Why Do Priests & Preachers Enter ISLAM? The story of conversion of the Preacher Yusuf Estes (6)

§  Sign Inside of Me

§  Wash Away the “OLD”

§  And Become New!

§  My Wife Was Next

§  Then My Father

§  Children Too!

§  Father’s Wife (Stepmother) Next

§  Houseful of New Muslims – What’s Next?

§  His Mercy and Guidance

§  Amazing Story – Family and Friends Entering Islam – From One Man

§  More? – Yes! Baptist Seminary Student Reads Quran – Accepts Islam

§  More? Yes. Catholic Priest Loves Islam – But Needs His Job!

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How a preacher or priest in Christianity can ever go to Islam?

How could a preacher have turned his back on the perfect plan of salvation of Jesus Christ on the cross for you sins and converted to Islam?

The American ex–preacher Yusuf Estes continues saying:

Sign Inside of Me

And then after a while I raised up my head and I noticed something. No, I didn’t see birds or angels coming out of the sky nor did I hear voices or music, nor did I see bright lights and flashes. What I did notice was a change inside of me. I was aware now more than ever before that it was time for me to stop any lying and doing anything sneaky. It was time that I really work at being an honest and upright man. I knew now what I had to do.

Wash Away the “OLD”

So I went upstairs and took a shower with the distinct idea that I was ‘washing’ away the sinful old person that I had become over the years. And I was now coming into a new, fresh life. A life based on truth and proof.

And Become New!

Around 11:00 A.M. that morning, I stood before two witnesses, one the ex-priest, formerly known as Father Peter Jacob’s, and the other Mohamed Abel Rehman and announced my ‘shahadah’ (open testimony to the Oneness of God and the prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him).

“I bear witness, there is no deity to worship, except Almighty Allah, alone and He has no partners and I bear witness that Mohammad is His messenger and servant.”

My Wife Was Next

A few minutes later, my wife follow along and gave the same testimony. But hers was in front of 3 witnesses (me being the third).

Then My Father

My father was a bit more reserved on the subject and waited a few more months before he made his shahadah (public testimony). But he did finally commit to Islam and began offering prayers right along with me and the other Muslims in the local masjid (mosque).

Children Too!

The children were taken out of the Christian school and placed in Muslim schools. And now ten years later, they are memorizing much of the Quran and the teachings of Islam.

Father’s Wife (Stepmother) Next

My father’s wife finally acknowledged, before she died, that Jesus could not be a son of God and that he must have been a mighty prophet of God, but not God. She passed away within a few months of this statement at age 86. May Allah accept her statement of faith, amen (Pronounced Ameen in Arabic).

Houseful of New Muslims – What’s Next?

Now stop and think. A whole entire household of people from varying backgrounds and ethnic groups coming together in truth to learn how to know and worship the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Think. A Catholic priest; a minister of music and preacher of the Gospel; an ordained minister and builder of Christian schools; and the children, even a great-grandmother – they all come into Islam!

His Mercy and Guidance

Only by His Mercy were we all guided to see the real truth of Islam, by removing the coverings over our ears and the blinders on our eyes, no longer having seals over our hearts – He was Guiding us now.

Amazing Story – Family and Friends Entering Islam – From One Man

If I were to stop right here, I’m sure that you would have to admit that at least, this is an amazing story, right? After all, three religious leaders of three separate denominations all going into one very opposite belief at the same time and then soon after the rest of the household.

More? – Yes! Baptist Seminary Student Reads Quran – Accepts Islam

But that is not all. There is more! The same year, while I was in Grand Prairie, Texas (near Dallas) I met a Baptist seminary student from Tennessee named Joe, who also came to Islam after reading the Holy Quran while in BAPTIST SEMINARY COLLEGE!

More? Yes. Catholic Priest Loves Islam – But Needs His Job!

There are others as well. I recall the case of the Catholic priest in a college town who talked about the good things in Islam so much that I was forced to ask him why he didn’t enter Islam. He replied: “What? And loose my job?” – His name is Father John and we still pray for Allah to Guide Him.

 

Written by: Chaplain Yusuf Estes

To be continued.

