Dreams in the Darkness: Easter Miracles in Iran

Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Over the past several weeks, we've been exploring stories of God's work during Ramadan—how Jesus is revealing Himself to Muslims through dreams, visions, and divine encounters during their most sacred month.

And now, as we transition from Ramadan into the Easter season, I want to share one more powerful story that bridges both of these significant times.

Today, we journey into one of the most spiritually restricted nations on earth—the Islamic Republic of Iran.

It is a place where Christianity is outlawed, where churches have been forced underground, where Bibles are banned, and where following Jesus can cost you everything.

And yet… Iran has one of the fastest-growing churches in the world—fueled in part by what happens every year around the Easter season.

This is the story of dreams, visions, secret gatherings… and the risen Christ walking into locked rooms.

Let me paint the picture for you.

In Iran, you won't find church signs. You won't see Christian bookstores. You won't find worship services streaming online.

Instead, the church meets in basements. In living rooms. On rooftops at midnight. In abandoned warehouses. In whispered circles of two or three.

There are no choirs. There is no choir loft. There are no microphones. No sound systems. No Easter banners or decorations.

And yet… believers gather every year in secret to celebrate the crucifixion and resurrection.

Here's what's remarkable.

Missionaries and underground pastors report that in the weeks surrounding Easter, dreams and visions of Jesus dramatically increase.

It's as if the resurrection story—even when forbidden—breaks through anyway. The government can ban Bibles. They can close churches. They can imprison pastors. But they cannot stop Jesus from appearing to people in their sleep.

Let me share a story that illustrates this powerfully.

One underground church leader shared this story from an Easter week several years ago:

A Muslim man in his 20s had been struggling with fear and depression. His life felt empty. He was searching for meaning but didn't know where to find it.

One night, he dreamed of a Man in shining white standing beside an empty tomb.

The Man called him by name and said: "Why do you fear? I am the Resurrection and the Life."

He woke up trembling, unsure what the dream meant. In his Islamic worldview, he had no context for this. Who was this Man? What was this empty tomb?

The next night, the same dream returned. Word for word. Image for image. The Man in white. The empty tomb. The voice calling his name.

And a third night as well—this time with the Man stretching out His hands, showing wounds that looked like light.

Friends, listen to this: The young man had never read the Bible. He had never heard the Easter story. He did not know about Jesus' scars.

But he felt compelled to search. Something deep inside told him this dream was significant, that he needed to find out who this Man was.

During Easter week, as he walked through a market, a stranger bumped into him—a Christian woman carrying groceries.

A small folded tract slipped from her bag and landed at his feet.

In Iran, this is incredibly dangerous. You can be arrested just for possessing Christian literature. But there it was, at his feet.

It read: "He is risen. He is Lord."

He followed her—took the risk—and whispered, "Tell me… who is this?"

That night she introduced him to two underground believers. They met in a small apartment, curtains drawn, speaking in hushed voices.

They opened a New Testament—the first he had ever seen—and read: "I am the Resurrection and the Life." John 11:25.

He burst into tears.

"This is the One from my dream," he said.

He surrendered his life to Christ that night—and was baptized quietly in a bathtub at 2 a.m. on Easter morning.

Just like we've been hearing throughout our Ramadan series—Jesus meeting Muslims where they are, revealing Himself supernaturally—the same thing is happening during Easter season in Iran.

Let me share three powerful truths from Scripture that this story brings to life.

First, Jesus still visits locked rooms.

John 20:19 says, "The doors were locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, yet Jesus came and stood among them."

Iranian believers say this is happening today—Jesus enters locked spaces where no preacher can go. Homes that are under surveillance. Cities with no Christian witness. Hearts that seem completely closed to the Gospel.

The government can lock the doors, but they cannot keep Jesus out.

Second, the risen Christ reveals Himself to seekers.

Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."

Many Iranian Muslims encounter Jesus supernaturally before they ever meet a Christian. They have dreams during Ramadan. They have visions around Easter. They hear His voice calling them by name.

God is not waiting for us to reach them—He's already at work.

Third, the resurrection breaks fear.

Revelation 1:17-18 says, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore."

This is the message appearing in dreams across Iran. "Do not be afraid." The same message the angels spoke at the empty tomb. The same message Jesus spoke to His disciples.

Now let me tell you what Easter looks like in the underground church.

During the weeks around Easter, underground churches often gather in small groups of 4-6 people. Any larger and you risk detection.

