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"The Muslim Faith, A Formidable Foe" Introduction: I would like first of all, to express my sincere gratefulness to the elders of the Cold Harbor Road Church of Christ, Mechanicsville, VA, for inviting me to this lectureship and for the subject that was assigned to me to speak on "The Muslim Faith: A Formidable Foe." The Cold Harbor congregation has been our faithful co-laborer in the French world for the past several years. I am particularly thrilled to speak on this subject because of my French Muslim background. My mother was French born and my father was born in Yemen, Arabia. If you do not know where it is located, it is the country directly south of Saudi Arabia. It is the country where the Queen of Sheba came from mentioned in the Bible. Most married couples from different cultural backgrounds will have perhaps more problems than couples of the same country and culture. My parents had lots of difficulties in their married life, because of culture differences, their way of thinking, understanding each other, and the way of doing things. I strongly believe that the only possible way for this type of marriage to work is that both of them are in Christ. Before my father could ever think about marrying my mother, he first had to sign a paper for the Catholic Church that he would not object that all the children born of their marriage would be raised Catholics. My mother had to promise that she would do everything in her power to bring my father to become a Catholic. There was no danger of either one converting the other. Neither one of them really practiced their religion. As far as religion was concerned for my father, the only thing he did was to abstain from eating pork. As far as my mother was concerned, twice a year she went to church, once for Christmas and once for Easter. The influence or exposure I had to the Islam faith was right at home at a very young age. I knew my father did not eat pork, but this did not keep him from buying it for us and serving it to us. The other Muslim influence was when we went to visit his Yemeni friends and relatives in Marseilles, a very cosmopolitan city located about 63 km from my hometown. There in my father's distant cousin's restaurant, we used to spend most of the day and when it came prayer time my father's distant cousin would get his prayer carpet and would set it in the direction of Mecca and would pray. Often I wondered why my father did not pray like his cousin. The biggest culture shock and Muslim influence of my life came when we first arrived in Yemen. In no time at all, I was plunged into a 100% Muslim culture. What shocked me the most were the changes in my father's attitude and actions. First, he gave up occidental (western) clothing and began wearing Muslim clothing. Then he began praying five times a day like the Muslim religion requires. The decisions that my father made had to be approved by the clan. You have to understand that in a Muslim community personal opinion does not matter much. What matters most is what the group thinks. That becomes the most important. In Islam, the conduct of each individual is controlled by the society to such extent that there is relatively little place for individual action. An Arabic proverb says, "In a country where nobody knows you, you can do anything you want." 1 In another word, it's when you are outside your own country, that a Muslim is liberated from all his religious obligations, the influence of his own society on his life, and his decision making. It is precisely at this particular time that a Muslim is more open to the gospel. All of the Muslims that I have had the privilege to bring to Christ were outside of their country and society. Another change that I noticed in my father, he was not very happy about the fact that I was not a Muslim. He explained to me that in Arabia, one way to show that we are obedient children, is to be of the same religion as their father, and that I was not. It would look bad on all the rest of the family, and the village would look down on your father for not being the head of the house like he should be. Without being told all of this by my father, I was already feeling the pressure from the rest of the people in the village and my father's family. On many occasions they would spit on me or throw stones at me. I never felt so much alone than I did then. So to have peace at home, to please father, the rest of their family, and the village, I became a Muslim. Then of course, everything went well from then on and I regained my father's approval and love but also the rest of the family and the village. I must say I did not become Muslim because of profound personal conviction, but rather to avoid persecution and demonstrate obedience to my father's will. You must understand that for a Muslim family, if the son is not Muslim, it is a dishonor for the whole family. You become unwanted. You become the black sheep of the family. You have to understand the reasoning behind all of this. In most Muslim countries, religion is not a personal matter, but that of the group, the village, and the clan. Ninety-nine percent of the time it is a family matter and of the whole village and tribe. Perhaps what Dr. Arthur Arberry, the head of mid-eastern studies at Cambridge University said about Islam will help us. "Islam is a peculiarly Arabian religion because Islam is a religion and culture. It must be understood in terms of its essential identification with seventh century culture." 