Seeking Sauls, Developing Pauls Among Muslims | Dr Kambiz Saghaey

Good morning Church, I think sounds has a problem.

Good morning. Now is better.

Good. This is my honour and privilege

to be here. But before I say you stole talk

to you from us. So we are I'm so happy I'm here.

Thank you so much for doctor you for the kind introduction.

But the right introduction for Combis is who is nothing because

God is everything but I I pronounce my last name Sako E.

This is my last name. It's very difficult to pronounce

the care, but there is a reward if somebody can do that.

So my name is Come Bees. If you call to the bees to Come

Come Bees. This is the name of the father

of King Cyrus. He was Persian too, so I'm from

Iran. I'm here to share my testimony.

And here's a story in my life for his glory.

But before that, I want to say thank you.

Thank you church, because of the body of the Christ.

As a body of the Christ, you pray for the nations, you send

missionaries, you support missionaries, and you came.

Because of you I heard gospel and God saved me and my family

and through through us many others.

Thank you. So I I was born in Iran and 1st

I was introduced my family to you.

So this is picture of my family, my wife beautiful wife her name

is Sepeda. The meaning of Sepeda is sun

rising dawn and my son is 30 years old his name is Kiarash.

The meaning of Kiaraj is brave king and my daughter in the

right side is Tiam and the meaning of Tiam is my eyes and

my daughter-in-law is Krista. And I don't think you need any

definition for that. So I was born in Iran.

Anytime I say Iran in Americans mind the first picture come is

desert long white shirt and camel.

That is wrong. So I've brought some pictures

from my city. This is Tehran my city.

But this is the winter. You can see the how how many

trees there are in street. We have a 22 ski resort in my

city and you can see that all the mountains and 15,000,000

population is it that city. I was born in Iran.

I was I I raised as a Muslim, I practice Islam and I was called

to praying man in 1997 for work I moved to Cyprus in city of

Limassol. In Cyprus I heard about the

church Iranian go and convert to Christianity but I was so angry.

This is some of the Islamic activities in the Shia Muslim.

So I was so angry I I couldn't believe how is possible Muslim

guy go back backwards to Christianity.

So I went to that church to stop them to bring them back to

Islam. After nine months of fighting,

arguing, asking questions against Christianity, God

touched my heart and God used two things to draw me to

himself. First, special love among church

members and second, they were able to answer our questions

from Bible. Brothers and sisters, when we

say we are follower of Jesus, when we say we are Christian, we

should know our Bible. We should know what we believe

and why we believe that things we believe.

So they were able to answer my questions from Bible.

Anytime I ask questions they open the Bible.

They said OK here read everything is a God's word in

the Bible is a God's word. Everything out of that is a word

of man when Tony Morita is that he was one of the professors in

the Southeastern says when you open the Bible, God's mouth is

opening and God speak. We should know our Bible.

So after nine months, I kept to the point I didn't know who am

I. But this is not easy.

You know, at the first week when I arrived there, they gave me a

Bible and I opened that randomly.

And Ezekiel was you know that I read that was a angels, they

have a four wings. It goes around and I said, oh,

he saw the helicopter and he thought was angels.

I closed that. I put the shelf.

I said this is crafted. It is changed because as a

Muslim believe Bible changed. And I said this is unclean.

I'm not going to touch it. But my wife said let's read and

find the errors and fight with them.

So we had a 2 conversation, one inside the home and one with

them. So with them we call them oh hey

we have a 20 questions and they came, they came every time.

Every single time we asked them they came with them love kindly

and they share gospel and they answer our questions from Bible.

But inside the home we had a different conversation around.

So my wife first day he said, do you know what is written here?

I said what he said the things we eat doesn't make us unclean.

That things comes out from our mouth that is make us unclean.

All day I was working, I was thinking about that every moment

because logically makes sense as a Muslim, we care about the OK,

this is halal, this is Haram, this is digest, this is the

unclean, this is clean. But you didn't care what you

say. Second thing, do you know what

is written here? And she was telling me.

But second thing, OK, so Peter, what did you read?

Share with me, but I didn't want to touch.

After nine months I came to the point I didn't know who am I, am

I Muslim, am I Christian? I need that.

I say, God, 27 years I follow you.

I worship you in that way you gave me.

And after 27 years you are telling me that was wrong.

I don't accept that. You should come down.

Show yourself to me. I want to see you like the

children, like the kids I didn't want even look at.

I say, hey, I want to see you. Don't forget.

Hey God, I want to see you. After a few weeks I was in the

church and worship leader even he didn't open his Bible, even

he didn't say exact words, but he said wind comes and you don't

know comes come from where it goes where but burning from the

Holy Spirit is like that John chapter 4 and I heard a clear

John 4 · chapter mention

clear voice come bees you wanted to see me.

