Dr. Hormoz Shariat grew up in Iran in a Muslim home and became a follower of Jesus in 1980.
"I was pretty devout in my early years, but then I questioned Islam. I said, what is this? It doesn't add anything to my life. I wanna know God," said Dr. Shariat. "So I read Quran very carefully one more time. It didn't fulfill my heart with the presence of God or peace."
After a few months of studying, he realized both could not be true. Dr. Shariat decided to go to church, where he heard a simple message that changed his life moving forward.
In 2000, Dr. Shariat followed the Lord’s leadership and founded Iran Alive Ministries, which utilizes Satellite TV to reach millions in Iran and the rest of the Middle East.
"Right after September 11, I said that's not enough. If we don't go out there with the love of Christ, they will come here just like on September 11. We gotta do something," Dr. Shariat explained. "We bought one hour a week of satellite time to broadcast into the Middle East, and from day one, we saw so many Iranian Muslims have come to Christ. But let me tell you this, what is happening in the last two years is more than the previous 18 years."
With the recent news of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps opening fire on schoolgirls and the harrowing video of a teen singing before being gunned down, violence against protesters has served to intensify unrest across the county, with more innocents killed at the hands of the regime.
"The number of salvations is up 10 to 20 times more. And now, with what's happening on the streets of Tehran, we will see a regime change. We will see a historical turn in Iran. Iran will become a Christian nation."
Dr. Hormoz says now is the time to prepare.
"These are people who come from darkness, and they appreciate their light. They are ready to live and die for Jesus."
Today on Connections, Dr. Shariat shares how he came to know Christ. He also shares his personal view on the growing turmoil in Iran and how he is using his ministry to bring others to Jesus.