2 Not only does Islam give the rules and regulations of worship for its followers, but it also imposes strict guidance for their day-by-day living and every aspect of their lives. Hear what Carlson and Decker have said: "Islam poses its seventh-century Arabian culture in its political expression, in its family affairs, in its dietary laws, in its clothing, in its religious rites, and in its language. Muslims are religiously compelled to impose seventh-century Arab culture on the rest of the cultures of the world." 3 It is still true today that in most Arabic and Muslim countries of the world, Islam imposes on and tries to direct every aspect of life on a daily basis. "It is through this holy book (the Koran) that Muslims see the history of the world and its own future." 4 In other words, they believe that the whole world should be Muslim, and they are constantly working toward that goal. We must understand and come to grasp that Islam by its conception is more than a simple religion. It is a way of life and being, a community, a civilization for those who live it. Hear what Eric Santoni has said: "For every Muslim, his ultimate goal is the establishing of the Koranic law, which will manage and govern every aspect of life as well as the relation between men and their relation with God." 5 There is no church, no priesthood, no hierarchy, and neither the concept of church in Islam, as Christians understand it, but only a community of people, which has a tendency to intermingle with the concept of a state. Dear brethren, we, the army of God and the Lord's body, can no longer be ignorant of this danger. What has seemed to be for the longest time some foreign religion of the Middle East and North Africa that would not effect Christianity in this part of the world is now becoming a reality in the western world. At one time, France stopped the Muslim conquest of the world in A. D. 732 in Poitiers. This is no longer the case, however. Islam is the fastest growing religion in France, and also the fastest growing in the world. They are at your doorstep. Hear what Mark Roberts has said: "Twelve centuries ago a religious movement thundered out of the Arabian desert forever changing the course of human history; its fiery leader, Mohamed, and his people, Muslim, now intrude into American religious life in an unprecedented way. The challenge they pose to New (Testament) Christianity is very real." 6 Islam is so much established and recognized as an institution in France that for the last fifteen to twenty years, they have had a regular primetime French TV program on Sunday morning just the same as the Catholic Church, the Reformed Church of France and Jewish Faith. Of course on their program, they try to show a good image of Islam. A few years ago, I read in the religious section of a newspaper that for every person that became a "Christian," ten were converted to the Muslim faith in Africa. What is happening in America and other countries of the world? "The threat of persecution for this and the next generation from the followers of Muhammad looms perilously on the horizon." 7 and even more so today than ever! The Church of our Lord can no longer stay idle and do little or almost nothing to preach the gospel to the Muslim world. It is our responsibility and our duty given to us by our Lord and Master. "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen." 8 Matthew 28:18-20. "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." 9 Mark 16:15-16. "Tho therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." 10 II Timothy 2:1-2. These three passages will always be there to remind us that each one of us has a job to get done. It is not only the responsibility of the evangelist or the elders of the church, but of every single Christian. "The Muslim Faith, A Formidable Foe" Islam is a great unknown religion by the majority of the Christian world. Unknown because of a lack of desire to know and understand this religion, and also the lack of desire to understand the Muslim people. Until the Christians have truly decided to know and understand Islam, we will have very little impact upon them with the gospel. Even in most major cities of the world, we meet them daily. Even if we engage them on a daily basis or do business with them, it's not sufficient. We have to go to them with the gospel like they are to us with Islam. Of course some Christians could say, "Sir, I have a hard enough time understanding my own faith, so please don't disturb me with those funny people and religion coming from those far away countries." Another fact that will not motivate Christians to want to know and to understand Muslims is the fact that most westerners have a preconceived idea about Islam. If this is the case, then in no way or shape will you be motivated to understand them. B. Ignorance of God's Word. In Hosea 4:6, God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shall be no priest to me." The same problem that God had with His people in Hosea's time, we also have today with Christians. Many Christians are in lack of knowledge of their own faith, conviction, and belief. This is one of the reasons today that many members of the Lord's Church believe that you can be a Christian and a member of any denomination. If you are going to be a part of the priesthood of God, you need to know who you are serving, and the only way to do that is through the knowledge of His word. The apostle Paul said two things that should make us seriously think as soldiers of Christ. The first one is in I Corinthians 9:16, "woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel" The second is found in I Corinthians 9:19-22. "For though I be free from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some." Paul