Episode 12: Ahmed Joktan, From Jihad to Christ, Part 2 (Saudi Arabia)

Enjoy the amazing Part Two of Ahmed Joktan's One80. You'll hear his coming to faith story and the intense persecution he faced after his conversion, propelled by a zealous dedication to his new faith. Not only was he disowned from his family and imprisoned, but he also endured threats to his life and a two-month coma. You'll be encouraged to see a new believer's faith tried and tested and him coming out true.

Enjoy today's Sendoff, featuring Blind Tony's rendition of U2, "40," along with Psalm 40.

You'll see Ahmed's conversion as a result of strangers' prayers during Ramadan. Pray for Muslims as they pray during Ramadan with daily Prayercast prayer-guided emails, Love Muslims.

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Dr. Joktan’s ministry, Mecca to Christ.

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Prayercast, Saudi Arabia.

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Ahmed Joktan: From Mecca to Christ, Part 2
One80 Podcast, Episode 12
*There may be errors in the transcription that are not the perfect representation of the audio.

Ahmed: I reached to John 14, verse six and , Jesus answered. I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me.

And I remember Ryan shut the new Testament and he looked at me in the eyes and he said, now you know, who is the word of God? And you know that there is no other way to the father except through him. You know that Jesus, Isa, is the truth the way and the life. And when you came to New Zealand, you couldn't pay with your Saudi riyals.

You had to pay with New Zealand dollars. And when you stand before adjust God, you have to pay for whatever sins that you have committed in a currency that is accepted before the sight of God. And let me tell you what those standards are complete, perfect and holy. And Isa is the one who was able to do that.

Would you like to repent from your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and savior? Of course, at that moment I knew who Jesus was and I could see who Jesus is through the lense of the scriptures. So I said, yes. And we prayed together at that time. Not knowing what will all happen after.

Yeah.

Ryan: Yeah. Wow. Wow. So at that moment, did you feel any different, I mean, what was that like for you?

Ahmed: I think it was slow all opening up that curtain basically to see the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. So I guess the scripture was slowly piercing that curtain in my eyes to see who Christ really is the one who takes the sins of the world.

So yeah, so, and, you know, after that, there was also growth in my understanding of who Christ is.

Ryan: It's so amazing. And here here's this guy and at this church, how encouraging for us as believers, this church was praying and fasting for somebody from Saudi Arabia to get saved in their church. And this was two weeks beforehand.

Ahmed: That's correct. So just to show you the importance and the power of prayer and fasting, and the trust and a living God that can do it, he's able and he proved it to them. Someone like me who is from far away totally different understanding of who Christ is and have different agenda set of agendas, you know, Christ can come and pierce and save those impossible to save.

And I want to challenge the listener here. If you know, someone who you think is beyond the reach of Christ, I challenge you to pray, come fast and see how this living God can snatch them from the jaws of death and bring them into the eternal light. Yes.

Ryan: Wow. That's so, so good.

So did you go back home? Did you go back after this point?

Ahmed: So, yeah, I stayed with Brian few days and he tried as much to tell me about the holy book the Bible and teach me from there. However, the time was short. My flight already set right?

I called the travel agency, right? So there was a sad day that I would go. He took me to the airport and knowing that there are no churches in Saudi Arabia and not many people are willing there to share the gospel in Saudi Arabia. He gave me the new Testament and he said, this will guide you.

And it's written on it, the Book of Life. So you need to understand at that time, the Bible was not allowed in Saudi Arabia at all. And if they caught you with that, there could be severe punishment. But what I did is I hid it between my English textbooks and when the customs officer opened my bag, he looked into the bag, he just closed it and let me in.

And that was a big relief. Yeah. Because, if they seen one of those English textbooks and next to them the Bible I would be in huge trouble. So yeah, so I pass in there and, I went to my normal life with my family and I was intrigued by few things that I've never heard in my life.

You know, if someone asks you to walk with them one mile walk with them more, right. Give them an extra mile. And I'm like, Hmm, what is this? There's so much different than what I've been taught.

And Jesus he's speaking with authority and those verses and I'm like, Hm, that's intriguing. So I continued to study medicine in the same time trying to read as much as I could from the Bible. And, sometimes I was successful in hiding it, away from the maid, the housemaid.

Well, other times I was not. And one of those times, the housemaid got to my room, looked into this green colored book with golden letters on it that does not resemble the Quran. And it's like, oh, what is this? Oh, holy book Injil, which is the new Testament in Arabic. So, she took it and told my mom that was a big no-no to my family.

