Rapper and international pop star M.I.A. said her life hasn’t been the same after having a vision of Jesus Christ. The superstar said the encounter was so powerful it’s the reason she converted to Christianity.
“I had a vision and saw the vision of Jesus Christ. It’s very creatively, a very crazy thing because it turned my world upside down. Because everything I thought and believed was no longer the case,” said the superstar.
Is it possible? Did the rapper actually see Jesus? There are reports of non believers in places that are known to be hostile to the gospel coming to faith after alleging encounters and visions with Christ.
While some maybe skeptical Missionary David Gunter doesn’t doubt it happened. He looks to John 1 as proof that it’s possible. In John 1 the bible says the word was God and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
“Prophetically Jesus will appear to his children and afterwards will appear to the whole world in the form of judgement,” said Gunter.
Gunter went on to say that he’s had some experiences on the mission field he has trouble explaining.
He recounts a story being lost one night in Haiti, and a man he met a couple of days earlier appeared out of nowhere and showed him the way. Gunter knew being lost where he was in Haiti was dangerous. He said the man didn’t appear until he prayed, and it was just too much of a coincidence that he’d be in the exact spot that he needed him to be.
“To this day I am not sure if it was pastor Leslie’s son or Jesus himself. He can appear as any form he wants,” said Gunter.
But Pastor Jeffrey Rumlin who’s the head pastor at Dayspring Church in Jacksonville, Florida said he’s not so sure.
He said he read M.I.A.’s interview and it lacked specifics. Pastor Rumlin is wondering if the superstar had some type of vision regarding what Jesus is about and maybe she didn’t actually see him.
“To me she had some sort of encounter, but she doesn’t express what her encounter is,” said Rumlin.
Rumlin said people all over the world have encounters with Christ. He said not only was that the case in Jesus’ day but even still today, but we must be discerning.
Do people have encounters? Absolutely
Pastor Jeffery Rumlin, Dayspring Church
“Do people see him? I lean towards no because we don’t have a historical picture of what he looks like,” said Rumlin.
Rumlin goes on to say he’s not surprised that M.I.A. who was born Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam was changed by whatever she experienced. The rapper who is Hindu said she thought she had life all figured out until her experience in 2017 and became a born again Christian.
“When I had this vision it turned my world upside down,” said M.I.A.
Regardless Pastor Rumlin said the vision isn’t the goal, it’s the ongoing conversion experience that happens that is monumental.
He gives the conversion of Saul as an example. A man who hated and murdered Christians but later became a disciple of Christ writing most of the new testament. His life was changed.
Missionary Gunter who’s looking forward to going back to Haiti said not everything in this world makes sense.
“I am convinced we see Jesus more than we know. Especially when we seek him,” he said.