They whisper hymns. They read Scripture by candlelight or phone light. They take communion with small pieces of bread hidden in napkins. They pray for courage, knowing officials may knock on the door at any moment.

One pastor described it this way: "Every Easter, we remember that our Savior stepped out of a sealed tomb. So we know He can step into any locked house in Iran."

Think about that. Their Easter isn't about sunrise services in beautiful sanctuaries. It's not about Easter lilies and full choirs. It's about gathering in fear and danger to celebrate that death could not hold Jesus—and therefore, nothing can stop His church.

Reports from the underground church show that many first-time baptisms happen during Easter week. Entire families come to Christ after shared dreams—a father and son both dreaming of Jesus on the same night.

Former imams convert after seeing visions of the risen Jesus. These are men who devoted their lives to teaching Islam, suddenly encountering the living Christ.

Miraculous healings often occur near Easter gatherings. Physical healings, emotional healings, deliverances from demonic oppression.

One former imam said: "At Easter, Jesus walks through Iran. I saw Him… and everything changed."

Despite persecution, imprisonment, and government pressure—the Iranian church continues to multiply.

No buildings. No freedom. No public Easter services. No advertisements. No evangelistic campaigns.

And yet… the resurrection power of Christ is spreading from home to home, from heart to heart.

Today, millions quietly identify as followers of Jesus in Iran.

Some estimates say the Iranian church has grown from fewer than 500 believers in 1979 to potentially millions today. Nobody knows the exact number because it's all underground.

And many trace their first encounter with Him to a dream, a vision, a whispered testimony, or a secret Easter gathering in a darkened room.

One Iranian believer summarized it perfectly: "They can lock a door. They can shut a church. But they cannot seal a tomb again. Jesus is alive, and He walks among us."

So what does this story mean for us?

The Iranian Easter stories remind us of five vital truths:

First, the resurrection is not limited by geography or government. Jesus doesn't need our permission. He doesn't need religious freedom. He doesn't need ideal conditions. He shows up anyway.

Second, Jesus is still revealing Himself supernaturally. We saw this throughout our Ramadan series—Muslims encountering Jesus in dreams and visions. It's happening around Easter too. God is not limited to our methods.

Third, fear cannot silence the Gospel. The Iranian government has tried everything to stamp out Christianity. But the more they persecute, the faster it grows.

Fourth, the Spirit is moving powerfully among the persecuted. While the comfortable church in the West often struggles with lukewarm faith, the suffering church burns with passion.

Fifth, Easter is not fragile. Easter is unstoppable.

Let me ask you some questions. What would it cost you to celebrate Easter? For Iranian believers, it could cost their freedom, their safety, their lives. For us? We complain if the service runs a little long.

How seriously do you take the resurrection? Iranian believers risk everything to gather and remember that Jesus conquered death. Do we treat Easter with that same reverence?

And what are you doing to support the persecuted church? These are our brothers and sisters. They need our prayers. They need us to advocate for them. They need us to remember them.

Friends, as we move into this Easter season, I want to challenge you. Don't take your freedom for granted. Don't treat Easter like just another holiday. Don't let the resurrection become background noise in your life.

The risen Christ is still entering locked rooms, still calling names, still showing His scars, and still raising the dead to life.

Let me pray…Thank you for joining me today. The story of Easter in Iran reminds me that nothing—no government, no persecution, no locked door—can stop the risen Christ.

Until next time, keep your eyes on the nations, pray for the persecuted church, and remember—you cannot seal a tomb that Jesus has already opened.

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Dreams and Visions: How Jesus is Revealing Himself to Muslims

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to share something that should fill every believer's heart with awe and hope. For decades, a phenomenon has been recurring across the Muslim world—men and women, without any knowledge of the Gospel and without any contact with Christians, are being forever transformed after experiencing dreams and visions of Jesus Christ.

Reports of these supernatural occurrences often come from "closed countries" where preaching the Gospel is forbidden and where converting to Christianity can invoke the death sentence. And a common denominator appears to be that the dreams come to those who are seeking to know and please God.

This is happening right now, all across the Muslim world. And I want to tell you about it today because it should move us to our knees in prayer and worship.

[Ramadan - a time of seeking]

Ramadan is the time of year when Muslims are earnestly seeking to know Allah. They fast from dawn to dusk. They pray extra prayers. They read the Quran. They're genuinely trying to draw near to God. Unfortunately, Allah is not a god who can be known.

Unlike the Lord God who makes His way known through His Word and most lovingly through the person of Jesus Christ—"He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15)—Allah is described as distant, unknowable, transcendent beyond relationship.

