Breakthrough: The Return of Hope to the Middle East

by Tom Doyle

When was the last time you felt a sense of hope in regard to the Middle East? When was the last time you even heard some good news about the Middle East? Missionary Tom Doyle, who travels extensively throughout this key region of the world, finds much cause for hope. In fact, he observes that a spiritual breakthrough has come to the Middle East. A new generation of believers, passionate for God in spite of great challenges, including persecution, provides reason for genuine hope. Breakthrough! was written to tell their story. Doyle reports that in recent years amazing numbers of people in the Middle East—particularly Muslims but also individuals from Jewish or traditional Christian backgrounds—have come to Christ. While surveying how the Christian faith is blossoming in the Middle East, the heart of this book is its personal stories. You’ll read about Hamsa, who drove a tank in Saddam Hussein’s army during the first Gulf War. Since then Hamsa has become a Christian and today he is a pastor in Baghdad. Rachel grew up in Jerusalem as an Orthodox Jew. At a low point in her life she met some messianic believers. Though it has cost Rachel her relationship with her family, she has embraced Jesus in her own life. Rachel also exercises a fruitful gift of hospitality, inviting both Jews and Arabs into her home for dinner and fellowship nearly every evening. These stories and many more like them, will inform, inspire and challenge you to pray more effectively for the Muslim world in general and the Middle East in particular.

Genres: Nonfiction

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Tom Doyle pastored for 20 years in CO, TX & NM before launching into missions in the volatile Middle East. Tom and his wife JoAnn of 28 years have an overflowing heart for the nation of Israel. As a pastor, Tom began leading tours there in 1995 and eventually he became a tour guide for the State of Israel. He speaks frequently at churches and para-church ministries about Israel, the Middle East, the global threat of Islam, and the incredible growth of the Middle East Church since Sept 11, '01."

Reviews

[Zachary McIntire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that's kind of a like a sandwich: the really good part is in the middle. One person in our family started to read this book before I did, but didn't finish it, and I feel pretty sure she got bogged down in chapters 1-3, which are like a really long preface. In my opinion, the author should have started out with a few of the stories from the middle of the book, which are nothing short of riveting, and then gone back to his own story, and the history of the region, later on.

Frankly, even if you completely skip the first three chapters, and the last two, the remaining six are well worth buying the book. I've read many stories of Muslim conversions in the Middle East, but I never get tired of reading about the wonderful things God is doing in a part of the world that many people would rather forget about. Right in the middle of a cycle of hatred and violence that never seems to end, Jesus suddenly shows up, and everything changes. If you think that peace, especially between Jews and Arabs, is simply not possible, then the story of Hamdi and Aaron will touch your heart, and give you a surge of hope. (That is my absolute favorite part of the book, and I won't spoil it for you by adding any details.)

One word of caution: there are some descriptions of violence in this book, including some atrocities committed by the crusaders, that would probably be disturbing for younger readers. There's nothing unnecessarily graphic, however, and the book is otherwise free from offensive content. I would highly recommend it to all mature Christians, and especially to those with an interest in the Middle East, and evangelistic work among Jews and Muslims.

[AlegnaB † · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0

[Ellie Schneidewent · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is interesting to learn about how Islam started. It is encouraging to see the life change happening to Muslims who come to know Jesus!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doyle paints an excellent picture of this exciting phenomenon in the Middle East. Through engaging stories and eye-opening reports of what is happening, Breakthrough is a must read for anyone hoping to understand the spiritual climate of the Muslim world.

[Kyle Reschke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read - I like Tom Doyle as an author, and he is extremely knowledgeable. This volume is a good overview of the history and changes occurring in the region.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting stories about how God is moving in the Middle East written by my former pastor.