Beirut was recently shaken by a deadly explosion that rocked all of Lebanon. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has ministered in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East for years, most recently through its online evangelism outreach in Arabic. Read more about this ministry:
So far this year, more than 191,000 people have explored the Gospel through SalamMaaAllah.net (translated PeaceWithGod.net), a web ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) geared toward Arabic speakers. In June alone, another 730,000 checked out the Arabic ministry’s Facebook page, with 1,700 Facebook Messenger conversations started by Arabic-speaking Muslims that same month.
This ministry is part of BGEA’s expanding Search for Jesus outreach, which shares the Good News in six languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin and Korean.
“During the days of the Iron Curtain, my father and his team searched for ways to take the Good News into countries considered closed to Christianity,” Franklin Graham said. “Through an incredible amount of prayer, provision, providence and planning, eventually a crack broke through and my father was able to speak in several once-unreachable nations. When he did, he found an immense thirst for the hope that Jesus offers. …
“While the circumstances may be different, the same holds true today as several countries in the Middle East are closed to the spread of the message of Jesus Christ. But thankfully, the Lord’s Word knows no bounds! God is working mightily in the Middle East to call the lost unto repentance and salvation.”
Here are three stories of people impacted by BGEA’s Arabic-language internet evangelism ministry:
‘My Life Is Always So Depressing and I Am Lost’
Adib* is a 20-year-old Middle Eastern man who reached out to one of our volunteers on our ministry’s Facebook page.
He said, “My life is always so depressing and I am lost.”
Adib explained he can’t hold a job, his personal life is “complicated,” and he doesn’t like to talk to anyone. He shared, “I know there isn’t a solution for my life.”
In Their Own Words
Comments from people touched by our online, Arabic-focused ministry:
“I know God is the Creator, but I do not think I have a relationship with Him. Can you help me with that?”
—Lamya*
“I have a question, but please don’t laugh at me. Is Jesus Christ God?” —Jana*
“Ever since I was a kid, all I knew was not to listen to what you guys say about Christianity and that it was all wrong. But now for the first time ever, I get to understand the truth and decide to believe it or not.” —Melek*
The volunteer asked Adib if he had ever heard of Jesus Christ, and he replied, “Would you mind telling me more about Him?”
Using Scripture, the Arabic-language volunteer took the opportunity to tell Adib about the true peace and lasting joy that can be found in Christ alone. When asked if he wanted to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord, Adib said, “I know now that God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay for my sins, and everyone who believes that will gain eternal life in heaven with Him.” He then prayed to surrender his life to the Lord.
Adib kept asking questions and said, “Please tell me more about Christ and how I can learn more about Him, and I will keep pursuing Him for the rest of my life.”
‘I Do Not Need You to Tell Me About Your Christ’
Katya,* a 30-year-old from the Middle East, reached out to Salam Maa Allah because she wanted to talk to someone: “I am lonely and depressed. I do not have a mother nor a sister. I am not married. I have one brother but he wants nothing to do with me.”
Our trained volunteer listened intently for a long time, and then asked if she knew anything about Christ. Not only was she not familiar with Jesus, she immediately responded, “I came to talk to you because I am depressed and lonely. I do not need you to tell me about your Christ.”
The volunteer continued looking for ways to bring the Gospel into the conversation. Katya’s heart began to soften to the Good News, and she even asked questions about the Bible and Christianity during their ongoing chat. Their conversation lasted for several days before Katya expressed a desire to read God’s Word herself. The volunteer provided an online link to access a copy, and Katya began reading daily.
After a week, Katya came back and said, “My life is completely changed, I have changed. I love life and now I love reading the Bible.”
She then indicated her desire to repent of her sins and surrender her life to Jesus Christ.
>> You, too, can point Arabic speakers to Christ. Find out how you can become an online volunteer with this ministry.
‘I Am a Muslim Girl. How Can Jesus Love Me?’
Zahra,* a young girl from the Middle East, responded to one of our Salam Maa Allah ads and began talking with a volunteer. She shared, “I am deeply sad and depressed. I have lost my mom recently and I feel lonely all the time without her and my life is just completely meaningless.”
The volunteer explained she is not alone and there is an ever-present God who understands her pain. They talked about Christ, but she was not receptive at that moment to follow Him. A few weeks later, Zahra responded to another ad and Yara*—a different volunteer—started sharing the Gospel with her.
At that point, though she had doubts, Zahra felt like she needed to know more about Christ, who He really is, and how He understands her pain: “But I am a Muslim girl, how can Jesus love me?”
Zahra was shocked to learn that God loves her, and she was ready to accept Him in her life as her personal Savior. Yara and Zahra prayed together, and Yara provided links for Zahra to access both the Bible and our free online discipleship training.
*Names changed to protect privacy
Share the Gospel with your Arabic-speaking friends.
Do you speak Arabic? Learn more about volunteering with this online ministry.
You can also find the true peace that comes only from Christ.
