The Bible declares in Revelation 5:9, "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation..." According to all that we can know about the times we live in, we have to be near the time when the Gospel has searched out every people on earth. Over the last couple of years there has been a focus on the areas that have never witnessed the light of the Gospel, specifically the lands dominated by the Moslem religion. Now, we are beginning to see the first open door into this part of the world, and the more we probe and witness, the greater the burden becomes. We understand that there is a great amount of work to do to penetrate this region that lays in spiritual darkness, that also stand in direct opposition to the people of Israel. Realistically, there may never be large numbers of people who arise from this region, but according to the Scripture there must be some. Our recent trip to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on the Arabian Peninsula has been the third excursion in a year. We are excited about the progress, though slow at first, among the peoples of that land.

    In 1956, Bro. Branham said in the sermon, The Time Is at Hand, "We are at the end time. And that's where we are standing today, a universal revival. It's the sign of the coming of the Lord Jesus. He will come, and He cannot come until the Gospel's been preached into every nation, and they have at least, not every nation received it, but every nation has heard it. When this Gospel has been preached to every kindred tongue and nation, then the end shall be." Could this be the last chance for the nations of the earth to at least hear the Gospel?

    We arrive on Thursday morning, and had an opportunity to meet with some of the brothers from the first Message church in the Arab world. The pastor, Bro Yaqoob, was one of the first Christians we met on the trip to Dubai a year ago. At the time he pastored a small group of immigrant workers as a United Pentecostal Church minister. He had shown interest in the Message, and on my trip to Dubai in June, had since separated himself from the UPC. But his foundation in the Message was not yet strengthened, and one of the main purposes for this trip was to do just that. Bro Yaqoob, without our knowledge, had been forced to make quite a stand among the small Christian community in the city of Sharjah, where their church is located. But this is a good sign for the new church, as their embrace of the Message is being met with fierce resistance from the enemy. It is the book of Acts all over again.

    Friday morning and afternoon were devoted to more meetings with the brethren. All the while, we were trying to pursue a possible opening among the Arabs. Though Bro Yaqoob and his church represent the first Message church in an Arab country, they are all immigrants who have come to Dubai and Sharjah for work. Contact with Christians on the Arabian Peninsula is somewhat of a rarity. This is due to a host of factors, the least of which are Muslim influence, dictatorship, and the fear of losing one's life for becoming a Christian. That is why the opportunity to meet with them is so special. In other Arab countries, some of which are found along North Africa, there are many Christians who worship in approved buildings or churches. Most of these Christians were born in either secular or Christian families. While some of them have received the Message in a few scattered places, the Middle East as a whole, and to a larger extent the Islamic community, has not been able to access the Word of the Hour. There is an underground network, but figuring out how to reach the underground is a difficult task. Just as before, God must open those doors. We were here in hopes that that door would open over the weekend. We had been able to make one contact.

    Friday's meeting with the Brothers was much more open. They had specific questions about the Trinity, serpent seed, and other inquiries that any new believer would have. The evening service would prove to be an eye opener for them. We had prepared a power point presentation to show them on Serpent Seed, and it was well received. Bro Anwar Javed, a minister from Pakistan who was the first to reach the Christians in Dubai and Sharjah translated into Urdu, which is the native tongue for most of the immigrant Christians. We finished the service that night and went back to our hotel. God had moved and it seemed as though it had started to create waves among the immigrant Christian community. Still no word had come from our contact with the Arab Christians.

    Saturday there were no services scheduled, it is the Muslim "Monday" meaning the weekend is over and everyone must go back to work. We took some time to go into the city of Dubai. The most dominant object on the horizon is what will soon be the world's largest tower, the Al Burj. Despite all the technology and the construction booms taking place in the Emirates and the extreme wealth that abounds there for the select few, there is a darkness over the place. There is a constant misery associated with extreme wealth, and the hopelessness felt by those who will never achieve it permeates the entire city.

    We still had not heard anything from the Arabs. But that evening, back at our Sharjah hotel, Bro Anwar received a phone call from one of the Arabs. He phoned at around 4pm, but our meeting with him would not take place until midnight. He wanted to meet us at a busy shopping mall in an area called Bar Dubai, which is the shopping and commerce hub of the city. Our meeting would also happen to take place at one of the few Starbucks in the city. For those who imagine Dubai as a backward Middle Eastern city, nothing could be further from the truth. In Bar Dubai, Starbucks, Lamborghinis, Gucci, and Tiger Woods billboards are all common sights. But do not be mistaken in assuming that these conveniences are welcomed by the more fervent religious population. With these modern conveniences comes a lavish lifestyle that is viewed as a threat to the holy edicts of the Qur'an. We arrived at the coffee shop and waited. About twenty minutes later, Bona Rehan arrived. He was a tall North African man from the war torn country of Sudan. Although he is from North Africa, he is technically an Arab (Sudan is formally recognized as one of twenty-two nations in the Arab League). He told us he is fluent in Arabic, English, and several other regional African dialects. He is an Arab Christian, but one who did not convert from Islam. He attends one of the sanctioned Trinitarian churches in Dubai. Members of that church likely hail from all over the Middle East from places where small Arab Christian populations have been living for centuries (Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Iran, North Africa, etc.).

    Due to some miscommunication, Bona thought that we simply needed someone to translate into Arabic during out trip. Once we explained to him why we were so eager to meet him, and talked to him about Bro. Branham and the Message of the Hour, he invited us to attend his church and talk to the people upon our next visit (as long as the pastor there approved). We left the meeting glad to have made contact with Arab Christians, but realizing that the work is barely just beginning. Lord willing, our next trip will afford us an opportunity to meet with more of the oppressed Christian community. It must be stressed that while the work is slow, we are making progress.

    The following morning and afternoon was once again spent with the new believers, specifically Bro Yaqoob who is at the forefront of the battle. After packing up our things and presenting Bro Anwar with a video camera to take back to Pakistan, we left for one of the apartment buildings that house the immigrant workers. Ten men, without their families, occupied a four room flat. They had five beds in two of the rooms; the third room housed the bathroom and kitchen, and the fourth room was a living/dining room without any furniture. Though it may not sound like it, these conditions were not bad compared to other parts of the city. We met with the brothers, and answered as many questions as we could in a short amount of time. It was a very productive meeting as it showed us where they were at spiritually, and afforded them the opportunity to learn more about the Message. We said our goodbyes, and set out on the long journey home.

    The situation for Bro Yaqoob is a serious one. In the UAE, church groups are allowed to meet in approved community centers. The one in Sharjah is called St. Martins, and is little more than a compound with bare meeting rooms that groups pay to rent at approximately $200.00 a month and meet in once each week. Outside of this building, church meetings or religious Christian gatherings are strictly prohibited. If groups violate this rule, they are given one written warning. The second offense results in immediate deportation, which is very costly consequence as many of the believers come from countries with a shortage of jobs (this is the reason they have come to Dubai in the first place). Bro Yaqoob's group already has received a warning. Their offense: holding a Bible study in one of the Believers home's. The problem is that Bro Yaqoob and his small group are beginning to receive intense criticism because of their acceptance of the Message. As recent as our last visit, Bro Yaqoob had been pulled aside by religious leaders at St. Martins who questioned his belief in the Message of the Hour. Now the situation is growing in intensity as the new Believers there may be forced to take a stand. They need our prayers, for if they are forced out of the facility they will have nowhere to worship. Meeting secretly carries extreme penalties. It is hard for us to imagine such a place where exercising one's beliefs is a crime, and the punishment for that crime, exile.