Listen to this insight: "The first of the Ten Commandments is that we are to love the God of the Bible with our whole heart; but never does the Koran say a Muslim is to love Allah. You cannot love Allah, because he is unknowable. The God of the Bible can be known and repeatedly calls upon men to know Him; but the Koran says no one can know Allah because he is too great."

This same idea was expressed to me by a Christian pastor friend in Iraq. He wrote: "The attributes of our God are totally different than Allah in Islam. Allah in Islam has 99 names, and it is missing the one we have which is 'God is Love.'"

Think about that! Muslims memorize 99 names for Allah—the Merciful, the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Wise—but "Love" is not one of them. They worship a god they cannot know and cannot love. How heartbreaking is that?

[The biblical promise - dreams in the last days]

But here's what God promised would happen in the last days. Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17 say: "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams."

And amazingly, this is exactly what is happening in the Muslim world! God is pouring out His Spirit. He is giving dreams and visions. He is revealing Himself to those who are seeking Him, even when they don't yet know His name is Jesus.

[The scale of this phenomenon]

This isn't just a few isolated incidents. This is widespread. All you need to do is search online for "God appearing to Muslims in dreams and visions" to find numerous resources documenting this phenomenon. Websites like Isa al Masih (Jesus the Messiah) talk about this at great length. Missionaries working in Muslim countries report it regularly. Former Muslims share their testimonies of encountering Jesus in dreams.

Some estimate that as many as 25-30% of Muslim-background believers came to faith initially through a dream or vision of Jesus. That's a staggering percentage! It's one of the primary ways God is breaking through into closed countries where missionaries can't go and where Bibles are banned.

[Why dreams? God's strategy]

Why is God using dreams? Because in many Muslim cultures, dreams are taken very seriously. They're seen as spiritually significant. When a Muslim has a vivid dream, especially a recurring one, they pay attention. They seek interpretation. They believe God (or the spiritual realm) is trying to communicate with them.

So God is using a method that Muslims already respect and understand. He's meeting them where they are. And when Jesus appears in these dreams, Muslims recognize that they've encountered someone holy, powerful, and loving—someone fundamentally different from what they've experienced in Islam.

[dreams from around the Muslim world]

Let me share some other dreams that Muslims have reported. These are real testimonies from the Isa al Masih website and other sources.

One man reported: "Two angels dressed in white robes stood on top of the mountain. Jesus was standing between the angels. He left the angels and came to where I stood watching. As he approached me, I knelt down and he laid his hands on my head."

Another man dreamt he was sitting with his arms tied to a chair. Then he saw a man he recognized as Jesus coming. Jesus touched the ropes and they fell from his arms. What a picture of liberation! Jesus setting the captive free!

One woman said: "In the dream, Jesus told me to come to Him and read the Bible and He would show me the way, truth and the life." Jesus is quoting His own words from John 14:6 in her dream!

Another testimony: "I was standing in a cross shape with a low wall around it. In my right hand, I had a big stack of white unwritten papers. I was standing at the cross beam, and I was looking at a small group of people who were standing at the top. They all wore long white clothing, but one of them was different. He was standing at the right side, and with his left hand he was leading the people through a door in the wall. Beyond the door was light, and I could not see what was in there."

One Muslim woman reported: "I saw some Christians standing in line to get into Heaven. I tried to get into this line also, but a very tall being blocked my path and I started to cry because the side I was on was really horrible but the side they were on was a beautiful place, so beautiful, so blue." She saw the reality of judgment and the beauty of salvation!

[The crucified and smiling Jesus]

Here's a particularly powerful one: "I went back to bed after a short prayer and saw a second dream. This time it was Jesus as I saw him in the Jesus film years ago—I had trashed his video. He was hanging on the cross, the nails were in his hands and feet, yet he was smiling at me and talking to me. Though he was dying he seemed so beautiful. The cross was huge and I seemed like a little boy. My neck was falling back trying to see the whole face of Jesus and suddenly a huge big circle of light came from above the cross and down upon me."

Think about that! This Muslim man had previously rejected the Jesus film, literally throwing it away. But Jesus pursued him anyway, appeared to him in a dream showing the crucifixion—which Islam denies happened—and was smiling at him even while dying! That's the love of Christ!

[The Morning Star dream]

One more: "I was swimming. It was very dark, without any stars in the sky. After swimming for a while, I stopped and looked up at the sky. Suddenly, I saw a star shining. I closed my eyes and made a wish. I said, 'Morning Star, teach me the secret of life.' I kept having this dream for years almost every other month and this pattern continued until a few months after my conversion, when I read Revelation 22:16, which says, 'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.'"