I came same as this wind and you don't know from where, but I'm

inside you. I stood up, I went to the

pastor. I said I don't know what you

say. I knew nine months I was

fighting and he explained everything, sin, salvation,

everything, sacrifice, everything.

But I said I don't know what you say.

I know one thing, God touched my heart and God is here.

I went to my wife, I said Sepide, I gave my heart to Lord

and Sepide said I'm so happy. Last week happened to me.

I was praying for you. She is scared to tell me.

So this is our baptism in Mediterranean Sea and you can

see that was a beautiful ceremony.

But when we when we became believer, our pastor said he's

not going to bother us anymore. But he was wrong because if

before just once a week I went to church and bothered him,

after that, every day I went to his home, knocked the door.

What is here? I wanted to know.

I was like a spange. I was empty.

I was reading Bible. I wanted to know what he says.

He was single. I did that.

Please don't do that with Pastor John.

In 1999 our pastor left and they ordained me as a new pastor in

Saint Church. In 2000 we moved to Turkey.

We forced to leave the country because of the visa issue.

We moved to Turkey, Istanbul and got connected us with IMB.

They said long time we are praying one Iranian pastor come

here and start Iranian for Iranian house church.

That was a time Doctor David Garrison wrote the multiply book

and that was a model of the multiplying churches in China

and IMB wanted to know if that model can work in Iran.

And I was the the first guy for example.

So we start the church and sorry God start the church and God

used me. Psalm 127 if God doesn't build a

house builder cannot do anything.

He is building, he is planting his church.

And this is our honour and privilege, God using us.

So our church grow and some of our believers they said OK, we

are not, we are not Muslim anymore, we are believer right

now we should not pass border illegally and we cannot stay

here illegally. We should go back to Iran.

We pray for them, we send them back After a few months, he

called me one of them. He called me and he told me,

hey, I shared my faith and 15 people became believer.

What should I do? I feel Amen for God.

If you want to be for God, it's better than this.

But I feel I should go and share help their ministry.

But remember is a Islamic Republic of Iran.

We took few trips, I went any places.

I knew two people, believers, I brought them together.

And that experience God gave me as a house church in Turkey.

Many house churches started in southwest and northeast of Iran.

In last trip I feel God calling me to move back to Iran, leaving

Iran as a church planter. But I scared to say to my wife

because my wife hated to go back to Iran.

She had a good reason. She said I want I don't want our

children grew up in the Islamic environment.

When I went back to home to Istanbul, my wife said how was

your feeling? I said, oh, I went this place

that place that was good. This place is started one church

that so no, no, no, how was your feeling.

I said everything was good. I was dismissed.

I scared to say, but she told me I was I had my devotion.

I came to the Philippians chapter 3, verse seven and eight

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

that this was benefit for me. I rejected to receive Jesus

Christ. I believe God calling us to go

back to Iran. God touch our heart.

In the same time our life became against suitcases.

One month later we were moved back to Iran.

So we didn't go to to to those churches.

We started before because other pastor came we I gave him those

churches in the South and NE, but we went to our hometown

Tehran. Kharaj is a suburb and we first

week we had a first church two members, my wife and I Oh no,

Jesus was there too and God bless that church and became

three churches 70 believers. This is not alike here having

this many chair freely your worship that is a we couldn't

put the sign of the open door church.

If you have any question about the Christianity camp was many

brochures and many videos advertisement to bring people

from the out of the churches to come to here to know that no,

this is in Iran, It's the underground churches.

We went out did evangelism and we disciple them.

Then we could see their life changed.

We could bring them to our home in the park, in the their

workplace. We go out and share gospel and

this is our responsibility. God command us.

Go and make disciple among all nations in Acts chapter one

verse 8 when Holy Spirit come give you power to be witness.

This is our responsibility to go out.

Brothers and sisters, this is all of us.

There is no too young or too old for sharing gospel.

All of us, we have a responsibility to share gospel

and God move nations in your neighborhood.

Please go share gospel, make disciple among all nations.

This is our responsibility. So then in Iran, so I have some

pictures from the my our church. This is our home.

This is a Christmas party and this is the baptism in our

living room and baptism made in China.

But this is God who touching hearts from different ages,

different gender and God is good and God is working and God

doesn't need us. But this is the honor and

privilege, God using US. The only things God needs from

us is we say here I am use me save me and rest of that he will

do that. So this is this picture is the

Christmas 2009 and if you see none of us, we don't have a

white long shirt. And also I promise you we didn't

park our camels outdoor and just I was speaking here 2020, 2009,

you know, after six years, the seventh years is going to start

is the Sabbath. We should have a rest, but God

forgot about that seven years finish and God said, OK, you

need rest. So I was speaking here and front

of the door open, one camera came in and more than 20 circuit

police came to our party. They arrested me.