said something in this passage that we can apply and learn for us today if we want to be successful among Muslims. If you want to be like the apostle Paul as in I Corinthians 9:19-22, you will have to know your Muslim friends and neighbors. The only way to do it is to go to them. My recommendation to you first of all is to get to know them and try to be their friend. The Muslim world has been neglected and shunned for too many years by the church. To many churches have been acting like children, only wanting to be involved in easy mission fields. The majority of the missionaries of the church are in English speaking countries of the world. The few that went unto non-English speaking countries did not have enough staying power to make an impact in the country they worked. I am grateful for the few that have struggled in the mission field for a long period of time. Another major problem is the fact that too many elderships and congregations do not stick for a very long period of time with difficult countries. But do you know why? Because they want results - - - baptisms. Perhaps what one of the elders of one of my congregations that helped us in the past told me would summarize the idea. "I put my money where I can get the most results at my dollars." Thank God for congregations with elderships that stick to their commitment for long periods of time. C. Ignorance of Islam. I strongly believe that most Christians do not realize the danger the Muslim religion represents for the world and Christianity in particular. Right now they represent over a billion people and growing. If we want to be successful among Muslims, we must no longer be indifferent and ignorant about Muslims. We must learn everything that is possible to learn about them. We must learn their belief and religion and how they see us. We must learn how to present the gospel to them. Hear what Walter Martin said about Islam in his book, "Le monde Des Sects, (The World of Cults)" "The occident (western world) has known an unexpected invasion — "Islam." Mosques appear all at once in many Christian regions, and if you live in a big city, there is a great chance that you live close to Muslims. Unfortunately, most Christians know too little of the teaching of Islam and they are afraid to witness to Muslims." 13 He continues by saying: "A large section of the occidental (western) world relies upon Arabic nations for their oil needs. Cities, universities and enterprise, have experienced a great influx of Muslims as never before; Islam is a religious, social and political force that we all should be aware of" 14 No. 2 Foe — Ignoring What Muslims Believe About Christians, the Bible and the Koran. Before mentioning what they think of us in general, let me tell you that for Muslim, Islam is the best way of life for any human being on earth. This is in comparison with occidental (western) Judeo–Christian materialist countries. However, they esteem Islam most of all because it was given by Allah through Mohamed the prophet. What They Think of Non-Muslim People: First of all, you need to be aware that there are two types of attitudes among Muslims. I must say that these types of attitudes are not specific to Muslims, but to any people not living in their own country, culture and society. The Way Muslims Think of Us While Living Abroad: Most Muslims that live outside their own country for whatever reason feel like they are in a hostile environment. They feel that they are not well accepted because of their origin and faith. This is the reason why they will not honestly, freely or publicly express what they believe, feel, and think about occidental (western) people. They act that way because they believe they are in an unfavorable surrounding. Therefore, they live their Muslim faith in secret and in shame. Why the shame? Because Islam is not an intellectual religion, but a religion of a whole community, practiced under the eye of everyone. This is the reason why they live most of the time secluded among themselves. Another real problem lying underneath the surface is the fear of western influence. I still remember when I was in Yemen, and the recommendations made to the young men that were going to western countries. They were instructed to not follow the western way of living and acting, but to stay as much as possible among your own people. Perhaps the article from an Egyptian newspaper will help you understand what I am trying to get across. From Cairo, Egypt, "Al-fth" on January 9th, 1930, we read: "The real danger comes to us from the spiritual war that Europe is conducting methodologically against the souls of oriental people in general and in particular Muslims, with the help of their philosophical writings, books, theatre, films and language, and the purpose of their action is to cut off oriental people from their past." 15 Fifty years later, Hichem Djait, a Tunisian University man, greatly westernized, said in conclusion of his essay, "L' Europe et L'Islam," "The cultural westernization of the Muslim world is worse that what some believe. The rejection of colonial domination has not solved everything; The attempt of technological modernization was never offered with much more insistence than today." 