For years this Muslim had been dreaming of the Morning Star without knowing who it was. Then after coming to faith in Christ, he discovered that Jesus calls Himself the bright Morning Star! Jesus had been revealing Himself all along, and the man didn't even know it until he read the Bible.

I can personally attest to knowing four different Muslims who have put their faith in Jesus Christ after having dreams of Him! 

[The pattern - what these dreams reveal]

Do you see the pattern in these dreams? Jesus appears in brilliant light, often too bright to look at directly. He touches people, heals them, frees them. He speaks tenderly to them. He identifies Himself by name. He shows them the cross. He leads them toward Scripture. He calls them friends.

These aren't generic spiritual experiences. These are encounters with the risen Christ—personal, loving, transformative. And they're happening to people who have no Christian background, who've never read the Bible, who don't know any Christians.

God is sovereignly breaking through into the Muslim world in supernatural ways.

[What happens after the dream]

Now, here's what's important: The dream is usually just the beginning. Most Muslim-background believers report that the dream led them to seek out Christians, to find a Bible, to watch the Jesus film, to search online for answers. The dream opens the door, but they still need to hear the full Gospel and make a conscious decision to follow Christ, just like my Afghan friends.

This is where Christians come in. We need to be ready when Muslims come to us saying, "I had a dream about a man in white" or "Someone named Isa appeared to me." We need to be prepared to explain who Jesus is, what He did on the cross, and how they can follow Him.

[How to pray during Ramadan and beyond]

So how should we pray in light of this? First, pray that during Ramadan, when Muslims are earnestly seeking a God they can know, they will not continue their faith in Allah but will find faith in the one true God who can be known through Jesus Christ.

Second, pray specifically for Muslims to have dreams and visions of Jesus. This is biblical—God promised to pour out His Spirit and give dreams and visions. So pray for it! Pray by name for Muslims you know. Pray for unreached people groups. Pray for countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan—that God would give supernatural encounters with Jesus.

Third, pray for Christians who encounter Muslims seeking truth after dreams. Pray for wisdom, boldness, and clarity in explaining the Gospel. Pray for protection—both for the seeker and the Christian sharing with them.

Fourth, pray for follow-up and discipleship. Many Muslims have dramatic conversion experiences through dreams but then face intense persecution from family and community. They need support, teaching, fellowship, and Bibles in their language.

[The comfort of knowing God works supernaturally]

Here's what encourages me so much about these dreams: We don't have to figure out how to reach every closed country. We don't have to get Bibles smuggled into every home. We don't have to somehow sneak missionaries past every border guard. God can work supernaturally!

Yes, we still need to send missionaries. Yes, we still need to translate and distribute Bibles. Yes, we still need to support Christian media like SAT-7 that broadcasts into Muslim countries. All of that matters. But we're not limited to human methods. God is moving in power through dreams and visions.

[Closing challenge and prayer]

So here's my challenge: Believe that God can reach any Muslim, anywhere, no matter how closed the country or how restricted the access. Pray for dreams and visions. And be ready—because the Muslim who works in your office, who lives in your neighborhood, who serves you at a restaurant, might be one dream away from seeking Jesus.

Let me pray:

Thank you for joining me today. Isn't it amazing what God is doing? Share this episode with others, and let's pray together for dreams and visions across the Muslim world!

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and watch for the supernatural work of God!

Dreams and Visions: Jesus Awakening Afghan Hearts (Part 3)

 Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus.

This is Part 3 of our Afghanistan series, and today I'm going to share stories with you that still bring tears to my eyes every time I think about them. Stories that prove beyond any doubt that Jesus is moving powerfully in the Muslim world.

Before I dive in, let me read you a verse that has become so real to me. It's from Joel 2:28:

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions."

Friends, we are living in the days when this prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes. God is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh—including Muslims in Afghanistan and across the Islamic world. And He's doing it through dreams and visions.

I had been praying for the 10/40 Window for years. After September 11, 2001, God spoke strongly to my heart to pray specifically for Muslim people. As I prayed and learned, I began reading reports of Muslims having dreams of Jesus. It fascinated and encouraged me so much!

But before 2021, I never thought I would actually know Muslims who had dreams of Jesus. I thought these were amazing stories that happened to other people, through other missionaries. I had no idea that God was about to give me a front-row seat to see it happen myself.