They put me in our they took me our home and they searched

everywhere. They took anything as evidence

they needed and they put me in cell at the midnight in Rajaisha

prison. That was our hometown prison.

I'm human, I'm flesh and blood. I scared.

I start complaining, I start crying and praying.

God, why you let them bring me here?

God, I did this. I start making lists.

I did this, I did that. After, you know, 21 days, my

family didn't know what I am. Am I alive or not?

That was a hidden session. In prison was a prison.

In prison they could do anything they want every day.

Close my eyes, take me to Integration room.

Some days friendly. They wanted to pay me, they

wanted to buy me. We send you, we pay you work

with us. But other days, no.

But every single time I was coming back, I was rejoicing

because I leave that verse. God says if they take you to the

prison, if they take you to the court, don't worry what you say,

Holy Spirit will speak. So when they put me in prison, I

start complaining, I start crying.

I don't know, 20 minutes, thirty minutes later, 15 minutes later,

while I was there, I don't know if you had this experience or

not, but all my life became like the movie front of my eye.

And the movie had a voice too. Campis, do you remember those

days you went to school, coming back, all the queues, all the

exams, all difficulties. Do you remember those days?

All of them, all difficulties. Pass the tone said.

Pass. Campis, do you remember those

days you were Navy, far from the home, in bad weather of the

South of Iran? And every four months just few

days you could come home. Do you remember those days?

All of them? Pass Campis, this will pass.

And God gave me a deep, deep, deep peace.

I could give that peace to others.

So I said every time they close my eyes and take me to

integration room. But I was rejoicing and I was

coming back because God was with me.

So for not for seven weeks I was teaching through the book of

Acts before they arrest us. So God prepared us for the

persecution. I was teaching about the

persecution and every single week before, in that seven

weeks, I said to our church, while you are sitting on the

chair and put the foot on top of the other foot and say

Hallelujah is easy. But then they arrest you and

they take you to prison. And when you are there and you

continue to say Hallelujah, that time your faith is real.

This is a test in the persecution, in suffering, in

the difficulties when you cannot do anything, that time when you

trust God. That is the real faith.

But I didn't know what I'm talking about.

When I was in prison, I found out He keep our faith in

persecution too. He's doing everything.

After three months, I was able to put up bail and release to

return to the court and they charged me with two crimes

against the government, against Islam.

And we handed two different court system in Iran.

One is the General Court and other one is a revolutionary

court. So revolutionary court 2 times

send my document back to prosecutor and said he didn't do

anything against the government that thinks he did.

He was Muslim, he was called to prayer man and now he's

Christian. Change the charges to apostasy

and I hang him. Judge was against me and they

didn't change when they returned the document.

When he fell he looked at me eye to eye and he told me I will

find something against you to kill you for come back in two

weeks. 2 weeks later when I returned to the court I was

front of the number 2 of Revolutionary court and I found

out judge was out sick. All our members fasted and

prayed for him. This is our responsibility and

prosecutor also heard we are praying for him.

Actually my wife in court told her told him they scheduled me

for two months later. But after a few days I received

a phone call. They told me you have been in

court 8:00 AM the next day I said you schedule me for two

months later. You said tomorrow 8:00 AM.

Did you understand? I said yes Sir.

So day after I went to the court, I was front of the number

2 of the revolutionary court with my lawyer and prosecutor

came and took me and my lawyer to the different court.

New judge my my my lawyer told me what's going on?

Say you are lawyer, you should explain to me asking me So

prosecutor who wrote against me asked new judge.

Judge sentenced him one year probation and closed the case

and let him go. My lawyer said did you pay

bribe? I said man, I didn't pay you

what I'm talking about. They sentenced me one year

probation when I want to come out from the door.

Prosecutors stopped me and told me hey don't appeal because I

had right to appeal in window of 20 days.

Hey, don't appeal. If you appeal, I will raise that

up. Don't come back here.

I don't want to see you. In my heart I said I don't want

to see you too. I went out.

After a few days, my lawyer called me and told me, do you

know what happened? I said no.

Do you know why they move your document to the different court?

I said no, The judge who wanted to kill you, he died.

And other judges afraid God, they wanted to send you out.

Don't come back here. I don't want to see you.

That was the reason I'm not happy, God, I'm not happy.

