Every once in a while you see a story that makes the hair on your arms stand up.
Not because it's sensational. Not because it's unbelievable.
But because precisely the opposite - if the God of the Bible really is who He says He is, then this is as plausible as it is moving.
Watch this new clip from pastor Josh Howerton's interview with Iranian-American evangelist David Nasser. Nasser recounts one of many reports circulating for years among Christians working in the Muslim world:
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Dreams of a mysterious "man in white" who later turns out to be Jesus.
Let's be honest, stories like these are often met with raised eyebrows in the West. But for Christians who know Scripture, they aren't surprising at all. The Bible is filled with moments where God breaks into human lives to reveal Himself - sometimes through visions, sometimes through dreams, sometimes through circumstances arranged so precisely they leave you speechless.
At a time when countless prayers are being offered about the turmoil unfolding across the Middle East, stories like this serve as a reminder of what our highest prayer for that region ought to be: that God would draw men and women to Himself through Christ.
For believers, national rivalries and geopolitical conflicts are real, but they come in a distant second to something far more urgent - the salvation of lost souls. Every Iranian, Iraqi, Saudi, Palestinian, and Israeli is, before anything else, a human being made in the image of God, possessing an eternal soul and standing in need of the same redemption offered to every one of us at the cross.
Yet the most striking part of Nasser's reflection isn't the dream itself, but what it reveals about the way God chooses to involve human beings in His work.
And that begins with a humbling reality: God doesn't need us.
That may sound blunt, but it bears saying, because it reveals something beautiful about the way God relates to His people. Obviously, the God who created the universe with just the spoken word is not sitting in heaven hoping human beings will help Him accomplish His plans. He is capable of doing anything He wants, whenever He wants, without the involvement of a single missionary, preacher, or witness.
And yet, in His providence, He chooses to involve us.
That's what makes the story so striking. The same God who can reveal Himself in dreams could just as easily bring someone to faith there in the dream itself. Instead, He also placed a Christian in the room at precisely the right moment to speak about Christ.
Not because God required his help.
But because God gave him the privilege of being used.
That may be one of the most astonishing realities of the Christian faith. The Lord of the universe invites ordinary people to participate in His redemptive work. He allows flawed, fragile human beings to become vessels through which another person hears the message of salvation.
It's hard to imagine a greater honor than that.
To be used, even briefly, as an instrument through which someone is nudged closer to salvation in Christ is a gift beyond measure.
Which is why stories like this should leave every Christian with the simple but profound realization that at any moment we may find ourselves stepping into a divine appointment.
God may have been preparing someone's heart long before we arrived. He may have been working through circumstances we cannot see. He may have been stirring questions, doubts, or even dreams.
And then suddenly, without notice, we find ourselves in the conversation…
Right on time…
Exactly where God intended you to be.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Not the Bee or any of its affiliates.
