The Call for Muslim Evangelism


Scientific Facts in the Bible
December 23, 2006, 6:13 pm
Filed under: General, Tools

In an attempt to prove the Koran and thus Islam to be divinely inspired of God, most Muslims will inevitably attempt using scientific discoveries to make their point. What most Muslims and unfortunately many Christians do not realize is that the Bible also miraculously contains answers to scientific conundrums which were discovered centuries after their original appearance in the Scriptures. Read the passages below and consider the infinite power and wisdom of the God of heaven who preserved His word for us in the Holy Bible. My desire is that this will provide a new angle for you to touch the heart of a Muslim you are witnessing to by investigating truth according to their mindset.

The following information was provided by Way of the Master and Living Water ministries.

 

1. Only in recent years has science discovered that everything we see is composed of invisible atoms. Here, Scripture tells us that the “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

2. Medical science has only recently discovered that blood-clotting in a newborn reaches its peak on the eighth day, then drops. The Bible consistently says that a baby must be circumcised on the eighth day.

3. At a time when it was believed that the earth sat on a large animal or a giant (1500 B.C.), the Bible spoke of the earth’s free float in space: “He…hangs the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7).

4. The prophet Isaiah also tells us that the earth is round: “It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22). This is not a reference to a flat disk, as some skeptic maintain, but to a sphere. Secular man discovered this 2,400 years later. At a time when science believed that the earth was flat, is was the Scriptures that inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around the world (see Proverbs 3:6 footnote).

5. God told Job in 1500 B.C.: “Can you send lightnings, that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?” (Job 38:35). The Bible here is making what appears to be a scientifically ludicrous statement—that light can be sent, and then manifest itself in speech. But did you know that radio waves travel at the speed of light? This is why you can have instantaneous wireless communication with someone on the other side of the earth. Science didn’t discover this until 1864 when “British scientist James Clerk Maxwell suggested that electricity and light waves were two forms of the same thing” (Modern Century Illustrated Encyclopedia).

6. Job 38:19 asks, “Where is the way where light dwells?” Modern man has only recently discovered that light (electromagnetic radiation) has a “way,” traveling at 186,000 miles per second.

7. Science has discovered that stars emit radio waves, which are received on earth as a high pitch. God mentioned this in Job 38:7: “When the morning stars sang together…”

8. “Most cosmologists (scientists who study the structures and evolution of the universe) agree that the Genesis account of creation, in imagining an initial void, may be uncannily close to the truth” (Time, Dec. 1976).

9. Solomon described a “cycle” of air currents two thousand years before scientists “discovered” them. “The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits” (Ecclesiastes 1:6).

10. Science expresses the universe in five terms: time, space, matter, power, and motion. Genesis 1:1,2 revealed such truths to the Hebrews in 1450 B.C.: “In the beginning [time] God created [power] the heaven [space] and the earth [matter] . . . And the Spirit of God moved [motion] upon the face of the waters.” The first thing God tells man is that He controls of all aspects of the universe.

11. The great biological truth concerning the importance of blood in our body’s mechanism has been fully comprehended only in recent years. Up until 120 years ago, sick people were “bled,” and many died because of the practice. If you lose your blood, you lose your life. Yet Leviticus 17:11, written 3,000 years ago, declared that blood is the source of life: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.”

12. All things were made by Him (see John 1:3), including dinosaurs. Why then did the dinosaur disappear? The answer may be in Job 40:15–24. In this passage, God speaks about a great creature called “behemoth.” Some commentators think this was a hippopotamus. However, the hippo’s tail isn’t like a large tree, but a small twig. Following are the characteristics of this huge animal: It was the largest of all the creatures God made; was plant-eating (herbivorous); had its strength in its hips and a tail like a large tree. It had very strong bones, lived among the trees, drank massive amounts of water, and was not disturbed by a raging river. He appears impervious to attack because his nose could pierce through snares, but Scripture says, “He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.” In other words, God caused this, the largest of all the creatures He had made, to become extinct.