He died before he received salvation but that was the Gods

decision. Psalm 3732 until 36 is very real

in my life but I'm going to read just 32 and 36.

The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him

to death. But he passed away and behold he

was no more. Thought I solved him.

He could not be found. Bible is not the just for 2000

or 3000 years ago. Bible is alive and for today.

And if today God command us, go make disciple.

God is with us. God didn't promise you are not

going to receive persecution. You are not going to be under

suffering. God promise, I am with you.

This is his promise. He gave us peace through those

difficulties. He is with us, but we should

obey our God and go and make disciple in our Jerusalem, in

our Judea, in our Samaria and all around the world.

So other court sentenced me two years in prison.

But I don't know they say, I know they say by mistake.

Do you remember was a new judge they say by mistake, but I say

but by miracle of God, he the new judge didn't know I have a

different court case. He made my bail free and I

bought 2 tickets and I moved to I flew to Turkey and apply as an

asylum seeker to United Nations as a refugee.

I said 2 tickets because I bought 2 tickets for my daughter

and mine and two months later my wife and my son, they joined us

because my I adopted my daughter.

One of the heaviest leverage they use against me in prison

was they wanted to take my daughter back from me.

They said Muslim girl cannot raise in the Christian home but

I said I am her father but she has heavenly father, he will

take care about her and he did so I bought 2 tickets.

We flew to Turkey. We apply as a refugee. 2 months

later, my wife and my son joined us and in Turkey our refugee

process took four years. During those four years, we

continued working with IMB. We had a training center, we

brought pastors from Iran, trained them, send them back.

And also we thought that two churches are still meeting

today. And we became students at

Southeastern Seminary. Actually, 2009, while I was in

Iran, my wife and I became student, but they send us the

external heart of the lectures and the book was the theology

for church. That was an amazing book for

exercise every morning. But that's very difficult to

understand. You know, always I say Farsi is

heavenly language. All of us, we are going to speak

Farsi, my language in the heaven.

But honestly, I can't confess. English is heavenly language

because takes forever to learn. Still, you can see I I have a

struggle with English. This is the English I'm

speaking. When I was in Iran, when we

became a student, 10 students enrolled in Southeastern and

only two of them, they graduated.

My wife and I, I was crying, I was praying God, please bring

somebody to Southeastern to make that team Farsi be easy for me,

but I didn't know God is going to I'm nothing.

I'm not capable, I'm not qualified.

He's doing everything but answered my prayer and God

opened the amazing way. Two people in my life, they had

an amazing effect and also they in they direct me in this, this

life and this direction and they had an amazing role in my life.

And one of them is Doctor Youth, your pastor, Pastor John, he had

a heart. Thank you, Doctor Youth, for

everything you have done and you are doing.

He's visionary. He had vision.

And then I went to 2000 OK, I should I should go by the

logical 2015 United Nations sent us to US and we went to South

Carolina because Lexington Baptist Church in South

Carolina, they were our partner and they told us come to South

Carolina, we help you to settle in US.

And after we send you to North Carolina to continue in

Southeastern. But they told me there is a

condition if you want you want we help you.

I said, what's the condition? So you should be able to say,

hey, you all. So we passed the test.

We passed this and we came to the South Carolina in 2016, we

moved to North Carolina. We lived in the campus of

Southeastern. And doctor, you called me to his

office and he told me, are you willing to help other student

like yourself to study in Southeastern in English?

I said shoe I became director for Persian leadership

development at Southeastern Seminary and God had a different

plan. God wanted to answer my prayers

and provide Farsi program. So this is a pictures of the

those churches in Turkey and in 2016 until 2019, I was working

on the foundation to start to launch the bachelor degree in

Farsi and our first cohorts graduated in 2023.

Also, we started our master degree, MTS, Master of

Theological Study under the leadership of doctor youth and

God opened the door. Our first graduation was this

year 2025 in Turkey. I brought some pictures I'm

going to show you. But also we started our MA

Biblical counselling. My wife also graduated as a

Doctor of Education Biblical Counselling.

So we started MABC Mass MA Biblical counselling and our

first graduation is going to be 2026.

All of you invited May 30th, 2006 in Istanbul.

So we are we are celebrating our graduation in Istanbul.

People from Iran, they can come and people from the all Europe,

they can come there. So I brought some pictures and I

want you to know that this is the only accredited college and

seminary in Farsi for theology all around the world and all

entire the history. One day in Iran church history,

they are going to study about us in about 30 years.

So those people, they have a black in their eyes because they

are living in Iran for security. I did that and this is the 2023

we graduated the first cohort of the bachelor's degree and that

was a privilege to having people from all around.