Why Do Priests Enter Islam? The story of conversion of the Preacher Yusuf Estes (2)

How a preacher or priest in Christianity can ever go to Islam?

How could a preacher have turned his back on the perfect plan of salvation of Jesus Christ on the cross for you sins and converted to Islam?

The X-preacher Yusuf Estes continues saying:

 

Music Minister

Anyway, I became very interested in different types of music, especially Gospel and Classical. Because my whole family was religious and musical it followed that I too would begin my studies in both areas. All this set me for the logical position of Music Minister in many of the churches that I became affiliated with over the years. I started teaching keyboard instruments in 1960 and by 1963 owned my own studios in Laurel, Maryland, called “Estes Music Studios.”

 

Business Projects In Texas, Oklahoma and Florida

Over the next 30 years my father and I worked together in many business projects. We had entertainment programs, shows and attractions. We opened piano and organ stores all the way from Texas and Oklahoma to Florida. We had earned millions of dollars during those years, but could not find the peace of mind that can only come through knowing the truth and finding the real plan of salvation. I’m sure you have asked yourself the question; “Why did God create me?” or “What is it that God wants me to do?” or “Exactly who is God, anyway?” “Why do we believe in ‘original sin?” and “Why would the sons of Adam be forced to accept his ‘sins’ and then as a result be punished forever.” But if you asked anyone these questions, they would probably tell you that you have to believe without asking, or that it is a ‘mystery’ and you shouldn’t ask – “Just have faith, brother.”

 

Trinity Concept

Strangely enough, the word “Trinity” is not in the Bible. And it has been a concern for religious scholars as early as 200 years after Jesus was raised up by Almighty God. I would ask preachers or ministers to give me some sort of an idea how ‘one’ could figure out to become ‘three’ or how God Himself, Who can do anything He Wills to do, cannot just forgive people’s sins, but rather and had to become a man, come down on earth, be a human, and then take on the sins of all people; keeping in mind that all along He is still God of the whole universe and does as He Wills to do, both in and outside of the universe as we know it.  They never seemed to be able to come up with anything other than opinions or strange analogies.

 

Father – Ordained Non-Denominational Minister

My father was very active in supporting church work, especially church school programs. He became and ordained minister in the 1970s. He and his wife (my stepmother) knew many of the TV evangelists and preachers and even visited Oral Roberts and helped in the building of the “Prayer Tower” in Tulsa, OK. They also were strong supporters of Jimmy Swaggart, Jim and Tammy Fae Bakker, Jerry Fallwell, John Haggi and the biggest enemy to Islam in America, Pat Robertson.

 

Distributing “Praise” Tapes for Jesus

During the early 1980’s my Dad and his wife worked together and were most active in recording “Praise” tapes and distributing them for free to people in retirement homes, hospitals and homes for the elderly. We were really “winning souls to the Lord – for Jesus” day after day.

 

Met A Man From Egypt

It was early in 1991 when my father began doing business with a man from Egypt and told me that he wanted me to meet him. This idea appealed to me when I thought about the idea of having an international flavor. You know, the pyramids, sphinx, Nile River and all that.

He Was A “Mozlem”

Hijackers; Kidnappers; Bombers, Terrorists – and who knows what else?

Then my father mentioned that this man was a ‘Moslem.’ First, I hated the idea of meeting an “infidel, hijacker, kidnapper, bomber, terrorist, non-believer.” Any normal person would be repulsed at the idea. I couldn’t believe my ears. A ‘Moslem?’  No way! I reminded my dad of the various different things that we had heard about these people.

 

Lies Against Muslims & Islam – They Told Us, Muslims:

1)    They don’t even believe in God

2)    They worship a black box in the desert.

3)    And They kiss the ground five times a day.

 

No Way! I Did Not Want to Meet Him!

I did not want to meet this ‘Moslem’ man. No way! My father insisted that I meet him and reassured me that he was a very nice person. This was too much for me. Especially since the evangelists that we used to travel around with all hated Muslims and Islam very much. They even said things that were not true to make people afraid of Islam. So, why would I want anything to do with these people?

 

Written by: Chaplain Yusuf Estes

To be continued.