16 I strongly believe that this fear comes from the fundamental, opposite conception of the two worlds, western and oriental. In the oriental world, the individual is literally swallowed up in the family, in the tribe, and in the community — "the Oumma," while in the Western world each individual is free and independent. In the oriental world they exalt knowledge transmitted by tradition from father to son, while in the Western world they are more interested by innovation, discovery, research and progress. In other words in most Muslim countries, the individual is not free to think and act independently. He is bound by the family, tribe, and tradition. He owes obedience to religious laws and traditions of the ancestors. I must say however, that we are seeing signs of change in the more developed Muslim countries. The Way They Think of Us in Their Own Society: They look at us, as they say in the Arabic language, "Kafar" unbeliever, infidel, because we are not Muslim therefore not submitted to Allah. What They Think About the Bible: Muslims believe the Bible was revealed by God, but they are taught to believe that it was falsified and the text itself was corrupted, therefore they only recognize the authority of the Koran. They consider the Koran as the ultimate revelation of God and it has abrogated all previously revealed books. This is why they will not read or consult the Bible. So, do not waste your time trying to teach them the gospel at first using the Bible. First, teach them and convince them that the Bible is the true Word of God, then you will be able to teach them the gospel. They are also taught that the proof the Bible is falsified, and this comes from the Bible itself. They say it is full of contradictions. It is true that for any novice who has never read the Bible before, he will come to the conclusion the Bible contains contradictions. They are not contradictions, but rather variations, which do not change the message. Perhaps what the apostle Peter said in I Peter 3:14-16 will help understand what really happens when someone is a novice to the Bible. What They Think About the Koran: For Muslims, the Koran is the true word of God given to Mohamed through the angel Gabriel, transmitted to Muslims by the prophet and without any modification or change. Muslims attest that the text itself was from the original copy in heaven, which is engraved upon a tablet and guarded by God. Sûrah 85:21-22, "But it is a glorious Qur’ân, on a guarded tablet." For them, the Koran has everything that pertains to spiritual and material, religious and moral, social and political, private and public life. No. 3 Foe — Ignoring Their Goal of World Islamization World Islamization is right at the heart of Islam, right from it's beginning. Islam has Known Three Periods of World Islamization and Conquest: The first and most spectacular conquest occurred around the seventh and eight centuries. Islam spread like a wildfire. It conquered Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, Asia, India, Egypt, North Africa, Spain and Portugal. It was finally stopped in A. D. 732, by Charles Martel at the Battle of Poitiers. The second period of world Islamization happened during the 14th through the 16th centuries. During that period, the Turks brought to an end the Byzantine Empire, and conquered Constantinople in 1453. Afterward they took the Balkans, part of Hungary and finally were stopped at the gates of Vienna, Austria in 1529. By that time they had founded a powerful empire in India, and were winning Malaysia and Indonesia to their ideology. The third period of world Islamization began in the 20th century. Right after World War I, Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey were the only Muslim countries to be independent. All other Muslim populations were humiliated because they were brought in subjection to colonial European powers. Today this is no longer the case. Most of these countries have gained their independence and are in favor of the application of the "Charia" Islamic law. Islamization — "Jihad" like they call it, The Holy War is Every Muslims Obligation: Sourate 9:123, "O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him)." 17 Sourate 47:34-35, "Lo those who disbelieve and turn from the way of Allah and then die disbelievers, Allah surely will not pardon them. So do not falter and cry out for peace when ye (will be) the uppermost, and Allah is with you, and He will not grudge (the reward of) your actions." 18 Sourate 5:33, "The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the hereafter theirs will be an awful doom." 19 During the Khomeini era, the religious Iranians proclaimed that war was engaged between Muslims and pagans. All they actually did was refer to the Koran, which invites all Muslims to fight all the unbelievers of the world. Sourate 9:33, "He it is who hath sent His messenger with the guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religion, however much the idolaters may be averse." 20 Sourate 9:29, "Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low." 21 David Binford Jr. said it clearly in his article in the Gospel Advocate in October 1996. "The ultimate aim of Islam is to make one "Umma" of the people of the world." 