Ryan: So what, was the response of your parents?

Ahmed: Yeah, I mean, remember with a family, with such tribal, legacy, and, you carry in new Testament into the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. That is a big no-no. So two big no-nos, and you're a son of a mufti, that is a pretty big no-no.

So it's like, a biggest no-no ever. So I remember just coming back from my school and my brothers, they started to beat the heck out of me. They dragged me, threw me through a tent, outside the house, and I'm like, what's going, what did I do? Did I kill someone? I remember my last memory was, you know, finishing an exam.

And I'm like, why did they do why so much, punishment that I deserve? And nobody would tell me. Including them, nobody would talk to me. And I remember, like what have I done? But I'm like, ah, of course it's the new Testament. They found it. So, you know, that was like after a long process of thinking like, ah, this is the problem here.

So I was thinking, okay, I'm going to die. Basically. They will take me and behead me and in Saudi Arabia at that time, the capital punishment which if you convert to any other religion than Islam, it will be applied to you. They will take you to a square they call chop chop square on the town and they would chop your head off with a sword.

So I'm like, okay, well I think I'm going to die there. And after a week, my father came from a different city and I remember the door open. In one hand was the new Testament you throw to the ground. And he, he basically told me that I have to burn this evil book that I brought with me from overseas.

He will empty the thirty two bullets into my head and he put an AK-47 to my head cause I brought great shame upon him. So imagine me knowing a few verses of the new Testament and AK 47 to your head. And I'm like, I'll do whatever you want. Yeah. So I took the new testament and then knowing that because Brian told me that, you know, those words are not in the book , it's, must be in your heart.

So I'm like, well, it's recorded in my heart. So I burned it. Yep. And then, my father left and I remember him after another week, he came back with others from my tribe and he was chanting verses from the Quran about the story of Noah. So the story of Noah and the Koran, it's a little bit different than in the Bible.

And in there, so when the flood came God told him to go in the Ark one of his sons, he said, I'm going to go to the mountain. It's bigger than your arc. And the mountain will shelter me from the water. And Noah cried to his son. It's like, son, there is nothing can shelter you today.

So, the, the wave separated between the two and his son died. So Noah looked at the sky. God, you have promised me, this is in the Quran and the Bible. God, you have promised me that none of my family would perish and he is, my son died. So God told Noah that is, not your son.

This is not your family. And this is about seed. So basically, my father was telling me that I'm bad, bad seed, and I was disowned from that time on.

Ryan: Ah, so, so hard. Wow. So I mean, a lot, lots of our stories, end up kind of end here at One80. When you have a new faith and you're experiencing, some persecution.

But your story, it just has so much more to tell. I mean, so you get, you get caught with the Bible. You have an AK-47 pointed at your head. You're being disowned. Now you ended up being homeless?

Ahmed: That's correct. And I think that was my rock bottom point.

Ryan: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, where you did you go back to

Ahmed: school?

So so something happened in between, but in Saudi Arabia, You need to understand that if you go to school the government will give you a monthly stipend. And also school is free, so they didn't need to pay for anything. Plus, dorms are free there, so you can go to dorms and stay there for free.

Wow. So I was there for homeless for three days and I'm like, Hey, I can go to my college and I can stay there for free, which I did. And I couldn't stay in the same city as, or my family are, so I. I went to a satellite campus far away from them. Cause that was hurtful to me.

Yeah.

Ryan: Now, when did you decide to witness to other Saudis?

Ahmed: I I miss those sweets. That tasted sweeter than honey, to me, the Bible. Cause that's what I was reading. And I'm like, it was giving me so much liberation and I was reading that if the son of man set you free, you are free.

Indeed. And I'm like, I miss those words. I want to read more, but what, what happened next? What happened there? So I tried to access that, of course, in Saudi Arabia , those websites were blocked. So if you go to Bible gate dot com or you know, Bible hub or Bible dot com, it's all blocked.

You will see a green screen saying this site is blocked in Saudi Arabia. So I'm like, how can I read the scripture? I scoured the internet. I found a bunch of solutions that didn't work. And one of them did work . So I did, and I kept reading and, you know, struck me that Jesus one time said freely received, freely give. And I do believe that the gifts that I received of eternal life through Christ Jesus, it's a, free gift of God that have been received and I should give.

Yeah. So give it back freely. So I started to do it online and I remember one time, you know, I found someone who was interested and I was hesitant to go.