But in 2016, when I became director for Persian the Shiva

Alta SE Seminary until 2019 to start, I was I was saying God

all Muslim background believers, Farsi speakers, they cannot come

to the academic world, but they need right theology.

There was a something in southeastern MOOC MO massive

open online courses. I said, I asked after you, how

can I have a something like this for Iranian and he told me you

need not nonprofit organization. I said what?

In Iran I had a company, I had a water purification field.

I the design and manufacture reverse osmosis system for water

amplification, but not nonprofit organization.

I didn't know this. This is not, we don't have

something like that, that system.

But I said what? I said go to the lawyer of

Southeastern, he will help you. I went there.

He said sign here, sign here, sign here.

I sign. I said OK, you have a nonprofit

organization, Go Open account said OK, I had the $500.

I put the account and I came. I said OK, now what?

You have to go. I went to the Any Studio to

record our lectures. They said $50,000.

So we started our our website, we started our Moodle, the

platform, we are offering our courses and we start

registration and 500 people enrolled and I checked my

account, we had a $500 Jehovah Jireh provided.

So we offer in Mozde. We offer Mozde means good news

so Muslim industry. We offer free online theology

courses. Are you ready for that right

now? So we aim to seeking souls

developing powers among Muslims. But now, right now we have 3638

students from 49 different countries, all Farsi speakers,

two 217 cities out of Iran, 54 cities in Iran and youngest 13

and oldest 79. I'm going to I brought you some

statistics in Islamic country ladies that are secondary in the

society, but 45% of our students are female.

They are they are women and God is doing amazing things.

I have some statistics but you cannot see but the next slide I

brought the next, the first five population of that six of them

are the first largest population of our students.

They are inside Iran. I cannot go back to Iran, but

our teaching can go. So second is Turkey, Germany and

Canada, but Afghanistan is the still in the Taliban time.

They log in and they continue their study.

God is good and God is doing amazing things and God is

continuing. God doesn't need us, but this is

our privilege and honour. God using US.

Please pray. Pray for Moisden right now.

We are in, we are in. We have some meetings with the

Central Asia's missionaries, all the IMB people there.

So we are going to make that for the different languages in

Central Asia too. That model among Iranian was

very successful and now we are going to extend the different

languages. Please pray for that.

I'm going to share one story about my son and I'm after that

I'm going to pray for you in Farsi, the only language I can

talk with God because any other languages I should translate, I

should should come from my mind. The Farsi comes from your heart.

So I'm going to pray for you for I can't translate for you, but I

cannot translate for him. So I'm going to share a very

short story about my son and after I pray for you and after I

give back to you, he's going to come and pray for you.

But my son was 7th grade in Iran and he was in the shower and he

saw one lizard going up from the wall is that was weird was not

usual but he took the lizard put in the water.

He said after my shower finish I'm going to study about that.

He loves everything telescope and the microscope.

He loves study, so after his shower finish he came out and he

checked the lizard. Poor lizard died.

They're not drunk. Who put the lizard in the water?

And in the movies he watched, you know based on that, he put

the lizard on his hand and start massage, massage.

CPR didn't work, he had a big toy had a 29 Volt battery, he

cut the wire he brought and shark massage.

Shark massage. After 19 sharks some other came

out and hand move and let's revive.

Don't ask me how, I don't know, but I know one thing.

He couldn't stay. He was jumping around, yelling,

rejoicing and laughing after 10-15 minutes.

Then he became a little bit calm and he said when reviving one

lizard, is this my joyful? How joyful will be if I revive

one human? He finished the right now.

He finished the UNC biology and he's studying on bio, on

genetics in John Hopkins. Right now he's a student master

and also he is working in EMS ambulance.

One lizard changed his life. One lizard she gave him

direction and he's continuing. He's keep going in that

direction. Brothers and sisters, when you

go and share gospel and God use you and save their life, their

life will change, yes, but your life also will change after

that. You are not going to listen to

your culture which says don't talk about religion.

You will listen to your master who says go and make disciple

among all nations. One thing I want to say,

Muslims, they don't have any barriers to talk about religion.

Those barriers is around you. Please destroy that because the

fourth thing in the conversation with the Muslims can be what is

your religion? Hello, what is your name?

Where are you from? What is your religion?

Talk about religion. Right, many, many places I went

and to share my testimony. Then I came out and they they

came and they told me we had a Muslim friend.

Now is the 2 years we go to their home, they come to to our

home and say share the gospel. Did you share the gospel?

Say no, we are building relationship two years building

a relationship just first day. The 4th question can be what is

your religion? Share gospel and build your

relationship around the gospel. I'm going to pray for all of us

to God use us. Let's pray.