What Growing Up Muslim in Iran Taught Me About America | Unscripted Faith

My first guest today grew up in Iran, where Islam was the only way of life. But an encounter with Jesus changed everything. Today, Reverend Shaw Amadi has a unique perspective on the rapid growth of Islam in America and why he believes the church must take notice. Reverend Shaw, welcome to Unscripted Faith. >> Hello. It's honor to be here. Thank you for having me. >> We are honored to have you and you have a beautiful story of encountering Jesus. So, take me way back. Share with me how you were raised and share with me your God story. >> Sure. I born in Iran in northwest of Iran in a very committed Muslim family. My father took me to mosque when I was age eight. So, I started learning about Quran, reading about salat, all kind of fasting in Islamic way. So, at age 13, I used to memorize Quran for two to three hours. I become number one in our city. So, that's very important because many people they say, "Are you you were committed Muslim? You become a Christian or you were like a normal Muslim?" Because when you born in Muslim family, you already become a Muslim. But we were very practical Muslim. I was obeying Islam. I was comparing like a daily basis how I'm getting closer to the way of Islam, Allah, and all of these kind of things. So, after that certificate they gave me in that city, I become very popular. So, they used to invite me to school to reach over 500 or 600 kids. Literally to by memorize to show me as a showcase how this boy is a godly in Islam. Look to him. He's only 13 years old. He's able to memorize like a two-third of Quran. So, I used to read Quran over student literally every day when we were going to school. So, I finished my degree in survey engineer in university. So, I went to from northwest of Iran where I born to south of Iran where is most oil company are. So, one of the day during our work day as a survey engineer, we came across underground city and then the secret police came to arrest us because of the information we got was uh in their eyes we shouldn't access to the information. So, that was underground city full of the military things they want to prepare. That is around 25 years ago. So, during this kind of things uh I had to leave Iran because of that um Iranian government harassment and all they want to kill those people they have any kind of information about these uh military areas. So, when I left Iran, that was one of my hardest part of my life because for 21st year of my life, I was trying my best to be close to God. I have uh five sisters, one brother. I tried to read Quran, do fasting, praying, all kind of that. And I was thinking I am, you know, doing my best to the Allah, the God of Islam. So, during that time when I was trying to leave Iran and come to the west because of my life escaping from Iranian regime, and I find that Allah is not helping me. I didn't have a peace. I never ever felt intimacy during that 21 years. Always trying hard, get closer, do more. You know, I trying to please this God of distance. And in that time of trouble, I I was asking, "God, I am in in trouble. I am I don't have a peace in my soul. Would you give me that?" And I never received it. So, long the story short, I start drinking and smoking because I was trying to find some kind of relief to emptiness of my heart. And also those time, I didn't have any answer from God of Allah. So, in England, I heard the gospel for first time. Someone came and said, "But do you know Jesus loves you?" And I was shocked because I never heard in my entire life. In Iran, there's illegal to go to church. There's no church building. You You can't have access to Bible. You don't have access to any Christian. So, during that time, I was shocked. And I said, "I'm not religious." Person told me, "Christianity is not religion. It's a relationship with the most loving uh father in heaven. And simple gospel invited the church. And during that service, I was crying, "God, I don't have a peace. God of Allah didn't give me peace. So, would you give me the peace?" So, I felt the water dropping on top of my head to all of my body. And I start experiencing actual water showering all of my being. As engineer background, I was asking, "Is this is you?" Because for first time in my life, I heard God instantly answered me. God of Allah, I was beating myself. I was doing all of that and never get the answer. But this God, Jehovah, the God, the Father God, he was answering me instantly in time of trouble. Even I wasn't worthy of him. I was I I I wasn't, you know, ready for this God. I was drinking, partying, depressed, fearful. And I was just simple prayer. And then I asked God, "If this is you, would you show me again?" And second time, presence of God came like a warm fire from top of my head all over my body. And it start touching by God and his presence. So, that day I heard the audible voice, Matthew 6:33. If you seek my kingdom and my righteousness, you'll need all your need will be added. And ended that the story after 7 months of reading Bible comparing with Quran day by day because I came to this biggest lie. People they say all the religion is the same. When I read Bible and Quran, I found that is day and night. This is the biggest lie every person can believe. And then end my story of salvation, I had a dream. I saw I was dead and in coffin and basket, they want to take me to cemetery. I heard a clear voice, you were dead, now you are alive. And I saw the door open, cross came and cross was full of light and full of fire and came raised me inside the coffin and basket to outside, pushed me inside the house outside the house and I was speaking the cross. I said, now I believe in Jesus Christ is the Lord and savior. So, my story of salvation was 100% his grace, his love, his favor, good shepherd to come and find broken sheep. In UK, I didn't have any friends, family. I was depressed. He took away all depression. He gave