And meet this person in person to pray. But I went and I prayed. And when I met him, he was welcoming me. But when I said, can I pray for you? And when I mentioned in Jesus' name, he, he wasn't as welcoming. He started to shout at me and he called the religious police and those police people, they are brutal.

So I left the cafe where I was. And they went to my dorm and I remember the doors pulling out and tore. Most of those religious police went in and start to beat the heck out of me, not a single question. There's no, you know, Miranda rights in Saudi Arabia.

They're not going to read any rights for you. So they went in and just like. Beating me every single, where to the point that I lost 13 teeth , till this day, I still have scars on my body from such torment and beating and those scars never healed. So it's all been from time to time.

Ryan: Oh my goodness.

Wow.

Ahmed: . So,

Ryan: Can you take us to that, that time that you were put into jail?

Ahmed: Yeah. And when they finished beating me, it felt like a thunder light struck me because if you have experience tooth pain, you understand how painful is that. And you lose a bunch of teeth. At the same time.

It's like a thunder, struck you. So, they drive me half conscious to the cell and they started to ask me who converted you, you know, few nasty words. , it was brutal.

And from there, they took me to a solitary confinement cell. It's a pitch Black cell. You can not see your fingers. You don't know what day or time it is in the days and nights blended together for me. And I was just, you know, there. Lord, if you want to take me home, take me now. Cause I'm ready. But I know that you are with me and you know, just those verses that I memorize about blessed are you, when you know you are persecuted because of my name for there is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you? So, you know, those verses came back to me and just comforts comforted me while I was in that, in that dark place. And I knew that, although it wasn't pitch black, sell the Lord is my light , they would take me to interrogation. They would, , lash my back and pour salt and lemon juice on my wounds and then intensify the pain to let me tell who converted me and how I was telling them the truth.

They couldn't believe it. But after, three months from being there, I was presented to an Islamic judge who looked at me, looked at my age and he said that you have been deceived you're young, you have been deceived. So instead of sending you to the chop, chop square, we will send you to a a rehabilitation center.

It's an intellectual rehabilitation center, just like burned Washington center. So they said to me there, and in there, it was away from the register police from those brutal people to this reeducation center. And and there, they just tell you like the basics of Islam it's meant to the extremist, right?

Yeah. So they asked me like, who is the prophet of Islam, Muhammad? How many. Chapters of the current 114, you know, simple questions like, you know, ABC D to me, they were happy that I would answer those questions because none of the other extremists that were there would answer any question of there. So after a few months they it's like, we didn't know why you were here, but you're a good person.

Just we'll let you go. They released me. Wow. Wow.

Ryan: Easy, you were just literally answering their questions. Yeah. Wow.

Ahmed: At that time I went out and, I was in the last year in college.

But to graduates as a medical doctor and the Lord was with me and he took me through those times and he showed me who he is. How, you know, I went there and I met a person who put Jeremiah 29 11 on her wall behind her and, Jeremiah 29 11 says for the plans they have for you plans not to harm you, but to, give you a future and hope.

And I remember that picture on the wall. It didn't have reference cause Hey, you're in Saudi Arabia, right. So you don't want to be in trouble. So if you pass by her office, you think, oh, this is a very nice, you know, words from a wise person. But if you are a believer who read the scripture, you know, this is from Jeremiah 29, right?

Yeah. So I remember there and she was freaking out. But that led me to have a position in the hospital. And I worked as a medical doctor there, so I looked for community of faith around me. And whenever I go to, like apartments and places where believers gather, they will slam the door shot first because did not have front teeth.

So it looked scary. Second is because I was from Saudi Arabia. So they're like, what is going on here? This local that we never heard that someone can actually follow Jesus from those people. So I looked elsewhere and , in my quest to find a community of believers , I ended up first with the the church of Jesus Christ and I'm like, oh, cause that was the first email that I received from a church that would say coming to worship.

And it was in a, like in a different country. So I went in.

Yeah. So it's yeah, the church of Jesus Christ and with a small prince to latter day saints or LDS, that they're mentioned that they just mentioned LDS. And I went there and I saw this huge gigantic sign, the church of Jesus Christ. And I'm like, yes, it's my people. Right. So I'm like, but then there was this LDS and I'm like, Hm, what is that for something.

But I disregard that. And I went inside. Then he, I was met by a young person. And he had like a name tag golden named tag with elder Eric. And I'm like elder you're younger than me. So I'm like, you know, he's he said, you know tell me about your story. So I told them, and he was offended when I mentioned a few things about, you know, Jesus and but I noticed that it's like, you know, when you take two magnets and you bring them together, it's like, they're going part away.

