Pastor Rasoul Heidari

Life is a beautiful journey, a continuous adventure that took me three decades to grasp. It started when I found Him, an everlasting experience that has humbled me. Upon my encounter, I experienced healing, a touch of faith, inner peace and tremendous joy. The life I once believed to be respectable has been transformed into true beauty because of the testimony that I am here to share

I was born in 1963 in Qom, Iran. I was raised in an ultra-conservative Muslim family where I practiced Islam with my whole heart and soul. I came to believe that Islam was the only solution for humankind's pain and suffering

I married my wife Zohra and experienced fatherhood with the birth of my first child, Venus. When Venus turned two, she began to have frequent episodes of severe seizures. During random times of the day, her body shook uncontrollably. She began to lose the little memory she had. After receiving a professional diagnosis from medical experts of epilepsy, she was placed on medication for five years. With no sign of a cure, the medication only helped to reduce the severity and frequency of the attacks. During those challenging five years, due to my Islamic beliefs, I visited different shrines, asking Shia holy Imams to heal my tormented little girl. I cannot forget the forty times I kneeled for prayer on Tuesday nights at the Jamkaran holy place for the Twelfth Shia Imam, believing that he would appear before me in what appeared to be a sacred location. My prayers used to take at least four hours each night. My commute averaged 100 miles, yet with each visit, I returned home overwhelmed with a deeper sense of despair knowing that I had not received the answer to my requests

While dealing with the tragedy of Venus's medical condition, I came to discover that my business partner had taken advantage of my trust and manipulated our joint accounts. By the time I made this discovery, it was too late because I had lost everything! My anger and hatred turned into anguish. I began to feel helpless with every aspect of life and I needed a way out. Before long, I became hooked on drugs and alcohol to forget about my problems

During one horrendous night, I reached the conclusion that this life was no longer worth living. The thought of suicide became the greatest joy that I had experienced in a long time. I remember thinking, "This is it." But before I began to dexterously plot how to quickly end my life, I whispered one final prayer, "Oh, God, please reveal to me your real truth." I remember falling into a deep slumber and having a dream, one that changed the course of my life. In my dream, I saw a holy man with long hair wearing a rich velvet cloak. I asked him, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am Jesus and what is your problem?" I began by explaining everything that I had experienced from Venus's medical problem, to my financial loss, and my drug and alcohol addiction. He removed His cloak, gave me three glasses filled with water, and asked me to drink from each glass. After finishing the water, I woke up from my deep sleep. To this day I can still recall the incredible sense of tranquility that resonated within my spirit

For the first time in a long time, the fog had disappeared and I was no longer cluttered with emotional pollution. The negativity had completely washed out of me. The profound aspects of this dream occurred when I met Jesus. I had never been introduced to this man through literature, word of mouth, or media. This was the first time I was encountering this man. That exact day, I began to experience a course of miraculous events that later led me to confess Jesus as the Messiah and experience His healing power precisely as revealed through my dream. My financial problems were restored instantly after my house, which had been placed in a collapsing market for an extended period of time, was sold supernaturally for an incredible price. With the proceeds, I was able to take care of most of my debts and give to local charities

During this time, I was compelled to attend church. Through a friend, I was introduced to a Farsi-speaking church called Philadelphia. I met the pastor and explained the events that had taken place. He reassured me that all of my problems were solved. However, I told him that my daughter's issues still existed. The pastor prayed for Venus's healing. That same night, I had a dream. In my dream, I saw myself standing and holding Venus who was still looking very sick in my arms. I said, "Jesus, you told me, you would heal Venus and here is my baby. Do something." I saw a hand stretching from behind and over my right shoulder. The hand reached over and touched Venus's face. I saw the color in her face begin to return. Immediately she looked healthy and alive once more

A voice called out, "Now she is healed." I tried to turn my face behind me to see the face but the outstretched hand stopped me saying, "You will see me, but not now." Suddenly I woke up, went to Venus's bed and began to pray for her. Because of her problem, she often experienced ticks while she slept. I lay my hand on her and began praying. I noticed her ticks had stopped. The following day, we visited her doctor and the results from Venus's EEG and blood test showed no sign of seizure or epilepsy. The doctor said, "If she was not my own patient, I would not believe the astonishing healing"

Even though I had experienced the supreme hand of God heal my child and restore my life, I resisted my urge to accept Him as my Lord and Savior. I was however, greatly inspired to begin studying Christianity. I began doing a series of comparison studies between the Koran and the Bible to find the answer for the ultimate truth. Unfortunately, the deeper I studied, the more confused I became. One night, frustrated and confused, I began to pray, "I asked you for the truth, you showed me Jesus and now I am confused. Please help me clear my mind, so I can search for you"

I suddenly felt a breeze pass through the room that chilled my body and touched my face. Immediately, the doubts and uncertainties cleared and I began to see Christ without confusion. I knew at that moment reality from truth – indeed He is the Lord and Savior

I was jubilant. I was flying. After a few minutes, the first thought was the conversion of my wife and our fanatical Muslim families. Suddenly, I heard a loud voice echoing from the walls, "Do what the apostles did." With curiosity, I visited the church to learn what or who an apostle was

After attending church regularly, I offered my heart and soul to Jesus. As I grew in my relationship with Christ, it pained me to see that for the first time, my wife and I were unequally yoked. I earnestly sought Christ for her salvation, faithfully praying that she too would be touched with His love as I had been. Jesus is faithful to those who seek His face and He gives us the desire of our hearts. Zohra received a visitation from Jesus Christ one night in a dream and was miraculously transformed as I had been. The next morning, she began to read the Bible. Shortly thereafter, she became eager to attend church services. Together, we took discipleship classes and watched the hand of God move in our lives

After guidance from God and a series of miracles, we managed to flee from the country and move to the United States. During my stay in the U.S., God confirmed that I should continue to receive my education in theology. Since my move to the U.S., I have been serving my Lord through evangelism in the Iranian community, serving people with emotional, psychological and drug-related issues. I am a professor of Iranian theology conducting classes over the phone or face-to-face in a classroom setting

I hope that through my testimony, you have been able to have a small glimpse of the goodness and the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. He has taken a life that was filled with helplessness, despair, and sorrow and filled it with it hope, peace, and purpose. I am dedicated to fulfilling the vision that Christ has implanted in my heart. I pray that Jesus Christ will continue to touch you as He has my life and the lives of those I have encountered

God Bless Rasoul Heidari