13. Encyclopedia Britannica documents that in 1845, a young doctor in
Vienna named Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis was horrified at the terrible death rate of women who gave birth in hospitals. As many as 30 percent died after giving birth. Semmelweis noted that doctors would examine the bodies of patients who died, then, without washing their hands, go straight to the next ward and examine expectant mothers. This was their normal practice, because the presence of microscopic diseases was unknown. Semmelweis insisted that doctors wash their hands before examinations, and the death rate immediately dropped to 2 percent. Look at the specific instructions God gave His people for when they encounter disease: “And when he that has an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself even days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean” (Leviticus 15:13). Until recent years, doctors washed their hands in a bowl of water, leaving invisible germs on their hands. However, the Bible says specifically to wash hands under “running water.”

14. Luke 17:34–36 says the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur while some are asleep at night and others are working at daytime activities in the field. This is a clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night at the same time.

15. “During the devastating Black Death of the fourteenth century, patients who were sick or dead were kept in the same rooms as the rest of the family. People often wondered why the disease was affecting so many people at one time. They attributed these epidemics to ‘bad air’ or ‘evil spirits.’ However, careful attention to the medical commands of God as revealed in Leviticus would have saved untold millions of lives. Arturo Castiglione wrote about the overwhelming importance of this biblical medical law: ‘The laws against leprosyin Leviticus 13 may be regarded as the first model of sanitary legislation’ (A History of Medicine).” Grant R. Jeffery, The Signature of God With all these truths revealed in Scripture,how could a thinking person deny that the Bible is supernatural in origin? There is no other book in any of the world’s religions (Vedas, Bhagavad-Gita, Koran, Book of Mormon, etc.) that contains scientific truth. In fact, they contain statements that are clearly unscientific. Hank Hanegraaff said, “Faith in Christ is not some blind leap into a dark chasm, but a faith based on established evidence.” (11:3 continued)




Communicating the Gospel with Muslims
December 22, 2006, 8:24 pm
Filed under: General

BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR MUSLIM EVANGELISM 

1. Our Attitude and the Spirit of our Approach to Muslims.

Before exploring the actual subject of witnessing to Muslims and the most effective methods of communicating the Gospel to them, it is my intention to say a few things about our whole attitude and approach, in other words, the spiritin which we must conduct our witness. In any field of evangelism our manner of approach is very important, but especially in the field of Muslim evangelism. The impact of our message will soon be tempered if we do not present it in a tactful and charitable way.

Let me begin by saying that the fundamental principle to be observed, and the one that is the foundation of all the points I will raise in this section, is that we are dealing with people and not with robots, objects or insensitive creatures. Our witness must at all times have a thoroughly personal flavour with a keen sensitivity towards the needs, fears, attitudes and, at times, prejudices of those we intend to evangelise. Our object must not be to score points or to win arguments but to win Muslim people to God’s Anointed Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The first thing we need is a right approach. We must see our witness in a person-to-person context and endeavour to establish a relaxed atmosphere of conversation and dialogue. A spirit of mutual inter-communication is vital if we are to effectively convey the Gospel to Muslims. We need to be open to discussion and allow the Muslim complete freedom to join in so that he can state his needs, fears, beliefs and misgivings as well. Above all he must feel completely free to express himself and not feel threatened in any way. If we show Muslims that we care for them as people and that our witness is intended purely to benefit them and that it comes without obligation or strings attached, we are far more likely to win their confidence and gain willing ears.

Later on in this chapter I will show why it is, therefore, essential that we study Islam and know the beliefs of the Muslims so that we can engage in profitable dialogue, but let me say here that it is at least essential that we be willing to listen as well as talk. When Muslims find that they are free to express their own feelings and beliefs, and when they realise that the Christian is not just interested in seeing them baptised at the first opportunity, they become more willing themselves to hear what the Christian has to say.

