“I Can’t Turn My Back on Christ”: A Testimony of Faith, Persecution, and God’s Presence

By Josh David

From Islam to Christ: My Family’s Story

I was born to Iranian parents. My parents fled persecution after my father had a radical conversion from being an Islamist to a servant of Christ. They came to the UK, where I was born.

Naturally, my parents brought me up showing me the love of Christ. I would go to church, but I didn’t really have a relationship with Christ. After going through hardships in my teenage years, I was driven further from Christ. I found myself living an ungodly life, feeling empty and alone, until I reached the point of not wanting to live anymore.

To cut a long story short, even though it did not feel like it, God was with me every step of the way. He kept calling me until I could not fight it anymore, and I decided to give my all to Him.

Since I got to know His love, grace, and forgiveness, I have had a heart for evangelism and the persecuted church. With my parents’ background, I had a deeper understanding of Islam—the religion and culture—and persecution than many others.

Learning to Hear God’s Voice

From 2009–2013, I served with an Italian missionary group called Christ Is the Answer. Almost every day, I would go out evangelising. It was there that God taught me discernment and how to hear His voice.

I remember one instance when we were out evangelising. I saw someone out of the corner of my eye scurrying about. He seemed kind of off, but I started to feel what I can only describe as a rope pulling me towards him.

I was hesitant at first, as I was quite new at the time, but I just said, “Lord, he’s in Your hands. Give me the words You want me to say.”

So I went to him, and the only words that came out were, “Jesus loves you.”

At that moment, he just crumpled to the floor. After praying for him and speaking to him, he revealed that he had been abused and abandoned by his parents at a young age and had never, ever been told he was loved his whole life.

He gave his life to Christ then and there.

A Heart for the Persecuted

I had to return to the UK 11 years ago when my wife became pregnant. Here I am serving at my church with set-up and Sunday school. I also volunteer with an online child protection team, where we locate child groomers and report them to the authorities. I also worked at HSBC Bank in mortgages for six years.

Since January last year, I have started to head ACP UK, raising awareness for the persecuted. I have travelled to countries like Sudan, Rwanda, and Kenya, where I visited the large refugee camp near the border of Somalia.

Last year, I decided to start a project in Afghanistan to help orphans, widows, and the underground church.

While I was there, I was kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured for almost seven months without hearing from my family.

Standing Beneath the Noose

On the third day, they decided to execute me.

That evening, the executioner came in, his face covered, and told me it was my time. They took me to the room, stripped me naked, beat me, put on the robes, and stood me underneath the noose.

What was amazing was how God was with me every step of the way.

I was very sad at the thought of not being able to play with my son, dance with my daughter, or hug and kiss my wife ever again. Yet I had an almost weird peace and calm in my heart.

I just prayed and said, “Lord, if You have appointed this time, so be it. Just don’t let it be for nothing. I have an opportunity to share Your light here. But if it is my time, so be it.”

I waited.

Suddenly, someone came in and whispered to the executioner. He grabbed me and started to pull me out of the room. As he did, I noticed scribbled on the wall, in English:

“This too shall pass.”

I later found out that around 15 minutes before the execution was to take place, the UN said they had heard and were coming to visit, so they cancelled the execution.

Knowing the Church Was Praying

I was then put in solitary confinement for what I believe was a week or more. I remember feeling so alone and empty, not knowing what was going to happen.

But one day, I suddenly felt this wave of warmth come over me from head to toe and an indescribable peace. In that moment, I knew the church was praying for me.

Once, two guards who had never met me came into the room and said, “Say Mohammed is the messenger of God.”

I refused and just smiled.

One of them raised his hand to strike me, but in mid-air, his friend grabbed his hand and said:

“Do not hurt him. He knows God.”

They were seeing the Spirit of Christ!

I was electrocuted, beaten, and told they had killed my friends, but God was revealing everything to me and never left my side. All I would answer was:

“I can’t turn my back on Christ.”

Even when they threatened to kill me, that was my answer.

The Taliban were shocked and would even ask me, “Why aren’t you begging for your life or to go back home?”

I would just smile.

God was revealing Himself without me even having to open my mouth.

Encountering Christ in Prison

I was then thrown into the main prison, witnessing suicides and fights every day, but I will never forget how God revealed Himself to me.

I was desperate, in a crowded cell, not knowing what was going to happen. I decided I couldn’t hide it any longer. I needed God.

So I prostrated myself and started worshipping and praying. As I did, I saw with my own eyes Christ walking around me.

I saw the wounds in His feet!

After that, everything changed.

I was no longer the prisoner.

I was an anointed one of the Lion of Judah!

It felt like I was sitting at the King’s table and the enemy was running around looking for scraps.

It got to the point where some Taliban would see me and run away because they couldn’t break or scare me. I saw God’s power firsthand.

Miracles in the Midst of Persecution

The ISIS members put a reward on my death, and I was poisoned. I became extremely sick, but God pulled me through.

They also managed to procure a knife to use on me, but by a miracle, the guards found out the night before they were planning to use it on me and confiscated it.

I saw so many miracles I could go on for hours.

One Afghan I was praying for saw a vision of Jesus coming to hug him and telling him he was loved. It changed him completely.

I also got to witness to a descendant of Mohammed. He would tell the other cellmates, “In this man there is no evil.”

He was witnessing the Holy Spirit in me!

He would ask me question after question about who I believe Jesus to be and why.

These experiences have grounded me even more in Christ and taught me so much over that hard time. I could speak for days about all the miracles God has done in my life, but these are my main experiences in the honour of serving our Lord and Saviour.

Blessings, Josh David