Like, right. So it's like me and being with them, it's like, I it's, like there was no match. It's like, it's like being repelled from them. And I believe that the spirit of God is trying to take me away. So I, I went that night to the house. And I remember I searched LDS and latter day saints that night.

I went through the book of Mormon and it went through the covenants and other stuff. And I'm like, Hmm, this sounds like the Quran, because, someone is retelling things that, you know, I remember

Muhammad couldn't read or write, but he can listen. So he was listening to her Cub and no-fault tell him the story. And you've read the Quran the same story, as you mentioned, the crime multiple times in smaller details or longer details. So it's the same way with the book of Mormon.

It's like someone who I've heard and it's retelling again. So I, I immediately realized that this is not, and then I read, you know, their statement of faith, which does not align with what I believe. So I kept looking and finally another church holding it up and it was 13 hours each way, every weekend to go there, my church, gosh.

Wow. I did that for a year. How many hours was it? 13 hours each week. Every weekend.

Ryan: Oh my gosh. I'm just blown away.

Ahmed: It's in a different country. So if you live in the north of the United States, it's like, you are going to Canada to go to church.

Ryan: Oh my gosh.

Yeah. How did you, I mean, was it by car? Yeah, it was by car. Okay. Okay. That's this is amazing. So there was, so it's just so much, I mean, you, you guys really need to grab this book. What happened is.

Ahmed: So in Dubai, I mean, there, for awhile and, going to the church, I found this great fellowship with believers and my faith in Christ.

Jesus is, , deepen, as motto for believers is to know Christ, to make him known and help others do the same. So you know, it was involved in a Bible study. There I'm like 13 hours. No problem. I would go there to know my Lord and savior. I have no problem with that, , driving. So after a while , there was a class to be a member of that church.

I'm like, of course I want to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ. Right? Nope. So I, I went there and I was not welcome there. Isn't why it's [00:19:00] because I was a citizen of the. . Okay. So when I, when I want to membership, it's like what this guy who is treating me back. It's not me, but it's like those people, right?

They want to be member of the same church. No, no way. And I later on through the year as a I learned that it's one of the members of that church. He actually went and tipped the police about me in Dubai. So you talk about when the sheep bite, but , we know that blessings does not come from people, but come from Christ DCIS and you know, difficulties.

Yes. I mentioned, , about the difficulties that I'd been through, but I'm thankful to each and every difficulties and persecution that I've been through there. Isn't why is because when I'm weak that I know that Christ Jesus is with me and then I'm strong. I know that those words that I read in the Bible are not words recorded 2000 years ago, but it's alive today.

Hmm, this is not a God that is far away from me that I read about that's it? No, it's the God that living with me today. So , I'm so thankful and I take delight in such hardship.

, so I remember that went to the church and, , 13 hours a arrived there, like Adrian drive through the night and the morning when I arrived there, I went to the service and after the church, I went to my car and I was about to drive, and all of a sudden it's like, I'm in a movie, , all of a sudden I'm on the ground.

I'm like, wow, I've been here. I was thinking that I'm driving and you know, I'll be cuffed. And all the police came. They took me to the police station handcuffed. And so in there they asked me, why you come , to Dubai every week I'm like, guys, you know that I'm going to the church.

I'm not going to play games with you here. So they asked me, who do you meet with? And I'm like, you know exactly what it means. You have cameras everywhere. So I think they left me there for a night and the next day the head of the station , looks at me. It's like, look, we don't want a problems with you.

If you can just sign this paper that says that you will no longer attend the church we'll will release you. And I'm like, is that it? It's like, yeah, that's it like, give me the paper. So I took it, I signed it because the place that we gathered there, it's actually in a hotel, , not in a church.

So I'm like, well, it's going to the hotel. I go to church. So, yeah. And the Bible is telling me that do not forsake the assembly of the believers. I'm going. And so they released me and other believers. They couldn't come and visit me in the jail, , but they'd be watching outside and they still, when I lived, how the secrets police were following me for miles, just to make sure that I will not contact anyone.

Yeah. So one of the elders of the church called me and was like, so you're not coming at all. And I'm like, watch me next week. I'm coming. But I was not being wise. So my conversation heard. And if you know other people from different nationalities and the government doesn't want to fuss around that, they will just make it like an accident.

So what they did is they blast the tanker on my way. And that tanker held acid in it.