    Take every opportunity of being friendly with Muslim neighbours, shopkeepers and others. Show them that you love them in practical ways. Do not try to preach at them. Be a good listener. This is where we are failing today in every land. We must listen to the other man sympathetically and patiently. Then we shall understand his point of view, his difficulties, and where he has misunderstood Christianity. (Marsh, Share Your Faith with a Muslim, p. 61).

Some years ago I saw a cartoon which showed a typical householder opening the door to a stranger who was obviously representing some religious cult or sect. “I have come to convert you”, he said to the bemused and somewhat affronted owner of the house. While we may immediately disown such brashness, there are many more subtle ways in which I believe Christians are falling into this very trap, where the expression of Christian witness takes the form of a monologue with the only object being the earliest possible persuasion of the hearer to become a Christian.

It is for this reason that I am very wary of certain modern methods of evangelism. One takes the form of an impersonal approach where the Christian sets out, step-by-step, a presentation of the Gospel according to a prescribed formula he has learnt from someone else. These package presentations probably do make witnessing easy for those who distrust their ability to present the Gospel effectively in their own words, but they are so stereotyped and formal that they inhibit inter-communication and a genuine person-to-person approach and take the form of a pure monologue instead. Worse still, they invariably encourage the Christian to attempt to get the hearer to pray a prescribed prayer at the end of the one-two-three, step-by-step presentation, to receive Christ as Saviour. The object of the exercise is obvious - obtain a formal commitment before the end of your first and only appointment with the object of your witness.

The Muslim must feel free to introduce subjects he wishes to discuss and will soon feel threatened if he senses that the Christian motive is to get a conversion commitment at the first possible opportunity. We need to be extremely patient with Muslims and it is only rarely that Muslims come to Jesus Christ without much time, heart-searching, learning and reflection first taking place.

This leads to the second thing we need and that is a keen sensitivity towards Muslims. It is a very subtle form of pride that makes Christians want to chalk up as many convert as they can in the shortest possible time. The same malady accounts for the spirit of triumphalism we see in so many of our churches today. Short-cut methods to elicit an early response or force a formal decision can do untold injury and harm to Muslims. Just as an untimely birth will damage or destroy a child, so a premature commitment will injure a Muslim and many have, in fact, turned against the Gospel permanently as the result of such hasty, insensitive approaches.

Click here to read The Christian Witness to the Muslim by John Gilchrist in its entirety



A Harvest in the Muslim World
December 12, 2006, 3:46 pm
Filed under: General, News in Muslim Missions

CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM - The Muslim call to prayer resounds through a large part of the Earth, where more than one billion people call themselves Muslims. 

Throughout the Islamic world, many Muslims from Gaza to London are also responding to the call to global jihad, where the goal is to take over the world for Islam. It’s a clash of civilizations with the Christian faith in the middle.

Throughout the nearly 1,400 year history of Islam, Muslims have resisted the Christian Gospel. Many Christians tried to reach them with the good news, but with little success. 

But according to many reports from the Middle East and around the world, that history is changing. 

“I see many, many Arabic-speaking people turning to Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Savior,” said Nizar Shaheen, host of Light for the Nations, a Christian program seen throughout the Muslim world. “It’s happening all over the Arab world. It’s happening in North Africa. It’s happening in the Middle East. It’s happening in the Gulf countries. It’s happening in Europe and Canada and the United States-in the Arabic-speaking world. Everywhere, people are accepting Jesus.”

“What’s happening nowadays in the Muslim world has never happened before,” said Father Zakaria Henein, an Egyptian Coptic priest who is one of the foremost evangelists to the Muslim world. He says a cross-section of Muslims are accepting Jesus Christ. “Young and old, educated and not educated, males and females, even those who are fanatic.” 
 
One fanatic Muslim who came to faith in Jesus Christ is Samer Achmad Muhammed. He studied for years to become a Wahhabi sheik, one of the most virulent forms of Islam. He hated Christians and the church, but his heart changed when he heard the Gospel. 