22 "Umma" meaning one community under the Charia, the Koranic law. Jihad, the holy war, implies that all Muslims can use any means to further the cause of Allah throughout the world, even if killing, bombing, etc. are to be used. We see this type of action is mostly done by fanatic Muslim groups. Jihad is not only an obligation for every Muslim, but it is also attractive for the fact if you happen to die during Jihad, you will be considered a hero and your family will be proud of you. You will go directly to heaven and there will await you two beautiful virgins. This is something that I heard over and over while in Arabia. A New World Approach by Muslim is Through Radio and TV: The Muslims have radio and TV programs in all the countries where it is possible. For example, in France every Sunday morning, they have what is called, "Connaitre l'Islam," which translated means, "To know Islam". On a few occasions I have looked at it, and sometimes recorded it, but all of the programs they show, they present a different Islam than what is reality. They show an Islam of love, patience and respect for rules and regulations, people and religions. The opposite of what they know and believe deep down. Through Koranic Schools: I can only speak for France, since I live there. But since the period of Khomeini, many Koranic teachers have come to France from Iran, Libya, and other fundamentalist countries to teach in the Koranic schools. They have come to form and shape the minds of the Muslims that live there or are born on foreign soil. If you ask them, they will tell you that they only teach them the Arabic language, but what they will not tell you is the fact they also teach the Jihad. They are forming and shaping the minds of these young people and once they are ready, they encourage them to leave France. They are sent to Iran, Libya, and Syria to be trained as Allah's army and warriors. The mosque is also another place where they teach and recruit candidates for the same cause. There they form their minds and motivate them to do everything in the name of Allah and for Allah. The Financial Aspect of World Islamization: Just like preaching the gospel, you cannot do it on a big scale without money. It takes money to do anything in the world today. So, how is the Islamization of the world financed? The Petrol Dollars: Do you realize that every time you go to buy gasoline, you are actually pumping in your money for the world conversion to Islam! In many underdeveloped countries of the world that depend on foreign oil, they will obtain it from the Arab oil producers of the world, and these Arab countries in return, will use oil as a means to enter and teach Islam and build Mosques. A perfect example of this is on the Island of Madagascar. Libya and Saudi Arabia furnished Madagascar with oil at an interesting price, but with certain conditions. The conditions being that they can build a mosque and teach Islam. Money from Islam Immigrants: My own father is an example. For as far as I can remember, my father always sent money back to his own country. During the 1960's, while Algerians were engaged in battle for independence from France and just after returning from Yemen, my parents opened up a restaurant in one of the Arabic sections of Marseilles. Why there you may ask? Because they did not have very much money. No sooner had my parents opened the restaurant until we had the visit of 3 Algerians, who told my father that he needed protection. They called it insurance. Of course what they meant was money or otherwise they would take care of us. My father replied that he did not need any protection. They left without saying anything, but I could tell that they were not happy. One week later they came armed with guns. They entered the restaurant; they pushed us aside, opened the cash register and helped themselves to the money. The following week they came back with a car took my father away and kept him all day into a late hour of the night. When he came back, I could tell that he had been beaten. He just told us they certainly would come back and they did in the late hour of the night. Father had barricaded the room we were in and indeed, around 3 o'clock in the morning they came and tried to force the door, but thank God they were not able. We stayed up till morning then we just took our luggage and ran for our life back to our own town. We could not go to the police because that meant that we signed our death sentence. Markets and Business: Most businesses and markets owned by Muslims, whether they were Algerian or not, were also requested to pay the insurance, or else. So large sums of money were collected from them to continue the war against France. Right in the Heart of America: One of my father's cousins who was working at the American embassy in South Yemen, was involved in the liberation of South Yemen from the English. He used to go on a regular basis to the States collecting money from Yemenite people to finance the movement of liberation of South Yemen. Not only did he raise money for their cause, but also for himself for the service he rendered to his countrymen when in America. No. 4 Foe — Not Knowing How to Teach them the Gospel We cannot teach the Muslims like you would any other person who believes in the Bible. We cannot teach Muslims if we do not know what they believe or not believe about Christianity. We cannot teach the gospel to Muslims if we don't know how they think or function. We cannot teach Muslims if we are not willing to show respect of their own belief and religion. What Muslim Believe about their own religion: 1. They believe that it is a divine religion and the only one valid before God. They also say whoever practices a different religion will not be recognized by Allah. Sourate 3:85. 2. Muslims are convinced that the prophet Mohamed re-established the true religion, which was preached by the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus and that these prophets were also Muslims. It is rather strange, since Islam was founded in the sixth century, A. D., and that Abraham, Moses and Jesus lived before that time. But this is exactly the proof that neither Abraham, Moses nor Jesus were Muslim, since Islam did not come into existence until the sixth century. So, in no way could these three important figures of the Bible be Muslims. In this regard consider what George Tartar said in his book titled, "Regard sur L'islam." "Islam was never conceived before Mohamed, the proof of it, is the text of the Koran itself, which attests that Mohamed was the first Muslim." 