So they wanted me to melt two pieces, but the Lord had different plans for me. What they intended for me to die in the Lord came and snatched me from the jaws of death.

So ,

Ryan: they like in route somewhere had a tinker that exploded.

Ahmed: I cannot tell you exactly what happened, but I was driving. And then all of a sudden, I wasn't my own, the ICU and the hospital. But if you look at the pictures of the car, you understand the car somehow flow over the tanker and, landed in the desserts far from there.

And people who came by, so something, shining because the car is, metal so they looked at the car and came to rescue me. But know, , they wanted me to melt basically, but the Lord, rescued me.

Ryan: I mean, that's, I have no words for that. It's just amazing that God totally had his hand on you.

Wow. So you're in a coma, right? You woke up., can you talk to us about the hospital? So you wake up in the

Ahmed: ICU. So I'm a doctor. And when I opened my eyes, I saw all the tubes all around me. , what happened here?

So I, called the attending doctor. I'm like, I'm a medical doctor too. , what happened to me? Cause my last memory was, I'm going to church to worship Jesus. And so he's like, oh we are so sorry to tell you this, but you have been in a car crash and this happened to you and that, and you being comma for two months.

Yes, I've been on the ICU bed for two months, , so I couldn't comprehend what happened to me. ,. I've been into rehab and then they released me. So I went back to my hospital and before that I went by the police station where they held my car and it wasn't there.

And, I, , went directly to my car and it was, , crumbles. Like, you can not recognize what is this car? It was a big SUV car. So while I was looking around in my car, and seeing how the Lord literally, protecting. Only my site was not damaged. If you look at the picture of the car, you will see that it's intended to crush and Milt.

Whoever is in the front passenger seat. But the Lord protected my seat. And I was looking around the car and the police person, he shot at me. Hey, what are you doing there? He was thinking that I was, thief or something, trying to steal the parts of the car.

And I'm like this is my car. It's like, oh, you're alive. Like I'm standing here, and I took a picture of it and then it went to my hospital and, I was in a lab coat with bandages all around my face. So I looked like a mummy. I went there and my supervisor was looking at me as like, oh, what happened to you?

And. Car crash. It's like, what kind of car Christ, you know, we'll make you look like this in bandages everywhere. So I showed him the picture and he looks at me. He looks at the car, he looks at me again, and he told me you have been born again. I'm like, say that one more time. Yeah. Yeah. How would a Muslim person , say things that is off scripture.

So I told him, only living God could snatch a person like me from the jaws of death. And I told him about who I believe in, and that, that this God is a living God that is still alive and doing miracles today. So I told him about Jesus and he was not fine with that music. So he actually called the management in the hospital and kicked me out and that sparked a long investigation into why would they say such things in the hospital and ended up by barring me from medicine in Saudi Arabia.

Ryan: Oh my gosh. Wow. Talk about persecution. Yeah. Did you handle that?

Ahmed: Well, you know, I love medicine. Let me just say that, but I love Jesus even more. Amen. , when I've been handed that paper being disbarred from medicine I took it and I went to a a frame, a workshop to frame it, and then I hang it up on the wall, as , graduation with honor, this is my honor that I would lose whatever.

, wow. But I continued, so this is not my job. Yes. This is my income kind of job,, to treat. My job is to treat souls. And so I continued to share the gospel there as much as I can, as a little wisdom that I had

I continued to share and to tell people around me, which led to threats of bullets and actual bullets showering through my cheap new car. And I ended up leaving from Saudi Arabia to UAE where I met with a pastor there. So that would, for me, it was so much valuable and important than bullets threatened me and I went to different parts of the town and I tried to be wise as much as they can. And I did not want to leave Saudi Arabia and go anywhere.

Because I, saw that it's important to stay where you are and shine. Especially if there's nobody there is sharing the truth. So being chased and being,, shot at, that was the first incident. And then there was a second incident where I was on my way to the United Arab Emirates so I was driving and all of a sudden I heard, the glass shatter to my face and a bullet whizzing by me and, you know, a car was chasing me. So , my car was, cheap car, so not that much grip and handle. So all of a sudden, I lost the steering wheel and my car swirled to the sand dune and they opened the door and I was taught to run into the desserts.

And until I couldn't train anymore, I filter to my face and I'm like, DCIS, I'm coming to you. And I was, waiting for a bullet to come from my head. Right. So I was waiting for my graduation, but I waited, waited, waited, nothing happened. So I went back to the car and I don't see any car coming .