“I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ, Jesus forgave me for my sins,” he said. “He gave me eternal life and peace. And the second thing, I really suffered in my daily life, but I had peace, I had joy because Jesus entered my heart.”

Muhammed is just one of many who are coming to Jesus. Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries sees thousands of African Muslims receiving Jesus and getting baptized.  

“It’s probably the only place in the world where they are coming so quickly,” she said. “Many people are having dreams. They see Jesus appear to them. Probably half our pastors were leaders, imams in Moslem mosques. They were leaders in these mosques, now they’re pastors.”

Another significant evangelistic movement among Muslims links China and Jerusalem. Chinese house churches plan to send at least 100,000 evangelists from China through many predominantly Muslim nations all the back here to Jerusalem.

This quiet but powerful movement of itinerant evangelists is bringing the story of Jesus Christ into the heart of the Muslim world. Technologies like satellite television and the Internet also penetrate the world of Islam. 

But beyond technology, many say a supernatural dimension is at work throughout the Islamic world.

“There is an end-time phenomenon that is happening through dreams and visions,” said Christine Darg, author of The Jesus Visions: Signs and Wonders in the Muslim World. “He is going into the Muslim world and revealing, particularly, the last 24 hours of His life - how He died on the cross, which Islam does not teach - how He was raised from the dead, which Islam also does not teach – and how He is the Son of God, risen in power.”

“We receive lots of letters about people who have had dreams about the Lord, visions, even miracles,” Shaheen said. “When they watch the program, they say yes, we had a dream or a vision, and they accept Jesus as Lord.”

But Muslims who accept Jesus face persecution, discrimination or even death. Despite the dangers, many continue to live out their faith and lead others to Jesus Christ.  

“Jesus loves all people, Jesus changes all people and Jesus is the One who places love and peace,” Shaheen said. “I was not like this but Jesus changed my life and I am not scared to talk about Jesus because praise is unto Him.”

Some believe the Church’s response to jihad must be a fearless proclamation of the Gospel to Muslims. Through prayer and evangelism, many see an unparalleled opportunity for the Gospel. 

“I anticipate that very soon – perhaps within two or three years-we are going to see the greatest harvest in history,” Shaheen said.

Click here to watch the CBN news cast online.



Muhammad or the Holy Ghost?
December 7, 2006, 10:53 pm
Filed under: General, Understanding Islam

Recently, I had a discussion with a devoted Muslim living in the Atlanta area. He is a first generation Muslim, meaning that he is the first and only person in his family to ever convert to Islam. His dedication to his religion far exceeded that of the four others standing nearby (because he was not born into the system but rather had to study the religious beliefs and practices for himself) and a couple of times he even rebuked them for not having full beards or even wearing their pants above their ankles. He quoted the Koran in Arabic with apparent ease and even referenced the Bible a couple of times.

His major argument that day revolved around the Islamic teaching on the Koran. He did not take the usual angle of trying to convince me of its supernatural declarations and “scientific” accuracy, but rather he claimed that Jesus Christ (Isa) prophesied Muhammad’s coming with the “true” word of God. He told us that a real Muslim believes that the Bible (Injeel) came from God and that what Jesus says in it does not contradict the Koran but rather tells of its coming. 

According to him, when Jesus talked about ”the Comforter” that would come after he left the earth, He was actually making reference to Muhammad and not the Holy Ghost. It was obvious that this Muslim zealot had no intention of sincerely examining the evidence, so I didn’t waste time in debate and gave him a few answers along with some thoughts for him and the others nearby to consider before he left.

If a true Muslim really believes that Jesus was perfect and called the Word of God (as found in the Koran), then he must acknowledge that what He said on this subject actually matters.This particular Muslim told me that the Bible was telling the truth when it spoke of the Comforter who would come. He decided that this portion of the Injeel was actually a section that was not corrupted (convenient enough for him). His interpretation of these passages pointed directly to Muhammad’s advent and his introduction of the Koran.