When I started helping Afghans during the evacuation crisis, I told every person I spoke to that I was a follower of Jesus Christ. I explained that it was His love for them that caused me to want to help them, and I told them I would pray for them. And I did pray for them—by name, regularly, fervently.

Each person was kind and thanked me for praying. The praying hands emoji became a frequent part of our online conversations. I wasn't pushy. I simply told them the truth about why I was helping them, loved them with the love of Christ, and let God do the rest.

One of my contacts seemed interested in Jesus, so I began sharing more. But then this person became fearful and asked me to stop. Of course, I respected that and stopped immediately.

But friends, two days later—just two days—I received a message that this Afghan had a dream of Jesus Christ. Two days after asking me to stop talking about Jesus, Jesus Himself showed up in this person's dream.

Over the next couple of years, this Afghan had two more dreams of Jesus. We had conversations, I prayed and shared Biblical truth. And then—praise God—this Afghan became a Christian under Taliban rule, where conversion is punishable by death. But the story gets even better: This Afghan went on to share their new faith with a friend, and soon that friend trusted Jesus as well! One dream led to one salvation, which led to another salvation.

The next year, I had another Afghan contact so desperate for food that he was planning to sell his kidney. But Jesus showed up in his dream. This man had an encounter with Jesus while sleeping, and soon after, he put his faith in Christ. A friend in Pakistan helped disciple him in his new faith. Jesus didn't just save this man's soul—He met him in his moment of greatest desperation.

I've also become friends with a Muslim from the West Bank who had a dream of Jesus at age 10. Years later, after much study of both Sunni and Shia Islam, he encountered the Holy Spirit supernaturally, and put his faith in Jesus Christ. The next day, he heard singing and found a church in Jordan—and they were singing the exact same song he'd heard in his dream as a 10-year-old! That's divine orchestration. That's the fingerprints of God all over a salvation story.

Yet another brother came to Christ through dreams and now helps many Afghan pastors online through the underground church network. Do you see the pattern? Jesus appears in dreams. People come to faith. Then those new believers help others, disciple others, and strengthen the church. One dream at a time.

Why dreams? In many Muslim countries, it's illegal to own a Bible or evangelize. But God can still reach people through dreams—the Taliban can control borders, but not what happens when people sleep. Dreams carry significant weight in Muslim culture. And dreams show God's initiative—He pursues Muslims who've been taught Christianity is false. It demonstrates that salvation is God's work, not ours.

What I've witnessed is part of something much larger across the entire Muslim world. There's a book, one of many on this subject, called "Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World?" by Tom Doyle. From Iran to Afghanistan, from North Africa to Indonesia—Muslims are encountering Jesus in supernatural ways at unprecedented rates.

Despite the Taliban, despite persecution, despite the fact that conversion can mean death—the Afghan church is growing. Ministry leaders estimate it's growing as fast as Iran's explosive underground church movement. It's miraculous. Jesus loves all people, and Muslims are not forgotten by Him.

So what do we do? First, pray for more dreams. Pray for Muslims to encounter Jesus across the Islamic world. Second, be ready. If God is giving Muslims dreams of Jesus, some will seek out Christians to ask questions. Are you ready to share the Gospel clearly? Third, support the underground church risking their lives to disciple new converts. Fourth, tell these stories. Share what God is doing. And fifth, increase your faith. If God can reach Muslims in Afghanistan through dreams, He can work in your life too.

When I started helping Afghans in 2021, I thought I was just doing humanitarian work. But God had so much more in mind. He was connecting me with people who would have dreams of Jesus. I'm just one person who said yes to God. You don't have to be a trained missionary. You just have to be willing to be used.

I want to close with this: Don't lose hope for the Muslim world. Jesus is moving powerfully. The church is growing. Lives are being transformed. The Taliban can't stop it. Persecution can't stop it. Because when Jesus decides to reveal Himself to someone, nothing can stand in His way.

Dearest Lord Jesus, we love You! You move in ways we can't even imagine. Please use each of us to reach others. Whatever You're calling us to do, may we say yes. In Your name, amen.

Friend, your yes might be part of someone else's salvation story. Your prayers might lead to someone's dream. Your obedience might open the door for Jesus to reveal Himself to someone who desperately needs to know Him.

Thank you for joining me for this three-part series on Afghanistan. If these episodes have stirred your heart, don't let that stirring fade away. Do something. Pray. Give. Go. Get involved. Until next time, keep your eyes on the nations, keep praying for the Muslim world, and keep believing that Jesus is building His church in the darkest places.

You can listen to this as a podcast at Spotify podcast