23 Sourate 39:12, "I am commanded to be the first of those who surrender' (Muslim) (Unto Him)." 24 Sourate 6:14, "I am ordered to be the first to surrender (Muslim) (Unto Him)." 25 Sourate 6:164, "This am I commanded, and I am first of those who surrender (Muslim) (Unto Him)." 26 Just these three Sûrahs are irrefutable proof from their own Koran that Abraham, Moses and Jesus were not Muslims. What You Should Avoid When First Talking to A Muslim: Avoid talking about the Bible at first. Remember they believe that the Bible was falsified and modified. Therefore it is not a reference for them. Avoid talking about Christ, that He is God's Son. You will be able to do so once you have proved and convinced them that the Bible is the true Word of God. Avoid talking down the Koran and Mohamed. How to Teach a Muslim the Gospel: I can only speak for myself and how I went about teaching and converting the few Muslims that became Christians. For the majority of Muslims, when you tell them that you are Christian, they think you are Catholic. Why is that? Simply because the only Christian religion they have heard or seen in their respective countries was Catholicism. They think of Catholics as idolaters, because they have images, wooden crosses with Jesus and they perform the sign of the cross. The main reason for their thinking, is the fact that in most colonized Arabic countries, the Catholics were there first, right from the beginning of the colonization. It has only been in recent years that Muslims became aware of non-Catholic groups. First: Don't attempt at the very start of your study with a Muslim to talk about the Bible and the New Testament. It would be foolish, since you know that he does not believe in it. Second: When you attempt to teach them do not tell them up front that you are a Christian, but say that you are a disciple. (Let us remember that Jesus did not say to make Christians but disciples) You might ask is it important? Yes, it is very important because it is something that most of them have never heard before. Of course now you must explain what a disciple is. What you have done right there and then has opened up their mind and appetite to something new. Third: Say that as a disciple, you don't worship idols or statues and neither the cross. In some cases take them to the church building and show them that in your church there are no statues or wood crosses. Fourth: Sooner or later in the study, he will or you will mention the Bible. It is always good if he is the one to start talking about the Bible. In general they are the ones who start talking about it. In general they do it with great joy, because they were taught at an early age that the Bible was no longer the true words of God, because it was falsified and modified. That's when I start asking him about the Bible and start with the following questions. "Please, since you have said that the Bible was falsified, modified and changed, could you tell what was changed or modified in the Bible. By whom it was done and when was it done? Since no Muslims are able to give you a single answer, they are surprised and shocked. And to hammer the nail in, I tell them go to the mosque and ask them to give the answers to these questions. Fifth: It is at this time that I begin talking about the Bible and confirm it by showing them that the Koran speaks about the Bible. I also ask them the following questions, "Which came first: the Koran or the Bible?" (The creation, Abraham, and the virgin birth of Jesus are all mentioned in the Koran: Roland) Sixth: I continue the study by speaking about the inspiration of the Bible. Once you have done your job well, they will accept the Bible as the true Word of God. It is then that I begin teaching them the gospel. Seventh: I tell them there are 3 main religions in the world: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Each of them has a founder, Muslim—Mohamed, Christianity—Jesus and Judaism—Moses. Then I ask them this question; "Did Mohamed live and die?" He will say yes. "Did Moses live and die?" He will say yes. "Did Jesus live and die?" He will have to say yes, Jesus lived but did not die. He went to heaven. I back this statement by what the Koran says and then tell him that is why I am a Christian. It is because Jesus went to heaven just like the Koran and the Bible have confirmed it. Conclusion: Brethren in thirty minutes we have just barely touched the subject I was assigned. But it is my prayer unto God for you that what I have shared with you all in this short period of time, will motivate you enough to really take it to heart to study and search more than ever the religion of Islam. Share it with your own congregation in order to help them be better prepared to present the gospel to Muslims, and no longer being indifferent to the fastest growing religion in the world. Brethren, we need to take up the challenge of Islam before it is too late. We need to wake up to the fact that Islam is no longer an isolated religion of the Middle East, but the fastest growing religion in the world today. May God continue to richly bless and may it set your heart on fire for the challenge that lies ahead of us. [Presented at the Fourth Annual Lectureship hosted by the Cold Harbor Road, Church of Christ in Mechanicsville, VA, November, 2-5, 2000. The lecture title was: Stability in a Land of Confusion. A book with all of the speeches is available] |
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