jesus and his people and perfect joy forever.

That’s the hope I’m holding on to.

That’s the promise that keeps me going.

And until that day comes, I’ll keep telling my story.

I’ll keep pointing people to Jesus.

I’ll keep saying what the fire proved to be true.

Jesus saves.

Jesus is faithful.

And Jesus is worth everything.

That’s my testimony.

That’s my message.

That’s my life.

The fire couldn’t consume me because God had more for me to do.

And now I’ve done it.

I’ve told you my story.

What you do with it is up to you.

But I pray you’ll choose Jesus.

I pray you’ll find the truth I found.

I pray you’ll experience the love that saved me from the fire.

Because he’s real.

He’s here and he’s waiting for you.

Don’t wait too long to find him.

Life is short.

Eternity is long.

Choose wisely.

Choose Jesus.

May God bless you wherever you are, whatever you’re facing.

May he reveal himself to you.

May he draw you to his son.

And may you come to know the love that I know, the love that saved me, the love that will never let me go.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

« Prev