Ex-Muslim, by Naeem Fazal

This book, mostly memoir and part motivational, is written by a Pastor of a current multiethnic congregation. Born and raised in Kuwait and raised as a Muslim, Fazal and his family lived through the Gulf war. He and his family were still living in Kuwait before they emigrated to the United States, to make their home in South Carolina. Though conversion to Christ was seen as treason by his Muslim parents, Fazal turned his life to Jesus. Fazal found a real purpose and zest in life that led to a full life of marriage and ministry.

I found this book personal, encouraging, and challenging. That was pretty much what I expected out of this book. I found this book hard to follow at times, and I was unclear as to where his Pakistani origins fit in. Fazal is very honest about himself before and after he came to know Christ. When he and his family were still in Kuwait, one of Fazal's brother's shared his faith with Fazal, challenging him, "Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you. He will, in His time." But it wasn't until they came to the US to live in South Carolina, that Fazal turned to Jesus, encountering both Jesus and the devil in his quest for the supernatural. I'm aware and Fazal is aware, that many people, even believers, will dismiss him as mentally unstable. Yet God is not limited by conventional means in revealing Himself to us and reports tell us that He often reveals Himself to Muslims through dreams and visions. In closed or restricted societies, like North Korea, He is reported to work in this way. This book shows the deep divide between what this author calls the Western style of "doing church" and actually "pursuing the Savior," and I wonder how much our Western model of organized Christendom can actually drive us from, rather than to, Jesus Himself. The author's baggage, while real, was basically uninfluenced by our Western mind-set.

I recommend every person to read this personal but challenging book. I recommend every Christian read it and not only to learn about how best to reach Muslims. We need to read it because Fazal helps us see the deep divide between Americal Christianity and biblical discipleship and between "churchianity" and following Jesus. We will gain insight into how to reach Muslims and question the quality of our relationships with God. I recommend that every non-believers, especially Muslims, read this book because it lets them that Jesus can be to them what they look for in Allah, and far more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booklook Bloggers.com in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review of this book.