Abu Munahid grew up in a nominal Catholic household but was converted in the year 1997. Currently he is pastoring Salam Church in an undisclosed country in the Levant region of the Middle East and working to finish a doctorate in theology. He and his wife have two boys.
Testimony of Conversion
My name is Abu Munahid. I grew up in the Catholic Church and followed in the steps of my dad and grandfather. I was enjoying the pleasures of life and denying God’s existence. I drank and smoked excessively. I tried everything in this life. I was a bad man: abusive, arrogant, and continually thinking that I was the best. That was my previous life.
In October of 1997, I was invited by my cousin and another brother to attend a 3-day church meeting in a Baptist church downtown. On the first day I went to the meeting saying to myself, “I will laugh at them. What is going to happen?” But in the middle of the sermon, the preacher said, “Why are you still drinking? Or have you forgotten that your body isn’t for you? What about your kids, how are they going to eat?” I felt that the message was directed at me, so I ran out and didn’t come back to the meeting. For the rest of the day I felt terrible because of the ideas that followed me and a voice inside me that kept asking, “Will you believe what you heard or just ignore it?”
The next day after I got home from work, I started to drink again. One hour before the second day’s church meeting, the voice inside me said, “Don’t cancel the invitation; just accept it.” So I went. In the middle of the sermon, the preacher said, “Didn’t I tell you to stop drinking? Why are you still drinking?” I asked the brother next to me, “Who told him about me?” He replied, “No one, but that is the Holy Spirit’s voice for you today.”
At the end of the sermon the preacher said, “Have faith in God’s bread which is His Word.” After he explained his meaning, he asked, “Who wants to give his life to Jesus?” By itself my hand started to raise up, but I let it down because of my pride. When he asked again my hand raised up and back down as before, but this time my cousin saw me and said to me, “Raise up your hand and give Jesus your whole life!” He grabbed my hand and raised it up. My face went red and I ran out of the church because the preacher began to pray with all those who gave their lives to Jesus.
Two hours later I felt compelled to go back to the church. All of the people were gone, but to my surprise I found the preacher and the two brothers who had invited me still there waiting for me. The preacher said, “Welcome, son, where were you? I was waiting for you.” Tears began to flow down my cheeks because of the strength of God’s working in my life that day. We prayed together, and then I went home happy, holding with me the great change that had happened to me. When I told my wife about my salvation, she started to shout in my face. Then I went to the kitchen cupboard and poured all the alcohol down the sink and I threw away all the cigars. I heard my wife shouting, “You are crazy like them! They brainwashed you!”
Testimony of Conversion
After that my life and my attitude started to change, and all the people around me began noticing the change. I began to study theology because it made me so happy. I asked for retirement from the army so that I could go to Bible College. I started to serve the Lord with all honesty, and the Lord put it on my heart to start a ministry in this city. Later I studied for a master’s degree, and Lord willing, I hope to finish a doctorate degree.
How great is God’s gift to me and my family – all my family have become believers and we are serving the Lord together! God has given me a heart to serve and care for the church in this city and serve Him honestly. All glory to God, the One who gives everything in my life!