To be as objective as possible, I have copied the passages (as I gave to them) which he referred to below in both English and Arabic without my personal commentary. With the admission that these portions were not altered but were in fact the very words of Jesus, he had no response to offer and quickly changed the subject.

Examine the words of Christ yourself and determine if He is referring to Muhammad or the Holy Ghost.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;  

  وَأَنَا أَطْلُبُ مِنَ الآبِ فَيُعْطِيكُمْ مُعَزِّياً آخَرَ لِيَمْكُثَ مَعَكُمْ إِلَى الأَبَدِ 

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, 

وَأَمَّا الْمُعَزِّي الرُّوحُ الْقُدُسُ الَّذِي سَيُرْسِلُهُ الآبُ بِاسْمِي فَهُوَ يُعَلِّمُكُمْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَيُذَكِّرُكُمْ بِكُلِّ مَا قُلْتُهُ لَكُمْ. 

Joh 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:  

  «وَمَتَى جَاءَ الْمُعَزِّي الَّذِي سَأُرْسِلُهُ أَنَا إِلَيْكُمْ مِنَ الآبِ رُوحُ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي مِنْ عِنْدِ الآبِ يَنْبَثِقُ فَهُوَ يَشْهَدُ لِي. 

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  

لَكِنِّي أَقُولُ لَكُمُ الْحَقَّ إِنَّهُ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ أَنْ أَنْطَلِقَ لأَنَّهُ إِنْ لَمْ أَنْطَلِقْ لاَ يَأْتِيكُمُ الْمُعَزِّي وَلَكِنْ إِنْ ذَهَبْتُ أُرْسِلُهُ إِلَيْكُمْ. 

Joh 7:39  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)  

قَالَ هَذَا عَنِ الرُّوحِ الَّذِي كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ مُزْمِعِينَ أَنْ يَقْبَلُوهُ لأَنَّ الرُّوحَ الْقُدُسَ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدْ أُعْطِيَ بَعْدُ لأَنَّ يَسُوعَ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدْ مُجِّدَ بَعْدُ.



The Life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus: Fact or Fiction?
December 6, 2006, 6:49 pm
Filed under: General

Christianity is founded upon the belief that Jesus Christ was crucified and physically rose from the dead. This one doctrine defines who we are and serves as a guide for everything else that we practice. If Jesus in fact rose from the dead, then those who reject Christianity will have to either change their worldview or stand accountable for blatantly ignoring God’s provision of eternal salvation. Therefore, the only hope that any other religious/belief system (especially Islam) has in maintaining their validity in existing is by attacking this historical and pivotal event. 

The excerpt bellow comes from www.answeringinfidels.com. It contains a portion of a conversation between two Christian scholars and two antagonistic atheists. The dialogue took place on The Infidel Guy Show, hosted by the “Infidel Guy” himself, Reginald Finley, Sr. The purpose of the show was to allow Gary and Mike to present their case for the resurrection of Jesus, and to see if this case could withstand questions and objections from Richard and Reginald.  This is will show you some of the arguments against the resurrection and the answers given before the subject got out of hand. “The show got off to a good start. Reginald did an excellent job moving the discussion forward and allowing

Gary
and Mike to explain their points. Reginald began by asking why Christians need to defend the resurrection. Mike said that the resurrection is the cornerstone of Christianity, because Jesus made it so by claiming that he would rise from the dead. Hence, if the resurrection is true, then those who reject Christianity need to change their worldview. But if Jesus didn’t rise, then Christians should find something better to do. Either way, it’s an important topic.