So I went there and my car was stuck in this tent dune. So I took one of the car mats. And I put it under the, tire just to take the car out of the sand. If you're a sound person, you know, that trick. So I started to drive. I'm like, lo Lord, maybe this is not my time to graduate.

Okay. I'm like, Lord, how can I go through. Border without the customs, look at my car, my riddled car with bullets and stabbing me. Yeah. Right. But God, if that is your plan, I'm sure that you will have a way. So I continued to pray and it's like, Lord you're with me, Lord, make a way.

And I felt so thirsty. So I stopped by a gas station that's near to the border. And I remember I went to the section of foods and I saw a duct tape. That is the same color of my car place in the middle of the food. It's like, I just missed the Angela there. But at that, for me, I'm like duct tape.

What would I do with duct tape? It's like, hello., we put this for you, take it. So I, I took the duct tape and it went into my car. I'm like, I can duct tape the bullet holes and because the duct tape match the color of my car, nobody will notice.

And you know, I just cleared the window that shot shattered window and rolled down. The only one that it's a good window and make it look like, I was enjoying the weather, although it was really hard. It's like hundred 20. You've heard anyhow. So nice, nice drive. So I drove there and, I was just praying, Lord, make a way you are the way, make your way from me.

If that is your will may your name be glorified? So I went through the security and they didn't ever look at me. They scan my ID card and let me in and the UAE side the same, they did not notice the car, how it was pieced together with duct tape. So they went to a pastor friend in, in Dubai and he looks at me, he's like, oh, there's something hadn't gotten behind the car beneath the car.

I'm like, yeah, I know. Let me just get inside until you will happen to me. So I talked to him and I showed him the fully told us, like, this is not a doing off of people. This is doing, if governments, you have to leave the country right now. And, he took me to the airport.

So he was right. , I went there and quickly get to an airplane, go into New Zealand and The security of the airports came in looking for me, but it was too late because my flight departed and they came and arrested him and arrested other people that talked to you. I talked to me in the past and some of them stayed in jail for three days interrogated.

So yeah.

Ryan: Wow. So you went to New Zealand where you safe

Ahmed: when you got there. That's what I thought. So I landed in New Zealand and I'm like, ah, finally, I'm safe. And I went to a small town in the middle of the north island of New Zealand. And so two believers that I know and,, I sat with them , and like finally I'm safe.

So I'm sure. Few days after the intelligence of Nisa and is knocking at the door. This is a small town of 20 people. So, , they're knocking at the door. I'm like how are you? It's like, we are the intelligence of New Zealand. So I'm like, what do you want? It's like, want to talk to you?

Like, why you want to talk to me? Like what, what did they do wrong here in this country? But this time the other Kiwi then use an enters. They were with me. So they sat with me at the table. The first question the officers asked me is not, what's your name? It's like, are you a Christian? I'm like, why would a secular government be interested in my faith?

That's so weird unless. There'd be ambushed by different government to ask those questions. So especially that I know that other Saudi believers in New Zealand who believed in DCIS, they'd be kidnapped and sent back to their demise. So I'm like, I'm not gonna answer any more questions.

And the new Zealanders with me not only vouch for me, but shamed the officers for coming here and asking me questions that is, not legal and against the law of New Zealand. So through the, through the vine we, you know, reach to a Christian police commissioner. It's like a superintendent.

And we told him the story and he said, let me look at the file. Just to see what's against you in our file. I'm like, okay. I was thinking I was going to take him a month, maybe two, but to my surprise, it was the very next day he called me. And the first word that he said is leave the country come like excuse me.

It was like, we can now protect you here. You have to leave. And I'm like, why, what can you tell me? What's like, no, I can not discuss with you. Things are in the file. But I can tell you, you have to leave now, do you have any, any visa to any other country? And I'm like, I do have a visa to the U S because it'd been here before to the us, before to speak at different churches is like leave the country to the us.

So surely it took my stuff and my suitcase, my only suitcase and what did the airport? And in there I was interrogated and I was thinking I will be sent back to Saudi Arabia. But the Lord has different plan and they landed Humana's

Ryan: oh my gosh. And you sought asylum there.

Ahmed: So I was thinking that, Things will be easier, but it wasn't.

So I applied for asylum just like anybody else. Supplemented my claim with so many evidence intelligence reports from New Zealand and Australia other affidavits, and my lawyer was saying, oh, this is slam dunk case. You you'll get asylum in no time wrong. So I remember that I went to the, went to the office with him, to my interview and from the get go I was being treated not by the procedure.