me joy. He took away all my sin. He gave his righteousness. The distance God of Allah become loving father in heaven. I found my best savior who died at the cross, who rose and uh he gave me internal life and everything. So, here I am in your show and showing his glory and his amazing work. >> What a truly remarkable story. I love that you were a student of all students. You were like a Muslim Paul, right? You were out here knowing the the faith, the religion and yet you still came up empty in Islam, but then you met Jesus. And I love how he met you in this very real tangible way, but then you chose to study it out. Let me see verse by verse. Let me see book to book. And it is a powerful what the Lord has done through you. Now it is your passion and your desire for others to experience the same thing you have. Share with me how that transpired. What did you do to actually pursue that call that you felt deep in your heart? And what does it look like today? >> Amen. I saw with my family actually I started sharing the gospel with my family when I was in England. And actually like many Muslims when you become a Christian and your family reject you, so I'm the price you have to pay. I encourage many people. Jesus said, "Come after me, take your cross, and love me more than anybody else." So it's so important to trust God's word. In the beginning I become like isolated when I came to Christ, but after that my goodness, my family came to Christ. 32 of my family members now they are believer inside Iran. And actually four of them Jesus appeared to them in dreams and visions. They had an amazing encounter. We saw more than 800 people came to Christ in Liverpool, England, where the place I used to live. We baptized them from Muslim background. Now I am serving in Iran alive ministry which we broadcast 7 days 24 hour with more than 7 million daily viewers and people coming to Christ inside Iran. Iran is the fastest growing church in the world. We used to have only 500 believer inside Iran in 1979. Today Iranian Christianity grew to more than 4 million since last 20 years. That's 500 turned to more than 4 million. So, according operation world is fastest growing church in the world that last 3 years. So, where there is darkness, God's light is shine brighter. Jesus appeared through dreams and people and dreams and so people they are tired of Islam inside Iran. Out of 75,000 mosques in Iran, 50,000 mosques are closed because Iranian people they saw the they saw fruit of Islam in Iranian government and they say we don't want we are done. So, Iranian government is totally different with Iranian people. Iranian people they are tired. 82% of Iranian people they are against Iranian government. So, they don't want to listen anything they say they turn their back. They say, "Hate America." They say, "We love America." They say, "Hate Israel." They say, "We love Israel." And the one of the amazing opportunity now they are tired of Islam using dishes, satellite, and gospel goes to the heads of mullah to people's home. They are listening to gospel of love, Jesus Christ, and they become a Christian. >> Wow. I mean, it is beautiful to hear that because it's so different from what we hear in the news, right? What what is continually popularized. But, I want to bring before we just have a few moments left together. And I want to ask you because you see the increase of Christianity in Iran and what a beautiful beautiful story and testimony. But, we also see the rise here in America of Islam. Share with me what is it that we need to know here in America and really worldwide about Islam and what should we be doing as believers? >> I think it is a believer you should pray, a vote, and be awake. Prayer is what's happening around you. Vote to the right person. And unfortunately, Christian in the church they don't vote to the Christian and other people they have a great value. So, Muslim people, they grow up and they they are purposely they put in the people in that as a mayor. When I I was in England, 12 of the biggest city of the England, they are Muslim. They using this to bring Sharia law. So, it's very very important for us as American to make it sure to vote against Sharia law. What is Sharia law? Sharia law literally they are saying we don't believe in Constitution. Sharia law is against the Constitution. When they come majority in your city or in your places, they say we can sort it out our problem or those problems happen in the community in the mosque or the Sheikh or Imam is appointed in that area. In Sharia law, literally you can stone a woman who caught in adultery. Sharia law, underage marriage is okay. In Sharia law, if someone is like me, become a Christian from Muslim background, is my uh penalty is the death. Is execution. Is all of these kind of things. And so, these horrible things taking place and many American have no clue what is happening. So, they turn this ideology of love everybody to turning to the blindness. They don't know what's going on. So, my word is love Muslim. Constantly pray for Muslim, but don't tolerate with Islam because that is totally different thing. We need to back Sharia law. We should continue honoring God of Christianity in here and we should continue obeying and the what the word of God saying as a Christian. But also, we have a Constitution. Anything against that Constitution, this is illegal. So, we talking about the legal system of this country. As a Christian, anything we can do in our school, in our university, in our court system, in other, you know, lifestyle again, woman's life, children's life, all of that we should stand and talk and protective of that. >> Come on. Yes, you gave us a mandate here and I love it because it's not just based on head knowledge, but an experiential understanding that the Lord Jesus is truly the one and only king. Thank you so much, Reverend Shaw, for being with us today on Unscripted Faith. >> It's great honor. Thank you for having me.