Gary
added that, while a person may believe in or deny the resurrection by faith, the New Testament position is quite different, for it offers the resurrection as a historical foundation for belief, not simply as a tenet of blind faith.
After this brief but important groundwork, Reginald asked the Christian side how we can know that Jesus was a historical figure. This was a bit off-topic, but quite understandable. Many of the show’s listeners have absorbed the ideas of the handful of “Internet Infidels” who subscribe to the “Jesus-myth” theory, and thus may not be aware of the fact that not a single major scholar in the world takes it seriously.[i][1] Gary responded by noting that wherever we look, either at the New Testament or outside the New Testament, we find abundant evidence that Jesus existed. If we go to the New Testament (and virtually all critical scholars use the New Testament to some degree), historians have plenty of material to conclude that Jesus existed. But even if we reject the New Testament altogether, there are 17-18 non-Christian sources written within 100-150 years of the crucifixion, from which we can gather 48-50 comments about Jesus. If we add a third category—Christian writings outside the New Testament—we can gather a few other facts.Having given

Gary
an opportunity to outline the evidence for Jesus’ existence, Reginald turned to Mike for the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. Here Mike explained the “minimal facts” approach, which employs facts that meet two criteria: (1) they must be strongly evidenced, and (2) they must be acknowledged by the vast majority of scholars. Using these two criteria,

Gary
has assembled twelve facts that relate to the resurrection of Jesus. Mike suggested that these facts could be condensed to three important claims:
(1)  Jesus died by crucifixion;(2)  Shortly after his burial, the tomb was empty; and(3)  Some of his closest followers (and at least two people who weren’t originally followers) believed that he had risen from the dead and that he had appeared to them.Mike went on to say that historians seek hypotheses that fit the facts. Once the hypotheses have been narrowed down to those that account for the facts, the best explanation can be selected, and we can have confidence in this explanation to the degree that it outdistances other explanations. Mike concluded by saying that he and Gary both think that there is extraordinary evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.At this point, Reginald asked Mike and Gary for further evidence that Jesus existed and that he rose from the dead. However, in a moment of clarity that he lacked for the rest of the program, Richard said that Jesus’ existence should be granted for purposes of the discussion. (Of course, this may have simply been a careful move on Richard’s part, so that listeners wouldn’t see how flimsy the Jesus-myth theory is.) Reginald agreed with Richard, and attention shifted back to the resurrection. Gary then began an analysis of the early Christian creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3ff, which states that Jesus died, that he was buried, that he was raised from the dead on the third day, and that he appeared to a number of witnesses.

Gary
gave a number of reasons for giving this material an extremely early date:
(1)  Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in 55 AD.(2)  Paul says that he delivered this material to the Corinthians when he visited them a few years earlier (~51 AD).(3)  There are 8-10 literary features in the text showing that the material in 1 Corinthians 15:3ff was an early Christian creed.(4)  Paul most likely received this creed when he visited the Apostles around 35 AD.(5)  The creed would therefore predate Paul’s visit to

Jerusalem
.
(6)  Critical scholars give the creed an extremely early date. For instance, atheist New Testament scholar Gerd Lüdemann places it around 33 AD. The notoriously liberal Jesus Seminar places it at 32 AD (or earlier). James D. G. Dunn and Gerald O’Collins date the creed to 30 AD (i.e. within months of Jesus’ crucifixion).Since this material is very early, and since we can trace reports of Jesus’ death, burial, and appearances back to eyewitnesses, we have evidence that needs to be accounted for. If the resurrection hypothesis is the best explanation for this evidence, and if no other explanation plausibly accounts for the data, then Christians would appear to be amply justified when they claim that a miracle has occurred. Thus ended the clearest and most pertinent portion of the program. Gary and Mike argued (1) that the resurrection is an important topic for both Christians and non-Christians, (2) that there is overwhelming evidence for Jesus’ existence, (3) that Jesus’ death by crucifixion, the empty tomb, and the belief of Jesus’ followers that he had appeared to them are all historical facts, and (4) that the creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3ff is extremely early material that points to Jesus’ resurrection.


Click here to read the article in its entirety.