And my lawyer was looking to me. They're not supposed to do that. And I'm like, you're my lawyer. You should do something. So I went there and the officer was tagging toward me. He was not nice to me at all. And I think maybe, probably. Personal prejudice against Christians, probably from that officer.

But at the end, I knew that I'll be rejected. But I'm like, Lord, I know through your promises and the Psalms that you have not rescued me to hand me over to my enemies. They all sit me in a safe place. So I prayed come on. I asked my friends across the globe to pray. So we got the decision from the United States.

Government is no. And we will send you back to whatever your come from Saudi Arabia to people who will tell your head. And I got that and I'm like, okay, Lord, this is in your hand. If you want me to graduate, I will gladly, if you want me to pursue the tasks that you have entrusted to me, the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.

I'll do that gladly too. Yeah, so we prayed and a few believers, they contact. Senators and congressmen and women who are not believers in Jesus. Let me just make that clear, but because of so much evidence and the egregious error that happened to my case, they weigh in and no time. And I've been told, it will take time for them to respond within weeks.

Things change, be called wow by them. Just to get the facts of the case. And there's like, no way, this has happened in here under a watch. So they weigh in and the very next week I was called by the the office that signed them office. And it went there thinking what's going on here, but I trusted in mighty God.

And we went in and things changed in the office, also was received this time. So different. I was received with. This time. And my pastor who was with me testified, and I remember at the end, we were like, Hey, we did not pray before let's pray. So we gather hand and in the waiting room, do we prayed in the name of Jesus?

And I remember that one of the workers there, the asylum office worker came to my pastor and she's like, this is beautiful prayer. I just want to say my amen to that. So praise the Lord for that. So we lift and the very next day I was granted asylum in the United States praise.

However, I want to, I want to mention something so the Sunday before when my asylum was rejected, I remember the pastor mentioning that in the church and some of people in the church, they couldn't believe whatever I said about my story. And then, when the rejection came, it's like, oh look, we told you is his testimony is not true.

And that's why it's been rejected by the United States government. And I CA I can hear that those are my brothers and sisters in Christ, and they were not kind so I just prayed Lord, you know, that I told the truth, Lord vindicate me Jesus. And of course, if you prayed, God hears and he responds back.

Yeah, this is the response. So I was granted, that the United States governments change its decision from rejection and deportation to accept the full acceptance I conditioned. So I was sitting in the same bench in the church, and the people and the pastor mentioned that the asylum case was granted and unconditionally, and.

I can hear the same people behind me. Who'll be whispering, the week before that his story is not true to whispering. This is the Lord's doing only God can do that. So I do believe that God did this as a miracle to the people in the church. Like he does today, so, wow. He's alive, man. So my pastor insisted on writing my testimony.

I did not have any desire to write it down, but he said, you should write it down to give praise to what the Lord has done until the earth that, Jesus is alive today. So I'm like, okay, let's write it down. And I know that from the scripture in revelation 12 verse 11, and they conquered him by the blood to flow. And the word of their testimony.

Ryan: Praise God. So good.

So med you're doing so much work for the kingdom of God through the organization that you founded Mecca to Christ. Can you tell us a little bit about what you're doing right now?

Ahmed: Yeah, I want to serve Jesus and there's a verse in the Bible that strikes me the most and it's in Luke seven verse 47,

Thesis says, I tell you her sins, and there are many have been forgiven. So she has shown me much love, but a person who is forgiven little shows, only little love Jesus died on the cross for me, for my sense. So I don't know, BT ha I don't, you know, I don't need to go on B2 hide and sell somebody else blood.

He came on the cross and did that for me. I know how much that costs and I just love Jesus and I declare this anywhere I go. So I want to make it clear that I love Jesus. So me and my pastor and others, we created Mecca through Christ international and make it through Christ is if you look to blame Muslims with.

Pray worship. They worship toward Mecca and we are at Mecca Christ, redirecting them to Jesus, basically. So was sort of their direction to Mecca. We want to Derrick them to the living God. So, in Mecca to Christ, we be gin by sending people to places where the gospel have never been heard before.

And also,, helping. As much as we can to go to those countries, especially the Islamic countries. But also we do much more. We explain to others how to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that people Muslims can understand what you're trying to deliver.

You're not there to deceive them. You're not there to lead them astray, but you're there to show them the love of Jesus Christ and to do it in a way that's tailored to them. Also, we help and support Muslim background believers, discipleship to them. Discipleship is really important to be firm in their faith.

