A devoted young Muslim being groomed to train as an imam had an unexpected change of direction after a dream in which he saw Jesus telling him that He was the way.

Now studying for a master’s degree in education at Lincoln University in the UK, 31 year-old Zack Kelvin attends the city’s Bridge Church where he recently shared his story.

Growing up a Muslim in Ghana, he was found to have a terminal heart condition after passing out on a prayer mat at a mosque. He did, however, sometimes mix with Christians (his mother was a believer) and one day found himself at a Christian rally where the preacher encouraged those who sought healing to place a hand on the affected area. Zack did so, and immediately felt something leave him. Jesus had healed him, even though he wasn’t yet a Christian.

But I’m a Muslim!

Then at high school, aged 18, a lady preacher urged him to trust Christ. “But I’m a Muslim,” he insisted. “It’s impossible for me to give my life to Jesus.” But he was greatly impacted by the spirit of love among Christians. He started comparing the Bible with the Qu’ran, and was shocked by the way they contradicted each other, with the Islamic holy book claiming Ishmael as Abraham’s
‘son of promise’ rather than Isaac, as the Bible states. In addition, Jesus was merely a prophet to Muslims whereas he is the Saviour for Christians. In the end, out of frustration, Zack closed both books, locked the room and fasted for three days,
asking God, ‘Which is right?’ “I was desperate,” he explained.

Dreaming of Jesus

He eventually fell into a long, deep sleep during which he had an extraordinary dream of seeing a man in white laughing at him,
saying:

“I am Jesus. I am the way, the truth and the life.”

He woke up with a start, telling his gran, “I’ve seen Jesus!” His father duly called a family conference – a sure sign, in Zack’s mind, that he was about to be disowned, as happens to most other Muslims on conversion to Christianity. But his dad was so impressed with the change in his once wayward son who had repeatedly got into trouble with the police for stealing and involvement in gang fights (a sibling had been killed in a gunfight) that he was allowed to stay at home. His dad
even paid for his teacher training.

Zack joined a Pentecostal church, experienced the fire of the Holy Spirit, and his life was much blessed. However, when he came home one day to find his house on fire, with everything lost, it proved a great test of his faith. He spent a month on the
streets, destitute and eating from garbage bins. He was finally reduced to tears and, as he slept, he heard the voice of God say,

“All will be well soon”.

It was. Zac came to England to study and has been part of the Bridge Church for the past year. During a recent service he told the story of how he got to praying for a friend who used Bibles as toilet paper. He too had an encounter with God on a prayer mat when, all of a sudden, he began crying and calling out to Jesus, even speaking in tongues (in a mosque!) He was a pastor within two years, though has sadly since died, peacefully entering his rest with Jesus!

“I’ve seen the hand of God in my life,”

Zack declared. And he has received many wonderful revelations while studying his Bible which, as I have since witnessed, is so
well-thumbed with colour-coded highlights and copious notes it’s a wonder it isn’t falling apart.

As for the Middle East conflict, he says:

“This is a time when we must all rally behind Israel, praying for them and for peace. For if Israel falls, we all fall with it. Our roots are from the Jews, so we need to stand up for them.”

 

Photo: Zack Kelvin. Used with permission from Zack Kelvin.

Story by Charles Gardner

 

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