Supporting them, like, all the realities from the books. It's not coming to me. I wrote, , those books is for Jesus and that to me. So those money would take it and support the ministries of the Muslim background believers. With us, we do much more. There are projects come in.

There's a, w we have an academy called Muslim background believers academy, and we're in transition to make that into seminary. That is a discipleship based seminary. So [00:39:00] the seminaries that we have today is a professor students, model, which is knowledge based

while what we're trying to create is to have discipleship there. We're not taking people from, let's say Libya and other places to come to the U S or other Western countries to, learn. No, no, we're going to teach them where they are just like how Jesus did. Jesus went to his disciples, where they are, you and it's like, he went to them,.

It's like, follow me. We as believers in Jesus, we're going to do the same. We are going to go to where they are equipped them to salvo them that way. And so that is coming to light. We have also others, like other projects, like the, the Koran Bible concordance. So basically, many verses in the crime came with a verbatim or the idea of it from the Bible, the truth of the Bible that we hold today, many Muslims, they don't know that.

So basically what we did is, we come through the Bible and, so we want a person who is a believer in Jesus take that Bible to a Muslim at all, but it's on the side. So the verses of the Bible will be clear because we know that the word of God is so strong that it's, sharper than a double-edged sword.

So we want them to read the scripture, but on the side, we linked it to where the current mentioned this first and many Muslims, they don't understand that. They think that the Bible is corrupted. If the Bible is corrupt, then the current is corrupt too, because it's based on the Bible.

So if so many verses ultimately, oh, what we're trying to do is to communicate the love, the truth about Jesus, to Muslims. And we know that not all Muslims will come to Jesus the same way. In fact, there is no single way for everybody to come to Jesus and we need to be to us as creative as Jesus was with the Jews.

Ryan: Amen. So amazing. I'm it? I'm so encouraged. Just listening to you today.

There's so much here. So a med our last question have you ever thought about what would have happened differently if those strangers in New Zealand hadn't prayed for you?

Ahmed: Probably out in dub, being a jihad is killing innocent people and killing myself in the way and be in eternal damnation forever.

So I'm so thankful for those strangers. So it didn't know what my name was, but they just dare to pray and save my soul. And, here I am knowing about, Jesus and the truth about the crucifixion, the truth about the Christ that is saving my soul. Yeah. I mean, I would be in a very dark place that.

You know, probably inhale. And that is the it just so sinister it's it's it's so dark. I mean yeah, so, so I'm so thankful for my Lord and savior DCIS to answer their prayers. So thankful that they dared that they did not say, oh no, that's impossible. You know, Saudi Arabia, land of Islam, you know, God cannot do it.

No, they dare to. Although, you know, probably some of them, they thought that it's a crazy wild idea. But they dare to pray. Now when they, this is the God of the impossible. And I'm so thankful.

Ryan: Yeah. I'm going to ask one more question if you could talk to the med who is still,, young, a med, ambitious wanting to become a jihadist and you could, you could tell him one thing.

What would you tell them?

Ahmed: I would say I have an invitation for you. That's being given to me almost 11 years ago. And this invitation, if you open it, please do so. And basically come to Jesus. I'm extended that Jesus said to me, come to me and I'm saying, come to Jesus, come, come. And you will not lose anything

you will actually see beyond the limitation that's, you're seeing now, you will feel liberated from the burden that's you carry. And if you can hear me today and you are not believing in Jesus Christ, if you're not walking with Jesus please come and fell after him and he will show you things that you have never seen in your life.

Ryan: Wow. Amen. So, so good. Thank you so much for being on our show and then sure.

Ahmed: Thank you for having me. And also thank you for the listeners. There'll be with us. Yeah, absolutely.

Thank you guys.

Ryan: Thank you so much. .

Ahmed: God bless.

Ryan: Alright. That was amazing. That was epic. Epic.

Hey friends, did you notice the direct connection in a med story between people strange?

Praying during Ramadan. And God's just miraculous power and conversion. If you want to get in the game, this Ramadan, , join us at prayer cast. They have a Ramadan prayer challenge where you can sign up to get daily powerful and moving video prayers for Muslims all over the world, standing in the gap for them as Muslims pre fervently and seek the Lord during this special time for them, you can find these videos@prayercast. .

Ryan Henry: com

Ryan: You can find the link to the challenge in our show notes.

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Episode 12: Ahmed Joktan, From Jihad to Christ, Part 2 (Saudi Arabia)

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